We’ve already entered an era when bridging Web2 and Web3 is quite significant. Sure, in many ways Web3 is just getting started – and Web2 is still what the majority of businesses and average folks use. However, those who understand Web3 can clearly see that blockchain technology is here to stay. It is probably safe to presume that over the next ten or fifteen years, most industries will be transformed by the advent of Web3, just as they were by the internet. However, it is also clear that Web3 won’t be needed for all online activities. Hence, we can expect the online world to move towards a hybrid of Web2 and Web3 in the coming years. Thus, bridging Web2 and Web3 will be the key to ensuring users can experience the very best of the web. 

Moreover, you should also keep in mind that while many companies see the potential of Web3, they still rather focus on private blockchains. Which by definition blur the lines between Web2 and Web3. When bridging Web2 and Web3, the end goal is to make the user experience as friendly as possible. Essentially, most users won’t care whether they are on Web2 or Web3, as long as they are getting the best of both worlds. However, to achieve this, it is also essential that developers, who are mostly equipped with Web2 skills, can transition to Web3 development effortlessly. Hence, the efficiency of bridging Web2 and Web3 will greatly depend on the quality of development tools. And, this is where Moralis is already making a world of difference. Though, before we discuss the power of Moralis further, let’s compare Web2 and Web3.   

Web2 vs Web3

Outlining the main differences between the two webs can really help you understand what Web2 and Web3 is! Only once we understand these key differences, can we begin to focus on bridging Web2 and Web3. 

• Trust model
  • Web2: 
    • Centralized services, servers, and software
    • Users need to trust the companies behind services, servers, and software
  • Web3:
    • Decentralized; peer-to-peer; no central authority; no single point of failure
    • Trust is minimized – users need to trust the decentralized protocol.

• Governance
  • Web2:
    • Digital giants consolidate the governance power
  • Web3:
    • Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) ensure that the governance is distributed to governance token holders

• Business model
  • Web2: 
    • Digital giants and service providers own customer data
    • They use customer data to earn revenue
  • Web3:
    • The blockchain network pays transaction validators for their work/stake (PoW/PoS)
    • Game theory is employed to maintain transaction integrity

• Content
  • Web2:
    • Dynamic, user-generated
    • Source content can be duplicated
  • Web3:
    • Users own the content (uncoupled from Web 2.0 services)

• User participation models
  • Web2:
    • Free services in exchange for user data
    • Payments to intermediaries for running services and software
  • Web3:
    • Users own their data and content and can monetize it
    • Payments directly to blockchain transaction validators

• User interface (UI)
  • Web2:
    • Web
    • Social networks
    • Mobile apps
  • Web3:
    • Decentralized applications (dapps)
    • Centralized marketplaces or services

• User authentication methods
  • Web2: 
    • User IDs
    • Passwords
    • Other authentication
  • Web3:
    • Private keys that unlock access to owners’ records on a blockchain
    • Private keys can be in self-hosted wallets or third-party wallets

• Financial system
  • Web2:
    • Banks, other financial institutions, and networks centrally manage the financial system.
  • Web3:
    • Smart contracts (on-chain software) and blockchain protocols run the financial system.
    • No centralized control
    • No intermediaries to pay 

• Currency
  • Web2:
    • Centrally managed and government-backed
  • Web3:
    • Built into decentralized blockchains
    • Users are their own banks; however, they can delegate centralized exchanges. 

Bridging Web2 and Web3

As pointed out in the introduction, Web2 and Web3 will most likely coexist in the future. As such, it is essential to have good tools for bridging Web2 and Web3. And, as also mentioned above, developers are the ones that can make this happen. Thus, it is essential that infrastructure developers particularly, ensure that Web3 development becomes accessible for those with Web2 dev skills. 

Just imagine a platform where JavaScript-proficient developers could easily create dapps. Or, where Unity experts could easily dive into Web3 game design. Wouldn’t that be awesome? That way, we’d already have enough builders that can start shaping the Web3 UIs necessary to bring in the masses. A greater number of user-friendly Web3 applications means faster Web3 adoption and thus a more decentralized future. Luckily, that kind of platform already exists and is called Moralis (a.k.a. Firebase for crypto). So, this ultimate Web3 development platform is already bridging Web2 and Web3. Moreover, we will show you how it does that in the next section. 

How to Bridge Your Web2 Projects with Web3

Whether you are looking to build a hard-core dapp that is fully immersed in Web3 or just want to add some Web3 functionality to your Web2 projects, Moralis is the tool to use. It makes it very easy to start building Web3 projects even for Web2 devs by bridging Web2 and Web3. As mentioned previously, JavaScript or Unity skills with some basic Web3 knowledge are all you need to get going. All-in-all, Moralis is the easiest way for Web2 devs to give their users or clients a taste of Web3. 

Moralis achieved this reputation by giving devs access to core Web3 functionalities. These include Web3 user authentications, Web3 data syncs, and of course, Moralis’ APIs, like the NFT API, Web3 API, and much more. Hence, you get to cover all your blockchain-related backend needs without breaking a sweat. Most tasks can be completed by simply copying a short snippet of code from the Moralis documentation. Thus, you get to avoid dealing with all the limitations of RPC nodes. 

Essentially, Moralis provides a single workflow for building high-performance dapps. Moreover, according to thousands of projects that are using Moralis, this platform saves developers on average 87% in time-to-market. That means a lot more time and resources to create the best possible frontend experience. However, thanks to Moralis’ web3uikit, you have several shortcuts at your disposal in that aspect as well. 

