Everyone loves a “free” browser, “free” search, “free” chat agent. But let’s be real: you’re not using “free” software; you’re feeding someone else’s $$ profit-making machine $$. You’re paying with something far more valuable than a credit card: your data, your attention, your thoughts.
“The new internet doesn’t charge you money, it charges you self.”
Here’s the blunt truth: 
- The average revenue per social-media user globally: $40.60.
- In North America, Meta earns about $226.93 per user.
- The data-broker industry? Worth $156 billion annually.
- Your personal data’s wholesale value: about six cents.
So yes… while it looks “free,” you’re still paying.
Now imagine if you could earn from your data instead of handing it away — or at least control how it’s used. You won’t get rich overnight, but the point is this: you should have the option. And you should start building that control today.
Let’s walk through how the old model still works… and how you can choose the new one.
What’s at Stake
| Internet Era | Who Owns Your Data | What It Means for You |
|---|---|---|
| Web2 | Big tech platforms | You’re the product. Your clicks, attention, and time are sold. |
| AI Web (Now) | AI companies | They own not just your clicks but your mind patterns. |
| Web3 | You | You hold your identity, data, and the right to decide how it’s used. |
The idea isn’t that everyone needs to become a crypto expert — it’s about recognizing value where it already exists: in you.
Related read: AI Isn’t Free, You Are (coming soon) how the illusion of “free” tech turns us into the product.
Your Web3 Starter Kit
These aren’t random apps, they’re stepping stones toward owning your identity, data, and earnings. Start here, get familiar with the basics, and build up as you go.
1. Brave Browser — Control Your Browsing
A privacy-first browser that blocks ads and trackers by default.
Why it matters:
Every time you browse on Chrome, data brokers get a free window into your life. Brave closes that window, and pays you for your attention.
How to start:
Download Brave, import your bookmarks, and turn on Brave Rewards.
Adapt principle:
Your attention has value. If a product doesn’t share that
value with you, it’s profiting from you.
2. Presearch — Take Back Your Search Bar
A decentralized search engine that rewards you in PRE tokens for searching.
Why it matters:
Every Google query helps advertisers understand you better — and you get nothing back.
How to start:
Sign up, set Presearch as your default search engine, and search normally.
Adapt principle:
Privacy can be profitable. Even if you don’t care about tokens,
you’re teaching yourself that anonymity is worth something.
3. MetaMask + Phantom — Your First Digital Wallets
Your digital wallets — the keys to your Web3 home.
MetaMask works on Ethereum and most EVM networks; Phantom runs on Solana, a faster and cheaper chain.
Why they matter:
Without a wallet, you don’t own your digital assets. These tools put your identity, data, and tokens back in your hands.
How to start:
1️⃣ Install from official sites.
2️⃣ Create a wallet & write down your seed phrase on paper.
3️⃣ Add a small amount of ETH (MetaMask) or SOL (Phantom).
Adapt principle:
In Web2, your identity lives on someone else’s server.
In Web3, it lives in your pocket.
🪄 MetaMask vs Phantom — Which One’s for You?
| Goal | Best Wallet | Why It Works | Quick Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧱 Explore Web3 basics | MetaMask | Works with Ethereum, Polygon & hundreds of dApps. | metamask.io → Create wallet → Add ETH. |
| 🎨 Create & mint NFTs | Phantom | Fast, low fees on Solana — great for artists. | phantom.app → Create wallet → Add SOL. |
| 🧠 One wallet for everything | MetaMask | Integrates with Brave, Zapper & most platforms. | Connect & explore dApps. |
| 🪶 Design simplicity | Phantom | Clean UI + built-in NFT viewer. | Use for mobile or starter wallet. |
| 🔒 Privacy & self-custody | Both | You hold your keys. You own your access. | Store seed phrase offline. |
4. Lens Protocol — Own Your Social Graph
Control your profile, followers, and posts…not the platform.
Why it matters:
If Instagram bans you, you lose everything. On Lens, your identity follows you.
Why it matters:
On traditional platforms, you can lose everything overnight… your account, your audience, even your creative work. Lens flips that by making your social identity portable and permanent. If a new app launches tomorrow, you can bring your followers with you.
How to start:
Go to lens.xyz → connect your wallet → create a Lens handle (if open) → explore Lens-powered apps like Lenster or Orb.
You’ll use it just like any social network, posting, following, and commenting, but the ownership is yours.
