Infrastructure Brief: Aggregators and Abstraction Layers

Narratives and Trends

In recent years, significant progress has been made in advancing and improving Web3 infrastructure protocols. Despite this, adoption has been sluggish. Many Web3 developers still choose to use Web2 cloud providers, mainly due to the subpar user experience and the complexity involved in using decentralized infrastructure.

Similarly, enterprises have also been reluctant to embrace decentralized infrastructure, deterred by the steep learning curve and challenging onboarding processes that come with adopting new technology.

Aggregator Platforms for Developers

The Web3 developer experience has been fraught with challenges, as building a truly decentralized application requires learning how to work with various unique protocols, each having its own APIs, SDKs, and documentation. This fragmentation creates a high barrier of entry, making it difficult for developers to navigate the ecosystem and pushing them towards more user-friendly Web2 cloud providers.

In the Web2 space, Vercel and Netlify have gained popularity among developers for their ease of use, free-tier plans, and one-stop-shop functionality for building and deploying web applications. Decentralized protocols have struggled to offer a similar UX.

However, aggregator platforms such as Fleek, Spheron, and 4everland are emerging to bridge this gap and provide a more familiar experience for developers transitioning from Web2 to Web3. These platforms aggregate numerous decentralized infrastructure networks, offering services like web hosting, storage, and serverless compute, effectively acting as decentralized cloud platforms.