Visions of the future of the internet beyond Web 2.0 are proliferating, as immersion and augmentation of social practices through the metaverse begin to define a new frontier of sociality and our digital lives. Questions of privacy, transparency, consent, data ownership, data governance, digital property and sustainability are being refreshed and re-visioned, with many Web3 proponents actively advocating in these spaces.

Alexia Maddox provides a critical sociological study of insider-outsider tensions that influence the adoption of blockchain technologies and impact the Web3 ecosystem; the tensions between the Web3 community, the platforms and the users. Using relevant case studies to illustrate insider-outsider dynamics, the book explores how these dynamics interact with broader social forces. The case studies provide in-depth examples that represent both sides of the coin in each chapter.

Insider and Outsider Cultures in Web3 strikes a balance between the promise and critique of the technology and its social context.