The Money Problem We’ve All Accepted

You can send a photo to Tokyo in one second. You can stream video from Australia instantly. You can share a document with someone in Brazil with one click.

But send $100 to your cousin overseas? That’ll be three business days and a $30 fee.

Why is sending money still stuck in 1995 when everything else moved to 2023?

Here’s the crazy part: We’ve just accepted this as normal. We think, “Of course transferring value is slower and more expensive than transferring information.” But it doesn’t have to be.

The internet revolutionized information. Web3 is revolutionizing value.

The Birthday Card Analogy

Imagine sending your niece a birthday card:

Old Way (Physical Mail):

  • Buy card at store
  • Write message
  • Put cash inside
  • Mail it
  • Wait 3-5 days
  • Pay shipping fee
  • Hope it doesn’t get lost

Internet Way (Email):

  • Create digital card
  • Write message
  • Send instantly
  • Arrives in seconds
  • No fee
  • Delivery confirmed

But What About the Money?

  • Still need to mail cash
  • Or use bank transfer (fees, delays)
  • Or use PayPal (fees, account required)
  • Or use Venmo (US only)

The internet solved information transfer but left money behind. Web3 finally brings money into the internet age:

Web3 Way:

  • Create digital card
  • Write message
  • Attach digital cash
  • Send instantly
  • Arrives in minutes
  • Minimal fee
  • No bank needed

How Money Moves Now vs. The Internet of Value

Current System:

  • Your bank updates its database
  • Bank talks to clearinghouse
  • Clearinghouse talks to receiving bank
  • Receiving bank updates its database
  • Everyone takes a cut and time

Like playing telephone with five middlemen who each need to be paid.

Internet of Value:

  • Money moves directly from you to recipient
  • Verified by network, not middlemen
  • Anyone with internet can participate
  • Programmable (money that follows rules)
  • Works 24/7/365, not just “business days”

Real People This Actually Helps

Maria the Immigrant Worker

  • Sends $200 home monthly
  • Traditional way: $18 fee, 3-day wait
  • Internet of Value: $1 fee, 10-minute wait
  • Annual savings: $204 (a full extra month of support)

Jake the Freelance Designer

  • Has clients in 6 countries
  • Traditional way: Different payment systems per country, some clients can’t pay him at all
  • Internet of Value: One system for everyone, gets paid instantly
  • Result: 40% more clients can now work with him

Small Business Coffee Shop

  • Pays 3.5% + $0.30 per card transaction
  • Traditional way: $10,500 in card fees annually
  • Internet of Value: $1,500 in fees annually
  • Savings: $9,000 (enough to hire part-time help)

Beyond Money: What Else Is Value?

The Internet of Value isn’t just about dollars and euros. It’s about anything worth something:

Concert Tickets

  • Traditional: Print tickets, scan at door, easy to counterfeit
  • Internet of Value: Digital tickets that can’t be faked, can be resold with artist getting percentage automatically

Voting Rights

  • Traditional: Show up in person, trust the counters
  • Internet of Value: Vote securely from anywhere, results verified by everyone

Proof of Purchase

  • Traditional: Keep paper receipts, lose warranty when lost
  • Internet of Value: Digital proof that never disappears, automatically triggers warranty

The Magic: Programmable Money

The coolest part of the Internet of Value is that money becomes programmable. Examples:

Automatic Allowance: Set up $10 weekly to your teenager’s account that doesn’t need your approval each time.

Subscription Split: Your $15 Netflix subscription automatically divides payment among the shows you actually watched.

Smart Insurance: Flight delayed? Your insurance pays automatically without filing claims.

Crowdfunding 2.0: Money only transfers when funding goal is met; returns automatically if not.

But What About The Problems?

Nothing’s perfect. The Internet of Value faces challenges:

Volatility: Some cryptocurrencies jump up and down in value (solution: stablecoins pegged to dollars)

User Experience: Currently more complex than PayPal (solution: rapidly improving interfaces)

Regulation: Rules still catching up (solution: increasing clarity from governments)

Adoption: Not everywhere yet (solution: time and education – like email in 1995)

Starting Your Internet of Value Journey

Ready to experience money that moves like information? Here’s how:

  1. Start Simple: Get a basic wallet like Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask (free).
  2. Try a Stablecoin: These don’t fluctuate like Bitcoin. USDC is worth $1, always.
  3. Send a Test: Transfer $5 to a friend who also has a wallet. Notice the speed and low fee.
  4. Experience No Borders: Try sending value to someone in another country.
  5. Explore Applications: Try a Web3 app that uses programmable money (we’ll recommend some in our next article).

The Future Is Already Here

The Internet of Value isn’t coming someday – it’s already working. Over $3 trillion moved through this system last year. Companies from PayPal to Visa are adopting it. Countries like El Salvador and the Bahamas have embraced it. Just like early internet adopters in 1995 had email before their friends, you can use the Internet of Value today while others wait for it to become mainstream.

The question isn’t whether value will move like information – it’s whether you’ll be riding the wave or catching up later.

Next Step: Read “Crypto Wallets Explained” to learn how to create your first connection to the Internet of Value.

Crypto, Web3 Basic