What web3 is, and where POKT fits in.

A plain-language guide to blockchains, the hidden layer that every web3 app depends on, and how Pocket Network and its POKT token keep that layer open.

Three versions of the web

“Web3” is shorthand for a web where people can own things online, like money, digital items or votes, without a company holding them on their behalf. It helps to see what came before.

  1. Web1

    Read

    The 1990s web of static pages. A small number of people published; everyone else browsed.

  2. Web2

    Read and write

    Social networks, marketplaces and cloud apps let anyone publish. The platforms run the servers, hold the data and set the rules.

  3. Web3

    Read, write and own

    Blockchains record who owns what in a public ledger that thousands of independent computers keep in sync. No single company can edit it or switch it off.

How a web3 app works

A web3 app looks like any other website, but three pieces work differently. Your wallet holds the keys that prove what you own and signs anything you approve. Smart contracts are programs stored on a blockchain that run exactly as written, such as a lending market or a token swap. The blockchain is the shared ledger those programs read from and write to.

There’s a step most people never see. To check a balance or send a transaction, the app has to ask a computer running a full copy of the blockchain, called a node. That request travels over an RPC connection (remote procedure call), and every wallet, exchange and app makes millions of them.

Running nodes for many chains is expensive, so most apps rent access from a few large providers. That quietly puts web3 back on centralized infrastructure: if one of those providers goes down, blocks a region or logs your activity, the apps built on it are affected too.

What Pocket Network does

Pocket Network replaces the single RPC provider with an open marketplace. Independent operators around the world run nodes and get paid in POKT for each request they answer correctly. Apps get data from many of them at once, so no single operator is a point of failure.

  1. Your app

    A wallet, game or dashboard needs a balance or wants to send a transaction.

  2. This is us

    Gateway

    Quantumspider receives the request through one API, checks your key and picks healthy operators to answer it.

  3. Supplier

    An independent operator with POKT staked runs the node, answers the request and earns POKT for the work.

  4. Blockchain

    Ethereum, Base, Solana and other networks, read from and written to through the supplier’s node.

Each request is called a relay. Suppliers record the relays they serve and submit proof to Pocket’s own blockchain, which then settles payment, so operators are paid for work the network can verify.

What POKT is for

POKT is the token that runs Pocket Network’s marketplace. It isn’t just a payment method; each participant uses it differently.

  • Paying for relays

    Applications and gateways pay for the relays they use in POKT, and that POKT is burned, removing it from supply.

  • Rewarding suppliers

    New POKT is minted for each verified relay and most of it goes to the supplier who served it. Since a 2026 governance change, less is minted than burned, so supply shrinks as usage grows.

  • Staking as a commitment

    Suppliers, gateways and applications must lock up POKT to take part. A stake can be reduced as a penalty, which gives operators a reason to stay honest and online.

  • Governing the network

    Pricing, rewards and staking rules are set through Pocket’s DAO, which is partly funded by a share of minted POKT.

Where staking with us fits

Running a supplier means owning servers, keeping nodes for several chains in sync and meeting the network’s minimum stake. Most POKT holders don’t want to do that.

When you stake with Quantumspider, we run that infrastructure and your POKT backs it. You keep a view of your stake and rewards in your dashboard. Staked POKT is locked while it’s staked, and when you unstake it goes through an unbonding period before you can move it.

Current minimums, unbonding times and reward splits are set by governance and change over time. Check the live values on the network parameters page.

Glossary

Wallet
An app that stores the keys to your crypto and signs transactions you approve. Soothe Vault, Keplr and Leap all work with POKT.
Node
A computer that keeps a full copy of a blockchain and answers questions about it.
RPC
The connection an app uses to send requests to a node.
Relay
One request and its response, sent through Pocket Network.
Supplier
An operator who stakes POKT, runs nodes and earns POKT for serving relays.
Gateway
A service, like Quantumspider, that gives apps a simple API into Pocket Network and routes their relays to suppliers.
Staking
Locking tokens to take part in a network and earn rewards. Staked tokens can be penalized if the operator misbehaves.
Unbonding
The waiting period after you unstake, during which your tokens can’t be moved.
Native POKT
POKT on Pocket Network’s own chain. This is the version you stake.
wPOKT
Wrapped POKT that trades on Ethereum and other chains. It has to be bridged back to native POKT before staking.