**4.1 Architecture and technological difference: Web3 and Web 2.0**

Users may only find a small difference while interacting with Web3 applications as compared to Web 2.0 applications. The notable difference will be on the sign-on service. Web 2.0 relies on the centralized platform to verify the user (such as using an


### **Table 1.**

*Web3 common terminologies and definitions.*

*Perspective Chapter: eCommerce in the Web3 Era DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108862*

**Figure 1.** *Web 2.0 basic architecture.*

email and password), whereas the decentralized applications use primarily a wallet or signer service which connects the unique address of the user (to verify all transactions) on blockchain. **Figure 1** below shows the basic architecture of a Web 2.0 application.

The database or the data storage captures all essential data for the application such as consumer information, details of transactions, or any activities of relevance to the business. For an application like a social network, it would include all user details and posts by the users, comments, likes, and so on. The database constantly interacts with the back-end business logic and updates the information. The back end of the application runs the core business services or logic. All actions corresponding to the expected behavior – such as what happens when a new user signup, makes a purchase, or writes a new post is managed by this engine. The front end of the business interacts with its users (normally called the User Interface (UI)) and defines the look and feel along with expected changes to the application interfaces. Users normally interact with the front end using a web-based browser, mobile application interface etc. This architecture helped Web 2.0 applications to evolve as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), which basically improved the accessibility and providing the basic set of applications (common functionalities) using the inherent technological backbone [5].

Unlike centralized databases and control, Web3 relies on blockchains to build the applications [6]. Each of the blocks defines all the transactions and states and has strict rules on how it is transitioned in the next state. No central entity controls these blocks,

and it is always maintained by multiple anonymous nodes on the internet. Like the backend logic of the application, developers create smart contracts – the logic that would run on the blockchain defining the state changes such as a transaction logic for transfer of a cryptocurrency from buyer to seller (wallets). **Figure 2** describes the high-level architecture for a Web3 application based on the author's understanding of how Web3 applications currently work. The users interact very similar to a regular Web 2.0 application, however there are no central entities to verify the users and users generally use a signer service like MetaMask or Coinbase wallet service that connects users to the applications front end.

Since the blockchain is public and state machines, anyone can deploy their smart contracts and hence it all works on the same shared public blockchains. The virtual machine executes the code on the blockchain to execute the code. The virtual machines are normally termed Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) as Ethereum is the blockchain that supports transactions and smart contracts. All related blockchains such as Binance or Polygon uses the same Ethereum blockchain as the architectural backbone. Hence, unlike the Web 2.0 application backend program, the method by which the logic is executed on Web3 applications is entirely different. However, the front end or UI remains almost the same. But the way in which the front end communicates with the blockchain is different. The services are provided by nodes that help front end interact with the blockchain and they are called the providers. Once the provider helps the front end connect to the blockchain, the application can read the current state of the blockchain and gives permission to write (make any changes) to the blockchain. These changes are signed in public by the application. By this process it ensures these transactions are captured and later cannot be refuted by the signing entity and this process runs without

**Figure 2.** *Web3 basic architecture.*

*Perspective Chapter: eCommerce in the Web3 Era DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108862*

the requirement of a central entity to verify these transactions. As a summary, Web3 application will include an access layer (like a wallet or Web3 enabled browser), a use case layer (the front end or application such as a marketplace of decentralized financial service), an infrastructure layer (provider, virtual machine to run the logic, communication enablers etc.) and finally the backbone protocol layer (underlying blockchain).

There are other details specific to blockchain on how the signature process happens, how nodes accept each of the transactions, file storage within the blockchain etc. which are more technical in nature. Business leaders and Web3 users need to understand only the basic difference in technological infrastructure to identify new business opportunities, requirements to modify existing business operations, and understand the need to develop an ecosystem for users to directly interact with each other.