Furthermore, here’s the Web3 workflow that Moralis provides you with and makes it as straightforward as possible:

1. Authenticate your users
2. Monitor historic and real-time transaction
3. Use powerful SDKs for any platform – Moralis is cross-platform functionality
4. Exploit cross-chain Web3 APIs – Moralis is all about cross-chain interoperable

In addition, Moralis offers endless integrations with an ecosystem of plugins. 

Connect Your Web2 Userbase with Web3 Authentication

Since Web3 authentication is the starting point for most dapps, you ought to learn more about it. So, with the information you’ll learn herein, you can start creating killer dapps. You can view Web3 authentication as a first step when bridging Web2 and Web3. Basically, the Moralis Web3 Authentication API provides a plug-and-play Web3 solution for both existing user databases and existing Web2 authentication flows. It makes Web3 onboarding ridiculously simple. With this Web3 Authentication API, you get to sign in users from any chain and any Web3 wallet. As such, you effortlessly establish authenticated web sessions with your backend system. 

The Moralis Web3 Authentication API is for everyone who needs a Web3 authentication solution for their project. Also, if you have an existing Web2 user database, which you want to connect using Web3 authentication, Moralis has your back. In addition, Moralis also enables you to use authentication aggregators, such as Auth0 or Web3Auth. Hence, you can easily implement known Web3 login methods to your dapps. This means you can offer authentication via email or social media and thus boost Web3 user onboarding success rate. 

Moreover, when you use this Web3 authentication solution, you really don’t need to worry about technicalities. All you need is a single line of code that you simply copy from the Moralis docs. You just need to use “Moralis.authenticate()” to log in users on any chain using any wallet. Furthermore, by now you know that Moralis is all about cross-platform and cross-chain interoperability. As such, it helps you future-proof your authentication flows. If there’s anything certain about the Web3 industry is that it moves fast. So, you want to be prepared for new wallets, programmable chains, and authentication methods to constantly pop up. 

Implementing Web3 Authentication

As you’ve learned above, Web3 authentication is the starting point for basically all dapps. As such, it is also where the bridging of Web2 and Web3 begins. So, if you are JavaScript proficient and are interested in becoming a Web3 developer, we encourage you to start with some “Web3 authentication” example projects. Below are a couple of video tutorials that can help you master this simple gateway.

• How to authenticate with MetaMask:

• Use this video to learn to authenticate with WalletConnect, which is one of the best options for mobile users:

• Here you can learn how to offer Web3 login with Google, email, Twitter, and other social media:

• Use this video to implement “Magic Link” authentication:

Of course, in order to utilize the power of Moralis for bridging Web2 and Web3, you’ll need to complete the initial Moralis setup. 

Bridging Web2 and Web3 with Moralis 

Here are the steps you need to complete to gain access to the Moralis’ SDK and thus significantly reduce your dapp development time:

1. Visit the official Moralis webpage, where you can create your free Moralis account:

2. Once inside your Moralis admin area, click the “Create New Dapp” button to initiate the three-step setup:

3. The first step of the setup asks you to choose your network type:

Note: When working on example projects and developing dapps, it’s best to use the “Testnet” option. 

4. Next, you will need to select a network that you want to focus on. You can also select multiple chains at the time. Though, as the screenshot below indicates, the “Polygon Mumbai” network is a great option as it has very low transaction fees. Once you select the network(s), you need to confirm your selection by clicking the “Proceed” button:

5. The second step of the initial setup asks you to choose your region. Essentially, you need to select the city closest to your location from a drop-down menu. Then, move forward by clicking the “Proceed” button again:

6. The third step is where you need to name your dapp. You can be as creative as you want here. However, for the sake of this demonstration, we went with “test-dapp”. Once you enter the name, you get to start your Moralis dapp by clicking “Create Your Dapp”:

7. Now that your dapp is up and running, you need to use the “Settings” button to access all its details and features:

8. By default, you’ll land on the “Dapp Details” tab. This is where you can copy your dapp’s credentials: 

9. Finally, you need to paste the above-copied credential into your code (e.g.: “.env”, HTML, JS files, the “Unity Moralis Web3 Setup” window, etc.). 

Web2 to Web3 – Bridging Web2 and Web3 – Summary

We covered quite a distance in today’s article. At this point, you know the main differences between the two webs that are currently at our disposal. Moreover, you learned what bridging Web2 and Web3 is all about. As such, you now understand that developers are the key to the mainstream adoption of the new web. Furthermore, you also learned that over the next decade or so, Web2 and Web3 will most likely coexist. Hence, devs that will use the tool that will enable them to cope with this coexistence will have the upper hand. 

In that light, we took a closer look at Moralis, and particularly at the Moralis Web3 Authentication API. The latter helps you get started with Web3 development effortlessly and onboard Web2 users easily. Then, we also shared with you four example projects that can help you practice implementing Web3 authentication. Last but not least, we guided you through the process of the initial Moralis setup. As such, you now have all the information you need to decide whether you want to become a blockchain developer the easy way.

And, if that is the profession you want to explore, we recommend one of the following two paths. In case you prefer to learn by watching tutorials and reading guides, you should dive deeper into the Moralis’ YouTube channel and the Moralis’ blog. Since both of these outlets post a ton of valuable content on a regular basis, they can serve your continuous crypto education needs. On the other hand, if you prefer taking a more professional approach to your education, enrolling in Moralis Academy might be the path for you, or learn about NFTs from experienced NFT coders, to begin generating NFTs, learn about NFT use cases, and more! Aside from top-tier blockchain development courses, this is the place to become a member of one of the most advancing communities in the industry.