The Evolution from Web2 to Web3: An In-Depth Analysis of the Top 10 Pillar Tokens

While the traditional internet (Web2) was still struggling with user identity verification and data security, Web3 had already established a completely different set of rules through encryption technology and decentralized architecture. From the network protocol HTTP to IPFS, from centralized data storage to user sovereignty verification, this underlying revolution is quietly rewriting the future of the internet. So, in this major migration from Web2 to Web3, what role do cryptocurrencies and token ecosystems play? Let’s understand this by analyzing the top ten core tokens.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. — Charles Dickens

The Starting Point of Technological Innovation: From HTTP to IPFS Underlying Reconstruction

Web2’s internet is centralized, limited, and full of privacy risks. User data is controlled by platforms, authentication relies on centralized institutions, and network architecture concentrates power. Web3, on the other hand, redistributes power back to users through blockchain technology, distributed storage, and cryptographic verification.

Cryptocurrencies in this ecosystem serve far more than price volatility and investment tools; they are the basis of value flow, incentive mechanisms, and trust. Each token represents a key function in a Web3 component—some are settlement layers, some data layers, some execution layers, and others communication layers.

The Birth of the Financial Settlement Layer: Ethereum (ETH)

Project Info

• Launch Date: July 2015
• All-Time High Price: $4,950
• All-Time Low Price: $0.43

Ecosystem Role If Bitcoin is the gold of Web3, then Ethereum is its financial bloodstream. It’s not just a public chain but the foundation of decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), real-world asset on-chain (RWA), and layer 2 scaling solutions (L2).

Ethereum’s true moat isn’t just its advanced technology but the number of developers and assets accumulated. Stablecoins, liquidity staking tokens (LST), RWA protocols—almost all are built around Ethereum. Recently, with the approval of ETH spot ETFs and standardized staking services, Ethereum has transitioned from a pure Web3 asset to a settlement asset within traditional finance.

Core Positioning: Web3’s “Financial Infrastructure and Global Settlement Layer”

The Critical Role of Oracles: Chainlink (LINK)

Project Info

• Launch Date: 2017 (Mainnet 2019)
• All-Time High Price: $52.70
• All-Time Low Price: $0.15

Ecosystem Role Blockchains are deterministic and isolated, while the real world is random and complex. How can smart contracts securely access real-world data? That’s the problem Chainlink aims to solve.

From early single oracle services, Chainlink has evolved into a cross-chain communication infrastructure (CCIP) and a provider of RWA data standards. If DeFi is the “skeleton” of Web3, then Chainlink is the “nervous system.” Almost every serious DeFi transaction and legitimate RWA project depends on Chainlink’s data feeds.

This sector has an interesting characteristic: it’s a typical B2B business, with low retail awareness but high demand among institutions and project teams.

Core Positioning: Web3’s “Data and Financial Communication Infrastructure”

Exploring Consumer-Level Experience: Solana (SOL)

Project Info

• Launch Date: March 2020
• All-Time High Price: $293.31
• All-Time Low Price: $0.50

Ecosystem Role Solana’s success isn’t just about its touted high TPS (transactions per second) and ultra-low fees—other chains can achieve these too. Its real value lies in having a large user base actively using it.

From meme coin booms, NFT communities, payment apps, to mobile ecosystem experiments, Solana is trying to bring Web3 closer to Web2 user experience. If you want to introduce a friend unfamiliar with crypto to blockchain, Solana is the closest to “Web2 speed.” Of course, this comes with higher centralization and past outages, which are risks Solana must face long-term.

Core Positioning: The public chain in Web3 closest to “Web2 user experience”

The Vision of Cross-Chain Interoperability: Polkadot (DOT)

Project Info

• Launch Date: May 2020
• All-Time High Price: $54.98
• All-Time Low Price: $1.15

Ecosystem Role Polkadot’s technical design is highly advanced, featuring shared security, parachains architecture, and governance mechanisms, all carefully refined. It aims to solve Web3’s fragmentation—enabling true interoperability between different chains.

But advanced technology doesn’t always translate into market adoption. Polkadot’s ecosystem has high entry barriers, and its perception among ordinary users is weak; it’s more a playground for engineers and tech enthusiasts. It’s a “correct engineering paradigm, but slow market uptake” case.

Core Positioning: Technologically ambitious but needs more time to prove market value

The New Paradigm of High-Frequency Interaction: Sui (SUI)

Project Info

• Launch Date: May 2023
• All-Time High Price: $5.35
• All-Time Low Price: $0.36

Ecosystem Role Sui uses the Move programming language and object model architecture, which are naturally suited for high-frequency applications like gaming, social, and virtual assets. Many say Sui is an “ETH killer,” but that’s a misconception. Sui isn’t here to overthrow Ethereum; it aims to fill a market gap.

