What is Web3? Why should you care? How do you even start using it? Most of us have a heap of questions about Web3, and it isn't always easy to find out what you need.

Thankfully, MetaMask Learn is here to answer important questions on Web3, and best of all, it's completely free. So, can MetaMask Learn really teach you about Web3?

What Is MetaMask Learn?

MetaMask Learn is a free online learning course detailing some of the basic building blocks of Web3. The course currently consists of eight lessons, each of which only takes a couple of minutes to complete.

Currently, available lessons include:

• What Is Web3?
• What Is a Crypto Wallet?
• The Era of Digital Identity
• What Is Self-Custody
• The Advent of Digital Ownership
• NFTs and Creators
• Finance, Decentralized
• The Age of Communities

MetaMask is an Ethereum wallet that operates as a browser extension and mobile app. However, nothing in the course is exclusive to MetaMask, and you don't need a MetaMask wallet to access the course.

How to Access MetaMask Learn

First up, head to MetaMask Learn. There's no sign-in required. The bottom of the homepage invites you to sign up for MetaMask's newsletter to get notified about new courses, but not even this is required.

The downside to having no log-in requirements is that MetaMask Learn doesn't track your progress. You can take the lessons in any order, so it isn't like you have to start from the beginning every time you visit the site. Still, for all the gamification we've come to expect from Web3, a Proof-of-Attendance token might be nice.

What Are the MetaMask Learn Lessons Like?

The lessons consist of a few minutes worth of reading, followed by a brief activity, a selection of links to explore the ideas in the lesson further, and some compressed takeaways. Even the more technical content is presented in an approachable way, and some of the content is more ideological than scientific.

The links at the end of the lessons are where MetaMask Learn may earn some respect from doubters. Many links are to MetaMask's support pages or blog posts, but they also link out to familiar sources like the World Wide Web Consortium. Some are also links to working Web3 tools like blockchain explorers.

The interactive portions can differ widely. For example, at the end of the first lesson is a "simulation" that takes learners through log-in protocols for Web1, Web2, and Web3, while the third lesson enforces the importance of writing down a recovery phrase. One even lets you practice making an NFT.

Are MetaMask's Web3 Lessons Worth Taking?

One of the beauties of the ability to take (or not take) any lesson in any order is that you can decide which lessons look worthwhile. If you are familiar with the concept of Web3 but don't have a wallet, choose your classes based on that. If you only have a wallet because you heard that crypto would make you rich, take lessons accordingly.

In any case, the lessons tend to be a little surface-level—the highest level most people need. And, if you want to go further, there are always those links at the end of the lessons.

Will any of the lessons make you the next Satoshi Nakamoto or Vitalik Buterin? Probably not. But there is no harm in taking any of the lessons. They're free and take five minutes each. So what have you got to lose?

Learn About Web3 and Its Future

Web3 is a multifaceted concept. Understanding it means coming to an understanding of new technologies, but it also means coming to a new understanding of things like community and economics. We could probably all use whatever help we can get. And there are certainly worse teachers out there than MetaMask.