# Ryan's Web3 Getting Started Guide By [rshank](https://paragraph.com/@rshank) · 2021-12-15 --- This is a brain dump of what I think is a good overview to get started learning about web3. Let start by looking at why web3 matters. Below is a really good tweet thread by Chris Dixon, a partner at [a16z](https://a16z.com/crypto/), who is focused on web3. [https://twitter.com/cdixon/status/1442201621266534402](https://twitter.com/cdixon/status/1442201621266534402) Why web3 matters: [https://future.a16z.com/why-web3-matters/](https://future.a16z.com/why-web3-matters/) Quick summary: -------------- Web1 (roughly 1990-2005) was about open protocols that were decentralized and community-governed. Most of the value accrued to the edges of the network — users and builders. Web2 (roughly 2005-2020) was about siloed, centralized services run by corporations. Most of the value accrued to a handful of companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook. We are now at the beginning of the web3 era, which combines the decentralized, community-governed ethos of web1 with the advanced, modern functionality of web2. Web3 is the internet owned by the builders and users, orchestrated with tokens. Here’s how I view the web3 landscape: ------------------------------------- 1. Tokens 2. Wallets 1. [metamask](https://metamask.io/), [rainbow](https://rainbow.me/), [coinbase wallet](https://www.coinbase.com/wallet) (these are all self-custody wallets meaning you control the private keys/seed phrase 3. NFTs 4. NFT Marketplaces 1. [Opensea](https://opensea.io/) ($10b valuation and largest marketplace) 5. Centralized exchanges 1. [Coinbase](https://www.coinbase.com/), [Binance](https://www.binance.com/en), [FTX](https://ftx.com/), [Gemini](https://www.gemini.com/), [Crypto.com](https://crypto.com/) 6. Decentralized exchanges ([Uniswap](https://uniswap.org/)) 1. Allows people to swap tokens (i.e. swap ETH for $GALA) 7. Staking protocols 1. [OlympusDAO](https://www.olympusdao.finance/) (overview [article](https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2021/12/05/olympus-dao-might-be-the-future-of-money-or-it-might-be-a-ponzi/)), [Time Wonderland](https://www.wonderland.money/) (overview [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbq2zcm0UHk)) 8. DAOs 1. [FlamingoDAO](https://flamingodao.xyz/), [FWB](https://www.fwb.help/join) 9. Play-to-earn games 1. [Axie](https://axieinfinity.com/), [Gala](https://app.gala.games/), [Wolf Game](https://wolf.game/) 10. Metaverse 1. [Sandbox](https://www.sandbox.game/en/), [Decentraland](https://decentraland.org/) 11. Software Dashboards to track holdings 1. [Zapper.fi](https://zapper.fi/)  12. Taxes 1. [CoinTracker](https://www.cointracker.io/), [ZenLedger](https://www.zenledger.io/), [TokenTax](https://tokentax.co/), [Koinly](https://koinly.io/) 13. Liquidity Protocols 1. Stake crypto and earn interest or borrow assets 2. [Aave](https://aave.com/), [Compound Finance](https://compound.finance/), [Yearn Finance](https://yearn.finance/) 3. [Rari Capital](https://rari.capital/) - They also offer their [Fuse pools](https://app.rari.capital/fuse) product which allows anyone to lend, borrow, and create isolated lending pools (community created pools) Good Readings: -------------- * [Coopatroopa DAO landscape](https://coopahtroopa.mirror.xyz/_EDyn4cs9tDoOxNGZLfKL7JjLo5rGkkEfRa_a-6VEWw) * [Why NFTs are a generational innovation](https://medium.com/coinmonks/nfts-101-why-nfts-are-a-generational-innovation-4626ae803e3b) * [Gaby’s web3 reading list](https://gabygoldberg.notion.site/f7050e62461143d49345e7b46eb5576b?v=c02511c4230c44ce9a1a03c9757da524) Interesting projects I like right now: -------------------------------------- * [Royal](https://royal.io/) - a music tokenization platform that incorporates music royalties into tokens (NFTs) that anyone can buy or trade. They [raised $55m](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/11/22/nft-music-platform-royal-closes-55m-funding-round-led-by-a16z/) in Nov 2021 from a16z, chainsmokers and others after previously [raising $16m](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/08/26/3lau-raises-16m-to-tokenize-music-royalties-for-artists-and-fans/) just 3 months prior ($71m total raised). * [Flyfish Club](https://www.flyfishclub.com/) (check out this [youtube overview video here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwaNbe3zK6c)) - Gary Vee’s new [NFT membership