Before the advent of blockchain technology, there was a series of significant technological enhancements in the field of data management and information exchange, each aligning with the Web evolution from Web1 to Web3:
- Early Internet Era allowing Data exchange - WEB 1 (Asynchronous Exchanges with HTTP and XML): This period was characterized by asynchronous data exchanges, with HTTP and XML playing pivotal roles in transferring and structuring data across the internet. It primarily involved simple file transfers for data integration.
- Integration of Functions - WEB 2 : This phase saw the introduction of CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) and MOM (Message-Oriented Middleware), facilitating dynamic, real-time data exchanges and system interactions.
- Integration of Services - WEB 2 :: The focus then shifted to a software-oriented architecture (SOA), emphasizing APIs for more efficient data exchanges.
- Rise of Microservices and REST APIs - WEB 2: Microservices emerged to tackle the complexities of SOA, fragmenting services into scalable components. REST APIs became crucial in enhancing interactions between these microservices.
- Blockchain Technology (DLT and Smart Contracts) - WEB 3: Blockchain technology initially gained prominence as a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to securely record financial transactions, especially following the American housing bubble crisis of 2008. It offered a trustless environment for maintaining financial records, addressing the trust deficit created by the crisis. Subsequently, the introduction of smart contracts expanded its use beyond financial applications, enabling blockchain to automate and enhance various business processes.