Web3 Browsers & Search Engines: Your Gateway to the Decentralized Web

What’s Wrong with the Internet Today?

When you search for something on Google, browse with Chrome, or click on a popular link, you're not just exploring the internet—you’re leaving a detailed trail. This data fuels one of the most powerful engines in the world: centralized tech giants whose profits come from tracking, profiling, and targeting users.

Web3 promises a different future. It’s not just about crypto or NFTs—it’s about rethinking the entire architecture of the internet, including how we get online, what we find there, and who controls that access. Web3 browsers and search engines are early but essential building blocks of that vision.

The New Web Gateway: What Makes a Browser “Web3”?

A Web3 browser does more than display websites—it becomes your portal to decentralized apps (dApps), self-sovereign identity, and blockchain networks. While traditional browsers prioritize speed and advertising revenue, Web3 browsers prioritize:

• Wallet integration (so you can access dApps, trade tokens, or sign into services without a password)

• Privacy-first architecture (no cookie tracking, no third-party surveillance)

• Native support for decentralized domains like .eth, .crypto, or IPFS links

• Built-in token rewards, giving users a stake in the platforms they use

Brave Browser

Brave is often the first Web3 browser people try—and for good reason. Built on Chromium (the same core as Chrome), it offers a familiar user experience while stripping away intrusive ads and trackers. From the moment you launch it, Brave automatically blocks third-party cookies, fingerprinting scripts, and aggressive advertising by default. It’s designed to respect your privacy without requiring plugins or custom settings.

What sets Brave apart in the Web3 space is its built-in crypto ecosystem. Users can opt in to receive privacy-respecting ads and get rewarded with Basic Attention Token (BAT), which can be used to tip creators, support websites, or redeem for services. It also features native wallet support (Brave Wallet), letting users store tokens, interact with dApps, and explore blockchain apps directly from the browser without extensions like MetaMask.

For users who want a Web2-to-Web3 bridge that doesn’t feel jarring or experimental, Brave is arguably the most polished entry point. You get security, privacy, and real user incentives—all while browsing the web as usual.

Opera (Web3 Mode)

Opera has retired its standalone “Crypto Browser,” but that doesn’t mean it’s left Web3 behind. Instead, the company has integrated many of its Web3 innovations directly into the main Opera browser and Opera GX, giving users access to decentralized tools without requiring a separate download. This includes a built-in non-custodial crypto wallet that supports Ethereum, BNB Chain, Bitcoin, Solana, Polygon, and MultiversX. With no need for browser extensions like MetaMask, users can securely store and transfer tokens, interact with dApps, and manage their digital assets natively.

Opera also supports decentralized web access, including IPFS links and domain resolution for blockchain-based addresses like .crypto and .eth. These features make it easier to explore decentralized websites and applications while maintaining a familiar browsing experience. Security hasn’t been overlooked either—Opera’s browsers include phishing protection, a secure clipboard, and other Web3-focused safeguards originally developed for the Crypto Browser.

On mobile, Opera is in the process of transitioning users from its legacy crypto wallet to MiniPay, a streamlined stablecoin wallet built on the Celo blockchain. MiniPay emphasizes fast, low-cost payments tied to phone numbers rather than long crypto addresses, making it more intuitive for everyday users. With features like Cash Links and native stablecoin support, Opera is reimagining what crypto transactions could look like for mainstream mobile users—while keeping the Web3 gateway open inside a familiar browsing environment.

Puma Browser

Puma is a mobile-first browser built with the next generation of internet users in mind—those who value privacy, digital ownership, and seamless micropayments. Unlike Brave or Opera, Puma’s primary innovation lies in its native support for the Interledger Protocol (ILP), enabling streaming payments. 

Though not as feature-rich or well-known as its peers, Puma’s focus on privacy, simplicity, and mobile optimization makes it a standout choice for users who want an easy, Web3-native mobile browsing experience with real-time payments baked in.

Searching in Web3: Can We Replace Google?

Search in Web3 is still experimental—but it’s growing fast. Rather than relying on centralized servers and opaque algorithms, Web3 search engines aim to be:

• Censorship-resistant

• Transparent about ranking and indexing

• Incentivized through tokens or user contributions

These platforms aren’t perfect. They sometimes struggle with speed, coverage, or UX polish—but they offer a compelling alternative for users who care about transparency and autonomy.

Presearch

Presearch is a decentralized search engine designed to break Google’s monopoly on information access. It offers a clean, Google-like interface while promising not to track your searches or store personal data. Its search results are aggregated from multiple sources—Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others—but layered through Presearch’s own engine and community-curated nodes.

One of its defining features is the $PRE token. Users earn $PRE every time they perform a search (with a daily cap), incentivizing engagement and network growth. These tokens can be staked to promote keywords—similar to Google Ads, but in a decentralized and transparent way. Presearch also runs its own decentralized node network, meaning its backend isn’t reliant on centralized servers.

Presearch represents one of the most user-friendly and accessible on-ramps to decentralized search. For privacy-conscious users who want rewards without compromising user experience, it’s a strong alternative to traditional engines.

