Web3 Foundation

For years, we've accepted an implicit bargain online: Convenience in exchange for data. But as AI accelerates, that bargain may be changing faster than most people realize. Our new research article, The Hidden Price of Free, estimates that the modern internet economy may generate up to $162,492 in inflation-linked lifetime value per internet user globally, with significantly higher estimates in highly monetized markets. This isn’t only about advertising anymore. Searches, purchases, prompts, behavioral signals, and interactions increasingly feed systems that train models, improve recommendations, and create entirely new products. The report doesn’t argue users are "owed a cheque." It asks a more fundamental question: If human activity creates enormous value online, should people have greater visibility, control, and participation in that system? 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ebfTtqGH

What if a tech event felt less like a conference — and more like a cultural moment? That’s the idea behind Web3 Summit 2026: A Festival for Digital Freedom. Rather than following the usual conference formula, this year’s summit embraces a more open, immersive format with talks, workshops, installations, performances, and community-driven experiences exploring a digital future through the lenses of privacy, digital sovereignty, user agency. For anyone interested in the systems, culture, and ideas shaping digital freedom, join us! Info and tickets: https://web3summit.com/

What does it take to build technology that genuinely expands digital freedom? This is one of the questions running through Web3 Summit 2026, and one of the reasons we’re pleased to welcome amir taaki to this year’s programme. From early Bitcoin development to privacy infrastructure and free software, his work has consistently engaged with the deeper questions behind decentralised technology: who holds power, how autonomy is protected, and what it means to build systems that genuinely serve people. That perspective makes him a meaningful part of Web3 Summit 2026, where the programme looks beyond trends and toward the principles shaping the future of the open internet - privacy, self-sovereignty and usable systems designed around freedom in practice. Join us at Funkhaus Berlin on 18–19 June for two days of exchange, experimentation and discussion with the people helping to shape the next chapter of the open internet. Ticket and programme info: https://web3summit.com/

Most tech events tell you what the future will look like. Web3 Summit 2026 invites you to help shape it. As part of Berlin Blockchain Week, Web3 Summit returns to Berlin on 18-19 June, not as as another tech conference, but as a participatory festival for people who believe technology should serve human autonomy, not extract it. Held at the historical Funkhaus Berlin, builders, artists, technologist and cultural thinkers will come together to explore what a more human-centred digital future could look like in practice: grounded in privacy, self-sovereignty, usability and collective participation. This blog unpacks the philosophy behind this year's Summit: from sovereignty as a cultural idea, to why the venue is part of the narrative, to how Web3 can move from theory into everyday life. Plus, how you can get involved. Get the details in the blog: https://lnkd.in/eQT4WBRd

Returning to Its Roots: Web3 Foundation’s Next Phase The Web3 Foundation is entering a new chapter by narrowing its operational scope and returning to its founding mission of stewarding and accelerating the technologies that enable a decentralized web on a global scale. After playing an active role in launching networks such as Polkadot and Kusama, the Foundation is refocusing on: • Advancing and evangelizing the decentralized web globally • Safeguarding its assets in alignment with its Web3 mission. Read the blog post for the details: https://lnkd.in/eV_2tMAs

After more than six years of supporting the Polkadot ecosystem through an Open Grants Program, the Web3 Foundation is shifting its strategy. As Polkadot enters its next phase, Web3 Foundation is shifting toward a more product-focused approach. This shift includes providing targeted strategic funding, actively participating in Polkadot OpenGov, and offering hands-on support for key ecosystem initiatives critical to long-term success. This evolution does not reduce ecosystem support. Rather, it reinforces W3F’s commitment to responsible and accountable stewardship, ensuring that essential teams and projects receive the necessary funding and support. Read the full blog post here:  https://lnkd.in/e3bfuvp6

Decentralized Voices: Closing This Chapter and Carrying the Lessons Forward Since 2024, the Decentralized Voices program has amplified the voices of individuals who actively participate in governance, think deeply, and engage authentically. Over the course of five cohorts, the program evolved through experimentation and iteration, shifting toward a culture of clearer reasoning and stronger norms. Today, we announce that Cohort 5 will be the final DV cohort for the time being. This decision reflects a strategic focus on Polkadot’s next phase, which is more product-driven and execution-focused. It is centered on key primitives, such as Proof of Personhood and real-world usability. To everyone who debated, challenged, and contributed, thank you. Your engagement made governance sharper, more honest, and more real. The lessons of DV live on, shaping how we approach the future. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eVdKSYFX

Web3 Summit 2026 is coming to Berlin on June 18–19. This year, the Summit introduces a new festival-style format designed to bring together builders, researchers, founders, and creators to explore, collaborate, and experiment in the decentralized web space. Learn more and save the dates: https://lnkd.in/eEcC4y6S

Web3 Summit returns to Berlin. June 18-19, 2026. A new format. A new experience. A new way to connect and build. Sign up for updates: web3summit.com