Welcome to the New Internet: How Do Companies Find You?
Hello everyone, John here! Today, we’re diving into a topic that might sound a bit futuristic, but it’s happening right now. Imagine you’re starting a new, super-cool hobby club. How do you find people to join? You’d probably put up flyers at places where interested people hang out, right? A flyer for a book club goes in a library, and one for a hiking club goes at a sporting goods store. You target your audience.
Now, imagine trying to do that on a new version of the internet where everyone is a bit more private, and you don’t know their names or what they “like” on social media. It’s a tricky puzzle! Well, a company called Addressable has come up with a clever way to solve this puzzle for businesses in the world of “Web3.” Let’s break down what that means.
First Off, What Is “Web3”?
You’ve probably heard the term “Web3” floating around. It can sound pretty technical, but the idea is simple. Think of the internet’s evolution in three steps:
- Web1 (The “Read-Only” Web): This was the early internet of the 1990s. You could go online and read information on websites, kind of like reading a digital newspaper. It was mostly a one-way street.
- Web2 (The “Read-Write” Web): This is the internet we use every day—think social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or video sites like YouTube. We don’t just read content; we create it, share it, and interact with it.
- Web3 (The “Read-Write-Own” Web): This is the new, emerging phase. The big idea here is about ownership and control. It’s built on a technology called the blockchain, which allows people to truly own their digital items, data, and identity online, not just rent them from big tech companies.
“Hold on, John,” my assistant Lila just chimed in. “You said ‘blockchain.’ That sounds really complex. Can you explain that in simple terms?”
Of course, Lila! Great question. Imagine a shared digital notebook that everyone can see but no one can erase. When a new entry is made, it’s linked to the one before it, creating a chain of entries. This notebook isn’t stored in one place; it’s copied across thousands of computers worldwide. This makes it incredibly secure and transparent. That’s the basic idea behind a blockchain! It’s the technology that powers digital currencies and makes this whole Web3 ownership idea possible.
The Big Challenge: Finding Customers in a Private World
In our current Web2 world, companies know a lot about us. They use things called cookies and track our emails and clicks to figure out what we’re interested in so they can show us relevant ads. That’s why after you search for a new pair of shoes, you suddenly see ads for shoes everywhere!
In the world of Web3, things are different. People often use a “digital wallet” to interact with websites and apps. This wallet is like your personal account for the new internet, but it’s identified by a long string of numbers and letters, not your name or email address. This offers a lot more privacy, which is great for users! But for a new Web3 company—say, a new online game or a digital art marketplace—it creates a huge challenge. How do they find the people who would love their product if they can’t see who anyone is?
Addressable’s Smart Solution: Being a Digital Detective
This is where Addressable steps in. They’ve developed what they call “Wallet Intelligence.” Think of them as a digital detective. They don’t try to find out your real name or where you live. Instead, they analyze the public activity of these anonymous digital wallets—all 1.8 billion of them!
It’s like looking at someone’s shopping history to understand their hobbies, without ever knowing their name. If a wallet has made transactions related to several video games, it’s a safe bet that the owner is a gamer. If another wallet frequently interacts with digital art sites, its owner is likely an art enthusiast. Addressable uses this public data to help companies find the right types of wallets, not the right people.
How Addressable Helps Web3 Businesses Grow
So, what does this “Wallet Intelligence” actually do for a company? It boils down to a few key things:
- Identifying Real Users: The internet is full of automated accounts, or “bots.” Addressable helps companies filter through the noise and focus on wallets that are being used by real, active humans. This saves time and money.
- Smarter Marketing (Wallet-Based Targeting): This is the main event. A company can go to Addressable and say, “We want to reach wallets that have previously shown interest in online strategy games.” Addressable then helps them connect with that specific audience.
- Growing Efficiently (Scaling): By focusing their marketing efforts only on people who are likely to be interested, companies can grow much faster and more efficiently. They aren’t wasting money advertising to the wrong crowd.
- Making Payments Simple and Stable: The article also mentions that Addressable focuses on “stablecoin payments.”
“Okay, another question, John!” Lila said, raising her hand. “I’ve heard of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin going up and down in value like crazy. What makes a ‘stablecoin’ different?”
That’s a fantastic and important question, Lila. You’re right, the value of many cryptocurrencies can be very volatile. A stablecoin is a special kind of digital currency that is designed to have a stable value because it’s tied to a real-world asset, most commonly a currency like the U.S. dollar. So, one stablecoin might always be designed to be worth exactly $1. This is incredibly useful for businesses because they can send and receive payments without worrying that the value will plummet overnight. Using stablecoins makes everything much more predictable and safe for day-to-day business operations.
Our Final Thoughts
John’s Take: For me, what Addressable is doing is a perfect example of how this new Web3 space is growing up. It’s tackling a fundamental business need—finding your customers—but in a way that respects the privacy and anonymity that are core to the Web3 philosophy. It’s not about tracking individuals; it’s about understanding trends and behaviors. This is the kind of practical tool that will help Web3 move from a niche hobby into the mainstream.
Lila’s Take: I have to admit, all this “wallet” and “blockchain” talk felt a bit over my head at first. But the detective analogy really helped! The idea that companies can find their audience based on what their anonymous wallets *do*, rather than who they *are*, feels like a smarter and more respectful way to do things. It makes this new internet feel a little less scary and a lot more interesting.
This article is based on the following original source, summarized from the author’s perspective:
Cracking the Code of Web3 Growth with Addressable’s Wallet
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