Your Web3 World: Will you work in Web3?
The Web3 world is opening, but how does that change the world of work? Working in Web3 presents multiple opportunities for technical and non-technical careers. Will you work in Web3? Let’s take a look at the Web3 industry and Web3 careers.
What is Web3?
Web3 is the next iteration of our online world, moving beyond what we now refer to as Web2. Of course, before that, came Web1. Web1 is considered to be the ‘read only’ web, through which we used our online world to simply find information. Web2 moved us all into a more participatory environment that gave rise to the social networks and connected communities we are all familiar with. Web2, however, centralized most of our online activity, through the use of centralized platforms, like Facebook, Google, and more. Web3 is the next step into enabling user autonomy over their lives. Web3 is considered to be the ‘read, write, and own’ form of our online world. Web3 moves us away from centralized control over our online world, and moves us into a
decentralized online ecosystem based on the blockchain. Platforms and apps built on Web3 won’t be owned by a central organization, and neither will the personal data required to participate in the online world. Instead, as we walk into Web3, personal data will be owned entirely by the person themselves. Web3 ushers in a new era of utility and autonomy for all.
The Metaverse is no myth
The Metaverse is no mythical place, as the world migrates more and more towards this new iteration of online life. The Metaverse is not only the virtual playground you may immediately think of. As an extension of Web3, the Metaverse is a critical component of our future, at work, play, and more. The Metaverse is set to become a natural, albeit virtual and immersive, extension of your real life. With your digital identity serving as your passport to the Metaverse, the real-life interactions you have now will be undertaken across the Metaverse. Think of your common-place to do items, such as visiting your bank to update your personal details. Instead of visiting a physical building, presenting yourself in physical form, and handing over physical proof of your identity, you’ll be conducting this transaction within the Metaverse.
What happens in the Metaverse
And that’s where things turn interesting, as the urgent need to secure identity rises, to ensure legitimacy, and authenticity of your identity. Web3 presents the opportunity to secure identity for all, removing centralized control over our identities, and placing user autonomy at its core. Everything you’re used to doing in real life, and everything you do online today, will be conducted across the Metaverse within the short-term future. That’s why the Web3 industry is booming in a big way, as the urgency to secure digital identity rises. The way you shop will switch up too. Where you once tied all your online accounts to your email address, they’ll now become tethered to your digital identity. That will present some interesting challenges for advertisers, of course, as you’ll be in full control of your personal information, online history, transaction log, and more. The Metaverse makes room for full autonomy over your identity, and forced data sharing — as tucked into the terms and conditions you have to accept when you sign up for a service — will be no more.
Your Web3 identity
As your fully-owned source of power in the Web3 world, your identity becomes your passport to the Metaverse. Just as your real-life identity plays a pivotal role in your daily transactions, your digital identity becomes a representation of it in the Web3 world. As the ultimate expression of yourself, tethered to your assets, documents, transactions and more, it’s crucial that you get to choose how to secure and signify your identity. That’s where the magic of smart contract technologies come into play, to secure your digital identity. Securing your digital identity in the form of a smart contract ensures your full autonomy and control over it.
The Web3 industry
The foundations of our Web3 world are rooted in blockchain technologies, but the size and value of the sector has, so far, surpassed everyone’s expectations. As it stands, the Web3 market was estimated to be worth approximately $2.9 billion in 2021. By 2028 — a mere 7 years later — conservative estimates related to the Web3 market value rank in at between $23.3 billion and $30 billion. According to Market Research Future, Web3.0 will continue to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 44.6%, between 2023 to 2030. And, as for its purpose, Gartner predicts that 25% of consumers will spend at least one hour a day engaging within our Web3 world — you could also call it the Metaverse — for work, shopping, education, social or entertainment purposes by 2026.
Web3 careers
Of course, building a new era of the Internet doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen as a hobby. The Web3 career opportunities are seemingly infinite so far, with no sector or industry able to ignore the potential for growth, as the use cases and development come to light. Beyond the obvious technical roles associated with building our Web3 world, including blockchain development, traditional development, technical support, and more, career opportunities abound. During 2020 and 2022, job posts related to blockchain technologies and Web3 technologies grew by an incredible 804%. That’s not a typo and our editor is not on leave. The demand for more non-technical roles, including project support, communications, and more, is seeing similar growth across all sectors. And, as corporations awaken to the necessity of engaging with the opportunities Web3 technologies present, more and more larger institutions are diversifying their teams to welcome new Web3 talent.
Recruiting for Web3
A quick online search for jobs in Web3 may pique your interest too. Moving from a Web2 to a Web3 world is not the giant leap you may be concerned about. This guide to migrating your career towards the Web3 world is a useful resource. While many big tech companies stare down the possibility of layoffs, the Web3 recruitment drive has set a new pace for the world of work.
Will you work in Web3?
The demand for people who are keen to explore Web3 job opportunities, learn blockchain technologies, and explore the opportunities the Metaverse brings to all of us is growing. In many respects, the rush to fill Web3 related posts is on, and skilled candidates are in high demand. If you have an inkling, interest, or experience in Web3 technologies, now’s your time to leap into the Metaverse and make that career move. Of course, the world of work is not the same as it was a mere 2 years ago, and the development of Web3 opportunities was indeed catapulted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent need, however, for skilled, interested, and eager talent continues.
Secure the Metaverse
Before you consider working in Web3, though, let’s dial it back to the core of this new iteration of our world: digital identity. As the Web3 industry works to secure digital identity, identity frameworks are working at pace to ensure safety and security at every turn. Similarly, traditional institutions — yes, even your bank! — Web2 platforms, and every business you could think of, are starting to cater for, and build towards, Web3 solutions. All of them build towards the future of secured, programmable and portable digital identities. But, what would be the best way to secure digital identities? Sure, smart contracts can secure it, but what would a digital identity look like? That’s where the wonder of NFTs comes into play.
The PhotoChromic Protocol
The PhotoChromic protocol builds a secure digital identity, accessible for all, and biometrically verified. The PhotoChromic protocol uses smart contract technologies to enable the creation of a secured digital identity in the form of an NFT. The biometric verification process confirms that the digital identity is a clone of a real, physical person. PhotoChromic takes your artistic representation, NFT generation, and identity verification, and wraps those unique credentials into a one-of-a-kind NFT that can be used as a persistent, portable digital identity in the Web3 world. You may have assumed that the NFT hype was just another trend, but the opposite is true. NFTs have the power to revolutionize the way we interact online, enabling everyone to enjoy the benefits of a secured digital identity. A PhotoChromic NFT empowers everyone to prove that they are the human they claim to be, without sharing any data.
Work in Web3
Would you like to work in Web3? Have you built something for the Web3 world? We’d love to hear from you. Find out more about how you can work with PhotoChromic as we work to build a secure Metaverse.
