Web3 For Everyone? The Brutal Truth About Accessibility in 2025

The promise of a decentralized future. Picture a world in which you are the owner of your data. In this new reality, you hold the purse strings and determine the future of the internet. Financial inclusion, data sovereignty, tech for good, wow, amazing right? So are we truly building a Web3 for everyone, or just the few that got in over a decade long period?

Who's Really Invited to the Party?

We always hear about DeFi democratizing financial services, cutting out all those old banking middlemen. Institutions integrating DeFi protocols, offering higher yields. Tokenization creating new ways to invest in assets such as real estate. Gaming driving adoption. It certainly sounds great in theory. It feels like the early days of the internet again, when everyone was salivating at the potential for democratization. Much like the internet, Web3 is in danger of becoming another ecosystem where access is determined by privilege.

Think about it. Think of how many people you know who could go on to explain how Layer-2 scaling solutions work. How many are truly able to confidently navigate the complexities of private keys and gas fees, despite new simplified interfaces?

The reality is that according to the data, for most, Web3 is still a confusing, intimidating, and expensive space.

Digital Divide, Amplified & Weaponized

We mention going mainstream in 2025 due to maturing infrastructure. What about the infrastructure of access? Yet many millions can’t get online with a reliable connection, an essential minimum requirement for joining in this supposed revolution. It's not just about internet access. It’s about digital literacy. It’s no longer just about technology, it’s about the education and skills necessary to understand and critically navigate the complex Web3 landscape.

Consider, for example, a low-income, single working mother who has to choose between two jobs. What’s she going to do, spend all of her limited free time figuring out what DAOs and NFTs even are? Or is she focused on just getting dinner on the table?

In reality, the digital divide isn’t a gap — it’s a chasm — and Web3 threatens to widen it.

Let's not forget the financial barriers. High gas fees and upfront crypto investment requirements are significant barriers. Beyond the scam risk, the potential for scams adds another layer of challenge for low income individuals. We’re promoting financial inclusion on one side, but are we unintentionally introducing a new type of financial exclusion on the other?

Bias Baked In: The Algorithmic Truth

Beyond the technical and financial barriers, there's a more insidious problem: bias. We're building this new world on algorithms, and algorithms are only as unbiased as the data they're trained on. What happens when those same algorithms further entrench existing inequities? How do you deal with the consequences when DeFi platforms inadvertently discriminate against certain groups because the data is biased to begin with? Do NFT marketplaces unintentionally perpetuate harmful stereotypes?

We know it’s tempting to get swept up in all the buzz. For one, most people see Web3 as the ideal solution to everything that ails us. We must be clear-eyed about the risk of bias and discrimination. We need to actively work to ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed in a way that is fair and equitable.

The big takeaways from the news are pro-crypto policies leading to clearer guidelines for classifying tokens, increasing confidence. Who is shaping these policies? Or are they being hijacked by the establishment, the heavy hitters, the institutions that have the wherewithal to lobby and corrupt legislators? Or are they instead being turned and twisted to serve the needs of everyday people?

Regulatory clarity won’t take long to turn into regulatory capture. Without rigorous process, this ensures that regulations are written to benefit the well-connected and powerful at the expense of everyone else. What we really need, though, are smart policies that foster widespread Web3 accessibility, that guarantee everyone’s got affordable internet access, and that keep opportunistic consumers from scams and exploitation.

Regulatory Clarity, or Regulatory Capture?

Here's an unexpected connection: think about the early days of the internet. The promise was open access for all. Look at the internet today. Controlled by a very small number of tech companies who have all of our data and all of our online experiences. Are we doomed to repeat the same mistakes now with Web3?

Moving these concepts into the real world means we must advocate for policies that ensure all people enjoy the benefits of Web3 equitably across every sector of society. We will only get the outcomes we hope for if we demand transparency and accountability from the developers and institutions building this new world. We need to make our voices heard.

We believe that Web3 can be a genuine positive force in the world, and help contribute to a more just and equitable world. We need to engage with the brutal truth of accessibility. Only by doing so can we create a Web3 that works for all of us. Enough with the unqualified accolades for the promise and let’s start calling for concrete, measurable action. It is an ugly truth indeed, but so what?

We need to advocate for policies that ensure Web3 benefits are shared equitably across all segments of society. We need to demand transparency and accountability from the developers and institutions building this new world. We need to make our voices heard.

Web3 has the potential to be a force for good, to create a more just and equitable world. But that potential will only be realized if we're willing to confront the brutal truth about accessibility and work to build a Web3 that truly is for everyone. It's time to stop blindly praising the potential and start demanding real, tangible action. What are you going to do about it?