Open Protocols. Interoperable Systems. Decentralized Future.

A certification framework for open, interoperable and decentralized digital infrastructures, recognizing the adoption of open protocols and technologies for communication (Matrix, Nostr), content distribution (RSS, ActivityPub), decentralized storage (IPFS), email, calendars, contacts and digital identity (DIDs).

Communication and collaboration

Matrix — An open, decentralized and federated communication protocol. It enables messaging, rooms and communities to operate across independent servers, reducing reliance on a single communication provider.

WebRTC — Enables real-time audio, video and data communication directly between compatible applications. It supports open and integrated communication experiences without requiring users to depend on a single proprietary conferencing service.

Social publishing and content distribution

Nostr — A decentralized protocol for publishing and distributing content through independent relays. It supports user-controlled identities and enables social applications to operate across different clients and services.

Pleroma — An open-source, lightweight, federated microblogging platform built on ActivityPub, enabling independent and interoperable social networks.

RSS and Atom — Open content syndication formats that allow users to subscribe to publications and updates through independent feed readers. They make information accessible beyond the interfaces and recommendation systems of individual platforms.

WebSub — A publish-subscribe mechanism that enables services to receive notifications when subscribed content is updated, making content distribution more timely and efficient.

Distributed storage and file access

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) — A peer-to-peer protocol for addressing and distributing content by its content identifier rather than relying exclusively on a server location. It supports distributed access and content integrity verification.

WebDAV — An extension of HTTP that enables remote file management and collaboration. It facilitates access to files and resources across compatible applications and services.

Email and messaging interoperability

IMAP — Allows email applications to access and synchronize messages stored on remote mail servers, making it possible to use different clients without losing continuity.

SMTP — The standard protocol for sending email between applications and mail servers, supporting communication across independent email providers.

JMAP — A modern protocol for synchronizing and accessing email and related data. It provides a more integrated approach to communication between clients and servers.

MIME — Defines how email messages can contain different types of content, including attachments, images and formatted text, supporting consistent exchange between different systems.

OpenPGP and S/MIME — Standards for encrypting and digitally signing email. They help protect message confidentiality and establish the authenticity and integrity of communications.

Calendars, contacts and data portability

CalDAV — An open protocol for accessing and synchronizing calendar information across compatible applications and services. It allows users to manage events without being tied to a single calendar provider.

iCalendar (ICS) — A standardized format for representing and exchanging calendar events and schedules. It supports the import, export and transfer of calendar information between different systems.

CardDAV — An open protocol for synchronizing contact information across applications and servers, allowing users to maintain and access address books independently.

vCard — A standardized format for representing and exchanging contact details. It facilitates the export and import of personal and organizational contact information.

Decentralized identity and authentication

DID (Decentralized Identifiers) — A standard for creating and managing identifiers that can be controlled independently of centralized identity providers. It supports greater autonomy and portability in digital identity systems.

Verifiable Credentials (VC) — A framework for issuing and verifying digital credentials. It enables users and organizations to present trustworthy claims without requiring every verification to depend on the original issuer.

OpenID Connect (OIDC) — An identity layer built on OAuth 2.0 that enables interoperable authentication between applications and identity providers.

OAuth 2.0 — An authorization framework that allows applications to access specific resources on behalf of users, without requiring them to share their account passwords with those applications.

WebAuthn — A standard for strong, public-key-based authentication, including passkeys. It helps reduce reliance on passwords and supports secure authentication across compatible services.

Integration and secure data exchange

HTTPS — Foundational protocol for communication between web clients and servers. Open and widely adopted nature enables services and applications to interact across different infrastructures.

WebSocket — Enables persistent, bidirectional communication between clients and servers. It supports real-time features such as notifications, live updates and collaborative applications.

JSON and JSON-LD — Open formats for representing and exchanging structured data. JSON-LD adds semantic context, helping different systems interpret and connect information more consistently.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) — Provides encryption and authentication for data transmitted across networks, helping protect communications against interception and tampering.

Decentralization of Ranking Algorithms

Decentralized Ranking — Replacing platform-controlled recommendation algorithms with independently verifiable ranking mechanisms, governed through transparent smart contracts. Instead of each social network secretly determining what users see, ranking rules can be publicly defined, inspected and executed according to shared criteria.

Smart Contract Governance — Using smart contracts to register ranking rules, manage algorithm updates and establish transparent governance mechanisms. Changes to ranking criteria become verifiable rather than being unilaterally imposed by platform operators.

Algorithm Portability — Separating ranking logic from individual social platforms, allowing compatible applications to adopt different ranking models without rebuilding their own proprietary algorithms.

Community-Controlled Curation — Enabling users and communities to participate in selecting, configuring and governing ranking models, including the criteria used to prioritize relevance, quality, trust and diversity of content.

The objective is to decentralize not only the distribution of information, but also the power to determine its visibility. Ranking algorithms should become transparent, auditable and governed as shared digital infrastructure rather than proprietary mechanisms controlled by individual platforms.

A framework for evaluating digital infrastructures

These protocols, formats and technologies form an initial reference ecosystem for Wwweb3. They represent different but complementary approaches to communication, publishing, storage, identity, synchronization and data exchange.

Wwweb3 aims to assess how platforms and infrastructures adopt these technologies, or provide compatible and equivalent open alternatives. The assessment is not based simply on the presence of a particular protocol, but on the practical benefits it delivers.

Relevant criteria include:

• Openness: whether technologies and interfaces rely on accessible standards rather than proprietary restrictions.

• Interoperability: whether independent applications and services can communicate and exchange information.

• Portability: whether users can export, transfer and reuse their data across compatible systems.

• Decentralization: whether control and infrastructure are distributed, and whether unnecessary central dependencies are avoided.

• User autonomy: whether individuals retain meaningful control over their identities, information and digital presence.

• Security and privacy: whether appropriate safeguards are integrated into the design and operation of the infrastructure.