# NFT Ecosystems By [ambl.eth](https://paragraph.com/@ambl) · 2022-05-07 --- There is a technological bottleneck in web3. In this lightning-paced digital world, our social demand has far-exhausted the highways we have available. We’ve seen the artwork, but what’s next? We’ve seen the utility, but what’s next? Flocking to cross cultural speeches, filling spaces, mingling, listening, predicting, and recapping. Users want more. Users are bored. As bored as apes. \- having donated even half of the ETH burned during the April BAYC land grab ([nearly 64,000 ETH or $200M wtf](https://cryptopotato.com/baycs-otherside-nearly-200m-gas-burnt-in-hours-apecoin-crashes-30/)), we could have addressed homelessness, urban food shortages, blockchain-related energy initiatives, or at least bought artwork from a couple 1/1 artists… - A staggering amount transaction fees and precious attention for our own entertainment and flex. And yet, the conversation faded as quickly as it begin. No matter how tall it stands, fifteen minutes of fame will always be fifteen minutes. Why is MTG _still_ so valuable? Why are the most successful MMORPGs, RTS, and FPS games as long lived as they are? Why are [Youtube and Spotify](https://today.yougov.com/ratings/media/popularity/digital-services/all) among the top 10 most used digital services? **Culture and utility are inclusive, transparent, and widely available.** 2021 is the year of Bitcoin 2022 is the year of NFTs 2023 is the year the DAO As captivating and socially relevant as the PFP craze is, there is no telling what its long-term future is. Best case scenario, the upward trend continues, PFP investments continue to increase in value as metaverse technology develops, income inequality continues to be addressed on a larger and wider scale, and real-world NFT use cases are developed, targeting the larger web2 public to insure a growing audience and demand for the NFT marketplace. But, at risk of sounding even saltier about the current affair of NFTs - maybe because I didn’t buy Punks, Kitties, BAYC, Doodles, and I’m not a big fan of celebrity culture in general… - defending that I’m a horribly librarian degen, who still strongly believes NFTs are the future of digital ownership, and also knows when to shut his mouth. There seems to be a variety of interpretations of _utility._ In the world of web3, utility needs not a physical home. The digital landscape is as real as the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the people we can look in the eyes. The world is not maintained in the same way our Mother Earth cares for the planet. Social structures are all that exist. A truly value based hierarchy, where no physical systems need accounting for, and the number of followers denotes your rank in society. But, for the vast majority of the globe, utility is still defined at the web2 standard. How can I _physically_ consume this product. What can this service do for my friends and I when we’re hanging out. Utility is a bottle of wine. Utility is hanging artwork on your walls. Utility is listening to music on your drive to wherever. Utility is volunteering at a homeless shelter. Utility is a community garden. Utility is peace of mind. This is not to say that web2 cannot derive utility from web3, or vice versa. In fact, I strongly believe that is the only way that web3 will gain its mass adoption is by being inclusive of web2, and building upon its existing frameworks. We as humans, desire very similar things in both web2 and web3: time, entertainment, consumption, and status, empathy. We are a simple, yet complicated society. Change happens gradually, as instantaneous as it sometimes appears. The vast majority is reserved, hesitant, and comfortable where they are right now. **Bullish on web3 infrastructure** The landscape of web3 is being built at an astonishing rate. Over some vague timeline, enough structure will be laid down, that things will inevitably tip into web3: DAO commercialization, digital lending, BTC ETF, concert tickets, deeds - all utility as seen through the web2 lens. But these structures are still being built, and the majority of web3 are unfortunately bystanders in the process. Artists, curators, and collectors riding on the coattails of React, Solidity, Michelson, Python, and C++ innovation => replication => saturation => parody working as a community teams taking the task into their hands creating a futuristic merger of physical and digital This is partly why the world of NFTs feels so distant to many (all clout and superficiality aside). This cultural cycle is happening at such an alarming rate behind the scenes, and for better or worse, only the highest grossing moves make it to the public. But slowly and surely, web3 is pursuing the future, built by the people, for the people. The world often doubts the process as it is happening. With unprecedented connectivity and collaboration, sticking to your guns can be harder than ever. Successful artists, collectors, and influencers preaching answers from all imaginable stages, gathering the world in harmonious momentum towards a common goal. We must emerge from our rose tinted glasses, and continue to see the world from all angles. As deep into web3 as you have gone, challenge your mind to go equally as far into web2. Imagine the shadow as bright as the light shines. Lets go to the moon, but lets not leave the planet behind in our journey. --- *Originally published on [ambl.eth](https://paragraph.com/@ambl/nft-ecosystems)*