Inter-Governmental Blockchain Adviser | Book Author | Investor | Board Member | Singapore | Cryptocurrency | Blockchain | Fintech
Anndy Lian: Why Web3 Failed And What Comes Next
I sat down with content creator Dan for an in-depth conversation about my new book, Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence. I have also grown increasingly frustrated with the decentralization bluff of Web3.
During our chat, we covered a lot of ground, from the bursting AI startup bubble and the rise of Chinese AI models to the regulatory gray areas of platforms like Hyperliquid. But at the core of our discussion was a singular vision: how AI can rescue crypto from its centralized flaws and usher in the era of Web4.
The Web3 Decentralization Bluff
Let us be honest: Web3 is not truly decentralized. When you look under the hood of most projects, the reality is that a handful of VCs and insiders hold the majority of the tokens. They sit in a room, make decisions, and call it a DAO. I have participated in too many governance votes to know that it is largely an illusion. When five entities hold all the power, the network is not decentralized but rather an oligarchy driven by capital and greed.
This centralization is dangerous. If those few individuals are brilliant, the project might survive, but if they make poor decisions, the entire ecosystem can collapse. We need a system that removes human bias and greed from the equation, which brings me to the core thesis of my book.
Enter Web4: AI as the Ultimate Governor
Web4 is the natural evolution of Web3, powered by autonomous intelligence. In my book, I propose a radical but necessary shift where AI must act as the connective and unbiased layer of governance. Imagine a system where the AI brain holds over 51 percent of the governance power.
The AI would not be swayed by insider greed or whale manipulation. Instead, it would analyze data, calculate probabilities, and present unbiased outcomes. The core team and the community would then debate and vote on these AI-generated proposals.
By combining the objective analysis of AI with human consensus, we can create a truly fair, decentralized, and resilient network. AI needs governance, but that governance must be decentralized rather than controlled by monopolized tech giants. By integrating Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning, we can also ensure privacy and verifiable AI computations on-chain.
The AI Landscape: Bubbles, Infrastructure, and the Chinese Advantage
We also discussed the current state of the AI industry. While top-tier AI companies are heading toward trillion-dollar IPOs, the second and third tiers are facing a harsh reality. The funding bubble is bursting as investors now demand tangible results instead of slick presentations.
Furthermore, vibe coding is flooding the space with low-effort projects, much like the memecoin craze. When it comes to the models themselves, the output of US frontier models and Chinese open-source models like Qwen or DeepSeek is nearly identical, with perhaps a 1% difference. Chinese models have a massive long-term advantage due to abundant energy, cheap computing power, and low operational costs. Whoever controls computing power and electricity wins the AI war, and open-source Chinese models are perfectly positioned to dominate the global market.
Crypto’s Future and the Regulatory Reality Check
Despite my deep dive into AI, I still firmly believe that cryptocurrency is the future of money. We must respect regulatory frameworks to ensure long-term success. I expressed concerns regarding platforms like Hyperliquid.
While they are doing an incredible job bringing tokenized stocks on-chain, their aggressive buyback models and lack of KYC raise red flags. You cannot operate a no-KYC platform offering 50x leverage on the S&P 500 and expect to avoid US regulators. Contrast this with Polymarket, which implemented KYC for US users and successfully positioned itself as a tech platform. Understanding regulatory frameworks is what separates a sustainable trillion-dollar market cap from a black swan event. If you understand how regulation works, you avoid the unlimited loops of legal trouble.
AI Detecting AI and the Road Ahead
Finally, we touched on the societal impacts of AI, particularly deepfakes. As AI-generated videos become indistinguishable from reality, it is naive to rely on humans to label their content. The only viable solution is for AI to detect AI. We need decentralized, automated systems to verify the authenticity of media, especially in the context of elections and global propaganda.
I wrote Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence to challenge the status quo. It delves into the technical architecture of Web4 and the ethical implications of autonomous systems. I priced the book at just $1.99 so as many people as possible can understand these critical concepts. The convergence of AI and blockchain is inevitable, and Web4 is where true decentralization finally becomes a reality.
More information about the book can be found at:
Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence by Anndy Lian
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