YaCy

YaCy (pronounced “ya-see”) is not your typical search engine—it’s a peer-to-peer network where every user contributes to and runs part of the search index. Instead of using centralized servers, YaCy runs locally on your computer and connects with others to form a decentralized, censorship-resistant web crawler and search service.

Installing YaCy means you're running a full node. You index your own internet browsing or shared datasets, and your node exchanges this information with others to build a distributed search index. There's no corporate algorithm dictating what you see—just open-source logic and community-driven content discovery.

While powerful in principle, YaCy isn’t ideal for casual users. Its UI feels dated, search quality is uneven, and it requires some technical comfort. Still, for privacy advocates, researchers, and digital rights activists, YaCy offers a glimpse into a truly uncensored, user-powered search ecosystem.

Koii Network

Koii is a decentralized content discovery and reputation protocol focused on the attention economy. Instead of crawling the web like a search engine, Koii indexes and tracks digital content across blockchain and IPFS networks, rewarding creators for publishing valuable content and curators for helping others find it.

Every piece of content on Koii has a digital fingerprint, and every interaction—viewing, sharing, linking—counts as “attention” that earns KOII tokens. This system encourages not just content creation, but authentic engagement and surfacing high-value resources in decentralized ecosystems.

Koii is still evolving, but its approach offers something radically different: instead of search engines deciding what’s relevant, users and their attention patterns become the ranking algorithm. That opens up new possibilities for media, education, and creator economies in Web3.

Discovering the Web3 Web: Indexers, Directories, and More

Once you leave the centralized web, search gets… tricky. That’s where decentralized indexers and discovery tools come in:

• The Graph – An indexing protocol for querying data across blockchains. Many dApps use it to make blockchain data searchable.

• DappRadar and Web3Index – Platforms to explore active decentralized apps and tools.

• ENS Domains – A decentralized alternative to traditional DNS, helping you navigate to dApps like vitalik.eth.

Together, these form the new backbone of Web3 search and discovery—functional, though still rough around the edges.

The Graph

Known as “the Google of blockchains,” The Graph is a protocol for indexing and querying blockchain data. Instead of building and hosting their own backend systems to retrieve data, dApp developers can use The Graph to set up subgraphs—custom APIs that pull structured data from Ethereum and other networks.

This is especially useful for applications like DeFi dashboards, NFT marketplaces, or DAOs that need real-time blockchain data without sacrificing decentralization. End users often interact with The Graph unknowingly, but it’s a core piece of the Web3 stack.

For developers, The Graph is a game-changer. For users, it ensures the apps they use are fast, efficient, and on-chain—without reliance on centralized APIs or hidden servers.

DappRadar

DappRadar is a discovery engine for decentralized applications. Think of it like the “App Store” for Web3, where users can browse trending dApps across Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, and many others. It categorizes apps into sectors—DeFi, games, NFTs, exchanges—and provides usage metrics like wallet activity, volume, and user reviews.

DappRadar is useful for both new users exploring the ecosystem and experienced ones comparing protocols. Want to find the hottest NFT mint this week? Or the most used Layer 2 game? DappRadar makes that easy to track in one interface.

They’ve also expanded into wallet tools, portfolio tracking, and community engagement—making it more than just a search tool, but a hub for the active Web3 participant.

Web3Index

Web3Index is a curated tracker of foundational Web3 infrastructure protocols. While DappRadar focuses on consumer-facing apps, Web3Index measures the “backend” protocols—things like storage (Arweave, Filecoin), indexing (The Graph), and computing (Livepeer).

By highlighting revenue generation, usage statistics, and network health, Web3Index helps users understand which projects are actually being used. It’s especially useful for investors, builders, and token researchers trying to cut through the hype and identify durable, value-generating infrastructure.

In a world filled with flashy dApps and speculative tokens, Web3Index brings the focus back to the essential plumbing of the decentralized web.

Try It Yourself: A Web3 Browswer & Search Quick Start Guide

Getting started doesn’t require abandoning your current browser or search habits overnight. Here’s a simple way to dip your toes in:

1. Download Brave and import your bookmarks (you can still use it like Chrome!)

2. Set Presearch as your default search engine – explore without being tracked.

3. Install MetaMask to start interacting with dApps, or try browsing IPFS links (like ipfs://...)

4. Visit DappRadar or Web3Index to find a few decentralized apps worth exploring

Even using one of these tools a few times a week will help you understand the architecture of the decentralized internet and what’s at stake.

Why This Matters

Web3’s promise isn’t just about digital money or digital art. It’s about digital freedom. Browsers and search engines are how most of us experience the internet. If those remain centralized, so too does our digital life. These new tools offer an alternative—one that gives you more control, more privacy, and more ownership.

Don’t Forget to Refer Us!!

Stay ahead of the curve with the latest in Web3 culture and innovation. Subscribe to Hashed Out for exclusive insights, case studies, and deep dives into the decentralized future.

Other Articles In This Issue:

• Editorial: Do We Really Want a Decentralized Internet?

• CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS EDITIONS