The argument that a new chapter in the evolution of the web could avoid filling the coffers of giant corporations that, currently, control how it works and how we use it, is a compelling one for many.
But there remains an issue here in that, in contrast, perhaps people just don't mind or care enough to want to see wholesale change to the way the internet works.
The internet is still early in its evolution: the core internet services will likely be almost entirely rearchitected in the coming decades.
The first and second eras of the internet are behind us now.
And the next phase will be enabled by crypto-economic networks, a generalization of the ideas first introduced in Bitcoin and further developed in Ethereum.
Cryptonetworks combine the best features of the first two internet eras: community-governed, decentralized networks with capabilities that will eventually exceed those of the most advanced centralized services.
But why do we need decentralization?