Ethereum excels at financial settlement and asset issuance, while Sui is better suited for “application chain experiences.” If Ethereum is a versatile central plaza, Sui is more like a community optimized for high-frequency interactions.

Core Positioning: Web3’s “High-Frequency Interactive Application Chain”

Customized Infrastructure: Avalanche (AVAX)

Project Info

• Launch Date: September 2020
• All-Time High Price: $144.96
• All-Time Low Price: $2.80

Ecosystem Role Avalanche’s core innovation is the subnet concept, allowing developers to create customized blockchains. This architecture is especially suitable for B2B applications—government chains, enterprise chains, consortium chains can be quickly built on Avalanche.

Ordinary users’ perception of Avalanche is weak because most of its applications are geared toward institutions rather than consumers. This means Avalanche’s value might be undervalued in the long run.

Core Positioning: Web3’s “Customizable Infrastructure Platform”

Account and AI Execution Layer: NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

Project Info

• Launch Date: April 2020
• All-Time High Price: $20.44
• All-Time Low Price: $0.53

Ecosystem Role NEAR’s technical design is highly advanced—sharding scalability, account abstraction, developer tools. But what makes NEAR truly noteworthy is its breakthroughs in AI agents and account systems.

In Web2, we’re used to centralized accounts. NEAR attempts to combine cryptographic accounts and programmable accounts, enabling AI agents to execute directly on the blockchain. This seemingly small change actually grants Web3 the ability for “active execution”—no longer just passively called, but capable of autonomous action.

Core Positioning: The next-generation “Web3 Account and AI Execution Layer”

On-Chain Cloud Computing in Practice: Internet Computer (ICP)

Project Info

• Launch Date: May 2021
• All-Time High Price: $700.65
• All-Time Low Price: $2.08

Ecosystem Role Internet Computer (ICP) has big ambitions: to run the entire internet on blockchain. No need for centralized servers; websites, applications, and databases can be deployed directly on ICP’s smart contracts.

Technologically, ICP is solid. Its early valuation was impressive (ATH over $700). Currently, it’s in a “low-profile, pragmatic” phase—continuing development while waiting for market recognition. This sector has high learning costs and complex narratives, making it less suitable for emotional trading and more for long-term believers in the technology.

Core Positioning: Technology-driven “On-Chain Cloud Computing”

Decentralized Storage Hub: Filecoin (FIL)

Project Info

• Launch Date: October 2020
• All-Time High Price: $236.84
• All-Time Low Price: $0.81

Ecosystem Role If Ethereum is the “financial bottom layer” and Chainlink is the “data layer,” then Filecoin is the “storage layer.” Essentially, Filecoin is the Web3 version of AWS S3—providing decentralized, verifiable, censorship-resistant storage services.

Filecoin’s business model is relatively complex, with ongoing token release pressures. But as AI and RWA sectors grow, storage demands increase. Future AI training and RWA data storage will require stable, decentralized infrastructure, making Filecoin an indispensable part of Web3.

Core Positioning: Web3’s “Unreplaceable Data Storage Foundation”

Radical Exploration of Smart Finance: Vanar (VANRY)

Project Info

• Launch Timeline: Originally Virtua/TVK (2020-2021), Vanar mainnet active 2023-2024
• All-Time High Price: $0.38
• All-Time Low Price: $0.00

Ecosystem Role Vanar does not compete in the traditional high TPS race of public chains but positions itself as an “AI-native Layer 1.” Its focus areas are PayFi (payment finance), RWA on-chain, and AI execution.

This is a more aggressive route—betting that Web3 ultimately needs an “intelligent execution layer,” not just a faster transaction layer. High resilience and high risk coexist, which explains Vanar’s large price swings.

Core Positioning: The aggressive path of Web3’s evolution toward “Smart Finance”

From Web2 to Web3: Ecosystem Insights

More and more people are paying attention to, learning about, and building Web3. But honestly, the infrastructure of Web3 is just beginning. The top ten tokens represent ten key segments of the Web3 ecosystem—from underlying protocols, data services, and user experience to storage and computing.

Unlike Web2, dominated by a few internet giants, Web3 is built in a distributed manner by multiple specialized teams and communities. Like humanity’s exploration of the infinite universe, no one can dominate the entire landscape. Each project is trying to solve different dimensions of Web3, ultimately forming a complete, decentralized, user-sovereign new internet world.

This is the true value of Web3—not just a coin’s price soaring, but the entire ecosystem building a new digital civilization from Web2 to Web3.

Data source: CoinMarketCap (as of February 2026)