restaurant](https://kilegal.com/nft-restaurant-to-open-in-nyc-in-fall-of-2022/) in NYC. Think of this like a membership club similar to [Zero Bond](https://zerobondny.com/) or [Soho House](https://www.sohohouse.com/) where you have to have the token (NFT) in your wallet to gain access. * [IndexCoop](https://www.indexcoop.com/) / [TokenSets](https://www.tokensets.com/) - Create, manage, and grow your own index fund of tokens * [Pallet](https://www.pallet.xyz/) - Job boards that allow you to curate roles for your community and connect members with businesses you support (ex. [Gaby’s Web3 Job Board](https://web-3.pallet.xyz/jobs)) DAO Tools / Resources: ---------------------- 1. Governance: [@AragonProject](https://twitter.com/AragonProject) ([https://aragon.org](https://aragon.org)) 2. Voting: [@SnapshotLabs](https://twitter.com/SnapshotLabs) ([https://snapshot.org/#/](https://snapshot.org/#/)) 3. Token gating: [@Collab\_Land\_](https://twitter.com/Collab_Land_) ([https://collab.land](https://collab.land)) 4. Treasury: [@juiceboxETH](https://twitter.com/juiceboxETH) ([https://juicebox.money/#/](https://juicebox.money/#/)) 5. Community: [@discord](https://twitter.com/discord) 6. Multi-sig wallet: [@gnosissafe](https://twitter.com/gnosisSafe) ([gnosis-safe.io](https://gnosis-safe.io/)) Other tools recommended by [@coopahtroopa](https://twitter.com/Cooopahtroopa) that are acting as the defacto standard for most DAOs today: [_Discourse_](https://www.discourse.org/) - Forum commonly used to discuss governance proposals. [_Coordinape_](https://coordinape.com/) - Coordination game to determine which contributors(s) deserve token rewards. [_Parcel_](https://parcel.money/) - Treasury management to easily track and send payments. [_SourceCred_](https://sourcecred.io/) - Instance to track community participation and reward active members. [_Mirror_](https://mirror.xyz/race) - Finance creative projects through tokenized crowdfunds. [_Tally_](https://www.withtally.com/) - Governance dashboard to track on-chain voting history across different protocols. [_Boardroom_](https://boardroom.info/) - Governance hub for tokenholder management to empower key decision making. [_Sybil_](https://sybil.org/#/) - Create and track on-chain governance delegation. [_RabbitHole_](https://rabbithole.gg/) - Reward tokens for completing specific on-chain tasks. Together, this stack allows anyone to spin up a treasury, introduce governance, reward key contributions and engage communities in ongoing discussions. People to follow on Twitter: ---------------------------- 1. [Beanie](https://twitter.com/beaniemaxi) 2. [Hunter Orrell](https://twitter.com/hunterorrell) 3. [Kevin Rose](https://twitter.com/kevinrose) - Partner at True Ventures and podcast host 1. [Modern Finance podcast](https://modern.finance/) - all things crypto / blockchain 2. [Proof NFT](https://www.proof.xyz/)\- NFT interviews 4. [Gaby Goldberg](https://twitter.com/gaby_goldberg) - Investor at The Chernin Group Crypto (TCG) 5. [3lau](https://twitter.com/3LAU) - DJ and founder of [Royal](https://royal.io/) (platform to buy ownership in songs via royalties) 6. [Alexis Ohanian](https://twitter.com/alexisohanian) - founder of 776 ventures / founder of reddit 7. [DCInvestor](https://twitter.com/iamDCinvestor) 8. [Blake Robbins](https://twitter.com/blakeir) 9. [Jacob Martin](https://twitter.com/thenftattorney) - NFTAttorney who launched [NFT Tax Guide](https://www.nfttaxguide.com/) 1. This is really cool. He created a “Tax Guide” document that you purchase as an NFT for .08 ETH (around $300). 10. [Coopahtroopa](https://twitter.com/Cooopahtroopa) - venture partner at Variant Fund 1. Good tweet on [starter DAOs](https://twitter.com/Cooopahtroopa/status/1463658707984674816) There’s many, many more people to follow on Twitter such as the people on this [NFT list](https://twitter.com/i/lists/1423475270531616778) created by my friend [jsunderulo.eth](https://twitter.com/JSunDerulo). I’ll add more people to my list later on but for now it’s a good start. I’m also excited about more projects than I listed above but want to do more research on them before I commit to adding them to this list. As I learn about more things in web3 and find them interesting, I’ll also add them here. DM me on Twitter if you think I left anything out. My twitter: [@ryanashank](https://twitter.com/ryanashank) --- *Originally published on [rshank](https://paragraph.com/@rshank/ryan-s-web3-getting-started-guide)*