Chapter 2: Insider–Outsider Concepts

This chapter explores the insider–outsider dynamics within Web3 communities through three complementary lenses: community studies, technology diffusion, and inclusion. It examines how digital communities form and operate, challenging traditional concepts of community boundaries and social cohesion. The chapter looks deeply into explanatory frameworks and ideas of technological innovation and diffusion. Through the inside–outside binary, I surface the tension between techno-solutionist mindsets and the social shaping of technology. The chapter then unpacks the insider–outsider concept as it relates to financial and digital inclusion, exploring how Web3 technologies both promise and potentially hinder equitable access to financial services and digital participation. The chapter concludes by considering more-than-human futures, proposing a shift away from human-centric thinking in shaping our digital futures. Throughout, it emphasises the importance of understanding Web3 as a reflection of broader societal needs and desires, while critically examining its potential to address or exacerbate existing inequalities.