Read Write Own

Building the Next Era of the Internet

Chris Dixon

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A playbook for the future of the internet written by the world's most successful blockchain investor

What will the internet of the future look like?

The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a democratic network of unbridled innovation. In the last decade, it has fallen under the control of a small number of monopolistic companies like Apple, Google and Facebook; companies that limit the creative potential of the internet while seizing its proceeds for themselves.

There is an alternative. Tech pioneer Chris Dixon has long advocated for a technology that can revive the dream of an open, entrepreneurial internet: blockchain networks. Often dismissed, sometimes vilified, these networks have until recently been dominated by amoral speculators and get-rich-quick schemes. But, more quietly, a group of visionaries have been using them to build the future.

In Read Write Own, Dixon draws on 25 years at the vanguard of tech innovation to explore how blockchains will change the internet. He starts by introducing the three eras of the web. First came the ‘read’ era, in which the earliest networks democratized information – creating an anarchic playground for bloggers, coders and artists. Next came the ‘read-write’ era, in which sprawling corporations democratized publishing – turning us all into small-time content creators but offering us few of the rewards.

We are now entering the ‘read-write-own’ era, sometimes called web3, in which blockchain networks have begun to democratize ownership – returning power and economic benefit to all who use the internet. And it is an internet we can all help create. Lucid and practical, Read Write Own offers both a vision of a better internet and a playbook for how to realise it.

Published: 1 February 2024
ISBN: 9781804951071
Imprint: Penguin
Format: Audio Download
RRP: $36.99

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Praise for Read Write Own

Read this book to understand a compelling vision of where the internet should go and how to get there
SAM ALTMAN, CEO, OpenAI

Whether you’re already interested in crypto or just curious about blockchains, web3, & the future of the internet, this is the definitive book about the industry
EMILIE CHOI, President and Chief Operating Officer, Coinbase

This book changed my mind . . . The best positive case for crypto I’ve seen
KEVIN KELLY, founding editor Wired

Far from the casino culture built on crypto’s excesses, Dixon argues blockchains have the potential to create a new class of public goods, wider participation in the governance of global infrastructures, and a redistribution of power away from dominant firms
AZEEM AZHAR, creator of Exponential View

A must for anyone who wants to better understand the real potential of blockchains and web3 to drive even greater innovation, inspire more imaginative thinking, and ultimately unlock new growth opportunities in the future
BOB IGER, CEO, Disney

Chris Dixon is a visionary, and the vision he sets forth this book is all about democratising the internet. It’s relevant to anyone, but is especially important for creators today. 100% recommend
ROB MCELHENNEY, actor

Chris Dixon has always been someone who sees the future with clarity and practicality. He does this once again in Read Write Own making the case for blockchain technology as the fundamental building block of the future and clearly laying out where the internet is going
JOHN DONAHOE, CEO, Nike

This is a pivotal moment for the internet. Chris Dixon’s fascinating book offers a refreshing and radical new take at a time when we need fresh thinking more than ever
MUSTAFA SULEYMAN, co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection and author of The Coming Wave

Read Write Own

Praise for Read Write Own

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