Adapt principle:
Social media should serve you,
not own you
5. Mask Network — Upgrade Web2 Without Leaving It
A browser extension that adds encryption, tipping, and Web3 payments to your normal social apps.
Why it matters:
Most people aren’t ready to abandon the platforms they love. Mask lets you experience Web3 while staying put, encrypt messages, send crypto tips, even share NFTs without leaving your feed.
How to start:
Install the extension → connect MetaMask or Phantom → try sending an encrypted DM or tipping a post.
Adapt principle:
Start where you are.
6. Farcaster — Decentralized Social with Real People
A social app where posts and identities live on open protocols, not corporate servers.
Why it matters:
Farcaster reimagines social media as a public utility, not a walled garden. You own your username, followers, and posts on-chain… no corporate algorithm deciding what deserves to be seen.
How to start:
Download Warpcast → create a Farcaster ID → follow topics you care about (tech, art, culture). Everything you share lives in a public ledger you own.
Adapt principle:
Community is stronger when it’s free from control.
7. Ocean Protocol — Monetize Your Data
A platform that lets people sell, share, or protect data sets ethically.
Why it matters:
Big companies already profit from your data, Ocean lets you decide what to share and get paid for it. It’s especially powerful for researchers, developers, or creators who generate valuable datasets.
How to start:
Visit market.oceanprotocol.com → create an account → explore datasets to buy or learn how publishing works. (Ocean has a “Learn” tab for beginners.)
Adapt principle:
Your data is currency, stop spending it without consent
8. Revoke.cash — Protect Your Wallet
See which apps have access to your wallet and revoke anything suspicious.
Why it matters:
Every time you connect a wallet to a site, you grant it “approval.” Some malicious sites abuse this, Revoke.cash helps you take that access back.
How to start:
Visit the site → connect your wallet → review granted permissions → click “revoke” on anything you don’t recognize.
Adapt principle:
Owning your data means knowing who has the keys.
9. Zapper + Rabbithole — Learn by Doing
Hands-on quests that teach you how Web3 works, and sometimes reward you for learning.
Why it matters:
Web3 can feel abstract until you use it. These platforms turn learning into a safe, guided experience that builds confidence fast.
How to start:
Create a wallet → connect it to Zapper or Rabbithole → follow beginner-friendly quests like “connect to a dApp” or “claim a free NFT.”
Adapt principle:
Education is the best investment,
especially when it pays you back.
How to Start Without Getting Scammed
Most people lose money in Web3 not because the tech is bad… but because they don’t understand the rules. Here’s what to know before you connect a wallet to anything.
🧭 1. Understand the Risk Pyramid
Think of Web3 like finance:
- Low risk: Wallet setup, browsing with Brave, searching on Presearch.
- Medium risk: Connecting wallets to verified apps like Lens or Mask Network.
- High risk: Investing in tokens or unverified NFT projects. Stay in the first two levels until you know how to verify a project’s legitimacy.
🔒 2. Protect Your Keys
Your seed phrase is your identity. If someone gets it, they own your wallet.
Write it on paper and store it offline (in a safe or lockbox). Never send it in DMs or screenshots. If you must keep a digital backup, use an encrypted USB drive, never cloud storage.
🕵🏾♀️ 3. Verify Everything Before You Connect
Scammers often replicate real sites (“phishing”). Always double-check URLs and if you’re unsure, search the project name on Twitter or Discord for official links.
If you see “airdrop” promises from random accounts, run.
🧠 4. Educate Before You Invest
Use learning platforms like Rabbithole to build skills before putting money in. Every scam targets curiosity… education is your armor.
🤝 5. Stay Grounded in Community
Follow builders, not influencers. Look for founders who explain concepts instead of hyping price. Join public Discords or forums where people share verified resources.
🧩 6. Start Small, Think Long-Term
Put in what you can afford to lose. Even $10 worth of ETH or SOL can teach you more than weeks of reading. Focus on learning ownership and privacy, the money will follow.
“Ownership without education is just a liability in disguise.”
The next internet isn’t coming, it’s already here.
Every tap, scroll, and prompt is a tiny transaction of value. The question is: who’s cashing in?
Owning your data isn’t just about crypto or tech, it’s about dignity, privacy, and agency in a world that profits off your curiosity. You don’t have to master blockchain overnight. You just have to start making conscious choices, one browser, one wallet, one search at a time.
