Google announced the launch of a Layer 1 blockchain. Some Web3 founders are hyped, while others are worried. Google is good for mass adoption but detrimental to decentralization.
Everybody takes notice when Alphabet, a $2.9-trillion giant with more than 5.6 billion users, enters a new sector. Google’s blockchain will bring much-needed improvements to the user experience. But that’s not all.
If looked at the right way, Google brings competition, which is a form of collaboration that can accelerate innovation while lending legitimacy to Web3.
Many view it with skepticism and raise concerns around centralization, which goes against the core ethos of decentralization and raises concerns about democratized ownership. Let’s not forget the flaws of Web2: single points of failure, walled gardens and deep tech moats.
The Internet Used to Suck
Engineers and computer scientists built it and were the only people who could use it. You had to code if you wanted to write or share anything online. The read-only internet was impossible to navigate until search engines came along.
Google changed everything by making the world’s data accessible to everyone. When we need information, we just Google it. Usability was unlocked; now, the world is at our fingertips.
They did it so well that they became a household name.
Then, Web2 arrived with the invention of social media. You could create and curate content without knowing a single line of code. Early social networks went to war for dominance over sharing cat photos and memes. Then Facebook put the user first, and the world joined a unified social network.
We’re coming up on one of those moments right now. The world is changing from Web2 to Web3, but blockchain is a different game. There are disruptors and trailblazers within the space who abstract the complexity and focus on user experience. Many others, sadly, are not.
What’s holding blockchain back isn’t potential — it’s friction. Awkward wallets, fluctuating token prices, and a maze of rules no one can agree on have kept Web3 feeling like a gated club for insiders.
That’s why some blockchain experts have focused on the most crucial pain points: no confusing setups, no tokens that crash and soar overnight, no seed phrases, and no mystery gas fees. They integrate stablecoins directly into their protocols, making crypto feel like cash.
Stablecoins are intuitive and priced in the currency people actually use. They’re an entryway into putting the user first.
Google has the power to dismantle more barriers by weaving blockchain into apps, payments, and services people already use every day.
They could, but they’re not. Instead, Google is making another financial layer. On one hand, that’s great because it validates decentralized finance. On the other hand, it’s boring.
Finance has already been solved, although specific pain points remain, such as cross-border payments taking days via SWIFT or opaque asset tracking. Google’s blockchain explicitly targets these with neutrality and speed, positioning it as rivaling systems like Ripple or Circle’s offerings.
Google, Think Bigger
Finance is only one use case. Frictionless payments are a reality. That’s easy. Blockchains can build an ecosystem of trust between the digital and physical worlds. When it becomes user-friendly, this is a silent revolution.
Everything from verifying personal records and confirming online identities to protecting personal data and building information marketplaces — this is about trust and not payment systems.
Thinking big means envisioning the blueprint for a trust-based future, instead of trying to build a better digital dollar. Google has what it takes to push Web3 forward in mind-blowing ways.
The OGs risk losing influence over what they’ve romanced since Bitcoin’s genesis: decentralization and democratization. What’s left? Hopefully, Google heeds the advice to go beyond payments and join the blockchain community to create a better future. The answer is simple: compete to collaborate.
Google and Facebook began as disruptors but are now part of the old guard. The history of the internet has clearly demonstrated that significant shifts occur when the status quo is challenged.
Competition is collaboration when you look at it like this. Facebook needed MySpace. Apple needed Microsoft. Google needed Yahoo.
These rivalries didn’t just pick winners; they changed the world by creating great things and encouraging one another to aim higher. Web3 needs Google.
It’s clear that blockchain now faces a defining moment. Will the tech make finance a little easier, or will it change the world by creating a universal layer of trust for everybody? For those genuinely prioritizing UX and UI, it’s the latter.
This isn’t about crypto; it’s about building the rails of the next internet. Let’s hope Google wants to think beyond payments. Web3 is ready to compete and to collaborate.
Disclaimer: The opinions in this article are the writer’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Cryptonews.com. This article is meant to provide a broad perspective on its topic and should not be taken as professional advice.
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