The Web3.0 Economic System: Structure, Model, and Applications

Yiming Guo; Jianming Zhu

doi:10.57019/jmv.1774834

The Web3.0 Economic System: Structure, Model, and Applications

Abstract

Web2.0 significantly expanded online user participation through centralized platforms but also led to issues such as data monopolies and privacy concerns. In contrast, Web3.0 introduces a decentralized paradigm based on blockchain, smart contracts, and distributed ledgers, aiming to reconstruct the institutional foundations of the digital economy. However, existing research remains fragmented, often focusing on technological or governance aspects without offering a cohesive framework to interpret Web3.0 as an integrated economic system. This study proposes a three-layer conceptual model, comprising the system, operation, and application layers, to provide a unified framework for understanding Web3.0’s economic architecture. The model links technological infrastructure, incentive governance, and value realization mechanisms, drawing upon systems theory, institutional economics, and socio-technical systems theory to explain how decentralized infrastructures, token-based incentives, and application ecosystems interact and evolve. Through a systematic literature review, the study identifies key mechanisms shaping value circulation, token governance, and institutional adaptation in decentralized economies, offering theoretical guidance for both research and regulation. It concludes by outlining policy and research pathways toward the sustainable and inclusive evolution of Web3.0 ecosystems.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research was funded from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Number: 62372493), Beijing, China.

Ethical Statement

This study does not involve human participants, animals, or sensitive personal data. Therefore, institutional ethics approval was not required. All procedures complied with the ethical standards for research integrity and academic publishing.

Thanks

The authors thank the Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China, for the financial support for this study.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Cybersecurity and Privacy (Other) , Finance and Investment (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Yiming Guo
0000-0002-4266-3123
China

Jianming Zhu ^*
0009-0004-7693-2389
China

Early Pub Date

December 16, 2025

Publication Date

January 8, 2026

Submission Date

August 31, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 6

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1774834

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA66UC33BG

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Guo, Y., & Zhu, J. (2026). The Web3.0 Economic System: Structure, Model, and Applications. Journal of Metaverse, 6, 71-83. https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1774834