How Qortal Sticks To The Web3 Fundamentals
January 30th, 2025
Web3
Blockchain
QDN
The arrival of the new wave of the internet, the colloquial “Web3” movement, has been the impetus for a large number of projects to explode onto the scene. There were approximately a whopping 5,300 new tokens launched every day in 20241, all of them associated with their own roadmaps and people behind them, investing time and money. Needless to say, it has become a combined maze, labyrinth and puzzle for a Web3 enthusiast to find his or her way on the scene, in the search for projects offering real utility, and solutions to the pain points found on the normal internet.
There are countless new crypto currencies tokens and coins being created every single day2
This blog aims to ease that confusion, and propose Qortal as a coveted prize to this endless treasure hunt. And not because it’s a cool-looking project with a flashy user interface (which it is), but because it unequivocally sticks to the Web3 fundamentals, and is a shining example of a genuine project embracing this new evolution of the internet.
To make it simpler, one can safely assume that the Web3 fundamentals are as follows:
A decentralized and peer-to-peer blockchain (or network in familiar lingo)
Complete control of one’s data as a user
No censorship and hacking possible
Decoupled parallel economy
No third party funding or services involved
Anybody being to run a full node
The project was launched with no initial coin offering (ICO) and fair tokenomics.3
Woo! That was a lot of words. This might sound like a hefty criteria to abide by for a project, and it is! The sad part is that most so-called Web3 projects fail to even pass the first major criteria: complete decentralization!
See, even major projects and industry leaders such as Ethereum and Solana are not decentralized in the sense that they still rely on centralized servers to store user data, such as the metadata of user NFTs to give a popular example. Furthermore, a recent study showed that 65 percent of Ethereum nodes are housed in centralised data centres. According to the study, two-thirds of them come from three major data providers of web services.4 If the industry leaders cannot even abide by the first fundamental rule of Web3, how can expect smaller microcap projects to do so? They do not.
Even big time projects like Solana and Ethereum and centralized, and therefore don’t respect the criteria necessary to be considered “Web3”5
Indeed, because they fail at decentralization, most projects coming into the space right now are based entirely on speculation and greed alone, with the sole purpose of generating fiat revenues for its creators and some lucky investors. But these projects shouldn’t garner much attention from Web3 enthusiasts, privacy lovers, or decentralization fanatics. Instead all their attention should be placed on a project that respects ALL the Web3 fundamentals, and that project is Qortal!
Unlike Ethereum, Solana, or most blockchain projects, Qortal was built from the ground up to be completely decentralized, with no central servers, no corporate backing, and no hidden control mechanisms. It is completely decoupled from the normal internet, with the only tie to the regular internet being one’s internet service provider (ISP). At last! A project which satisfies the first fundamental principle for being considered Web3.
And if this wasn’t enough, Qortal also happens to meet every single other Web3 fundamental we listed earlier:
All a user’s data is completely their own, with self-custodial wallets also meaning they completely control their coins too.
Data stored on the Qortal Data Network (QDN) cannot be hacked nor censored by anybody, as the data is completely distributed across all nodes on the network.
Qortal contains many Q-Apps where people can use their QORT, including Q-Shop and Q-Tube, meaning it can already be considered a parallel economy
There was no third-party funding involved when Qortal launched
Anybody can run a node on Qortal, including on something as small as a Raspberry Pi, which means that money does not equate power on the network
Qortal was launched with no ICO nor pre-minted QORT. Genesis Block #1 minted the first QORT coin.6
Qortal truly embodies the Web3 fundamentals, like every blockchain project should!
To conclude, Web3 was meant to be a revolution; an internet where users have full control over their data, transactions, and online identities. But somewhere along the way, many so-called Web3 projects lost sight of these principles, choosing profit over decentralization, speculation over real utility.
Qortal is different. It was built with ethics at its core, ensuring that no corporation, venture capitalist, or wealthy individual could manipulate the network. With complete decentralization, true censorship resistance, and an economy free from third-party control, Qortal embodies everything Web3 was supposed to be. We’re talk about an actual internet alternative now!
So the question isn’t whether Qortal aligns with Web3 fundamentals—the real question is, why aren’t more Web3 enthusiasts paying attention? Get started today if you haven’t already, and install it on your favorite device!
1. CoinGecko. (2024, January 18). How many cryptocurrencies are there in 2024? CoinGecko Research. https://www.coingecko.com/research/publications/how-many-cryptocurrencies-are-there
2. 365 Web Resources. (2023, October 10). A collection of virtual currency & Bitcoin graphic design freebies. 365 Web Resources. https://365webresources.com/collection-virtual-currency-bitcoin-graphic-design-freebies/
3. Bains, A. (2023, July 7). Web3.0 guide: Understanding the basics of Web3. CCN.com. https://www.ccn.com/web3-0-guide-understanding-the-basics-of-web3/
4. Bhardwaj, S. (2022, September 12). 3 cloud providers accounting for over two-thirds of Ethereum nodes. Forbes India. https://www.forbesindia.com/article/crypto-made-easy/3-cloud-providers-accounting-for-over-twothirds-of-ethereum-nodes/79163/1
5. Kolhe, A. (2023, September 10). Solana vs. Ethereum: Comparing the titans of blockchain. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/solana-vs-ethereum-comparing-titans-blockchain-ashwin-kolhe/
6. Qortal Project. (n.d.). Qortal 101. Qortal Wiki. https://wiki.qortal.org/doku.php?id=qortal_101