Crypto’s early years were defined by speculation and hype cycles. Today, the focus is shifting toward infrastructure; the unseen protocols that make wallets, dApps, and cross-chain interactions possible. WalletConnect is one example, connecting hundreds of wallets and apps while now introducing $WCT to bring governance and incentives into the mix. But the larger signal is clear: middleware is becoming a contested layer of ownership in Web3. Infrastructure is no longer passive code running in the background; it is tokenized, participatory, and increasingly political. As the onchain economy expands, the systems that once stayed invisible are emerging as the real foundation for how the decentralized internet will be built and governed.

Infrastructure often goes unseen in Web3, but it underpins the ecosystem’s daily use. WalletConnect has facilitated more than 309M secure connections across 600+ wallets and 64,000 apps, becoming the default bridge for wallet-to-dApp communication. Its recent $WCT token launch extends the model to fees, staking, and governance; pushing the protocol toward community ownership. The move reflects a wider trend: critical Web3 infrastructure is shifting from closed services to participatory public goods. As more apps and wallets rely on neutral, chain-agnostic layers like WalletConnect, questions of resilience, governance, and shared responsibility are moving to the center of Web3’s next phase.

WalletConnect, the behind-the-scenes protocol enabling wallets and dApps to talk, is now one of Web3’s most critical public goods. It supports 600+ wallets, 64,000+ apps, and has handled over 309 million secure connections. From NFT minting on OpenSea to DeFi trading on Uniswap, WalletConnect ensures smooth, cross-chain interactions without exposing private keys. In 2024, the protocol launched its native $WCT token, used for fees, staking, and governance—signaling a shift toward community-owned infrastructure. What was once invisible middleware is becoming a cornerstone of Web3’s future, linking users not just to apps, but to ownership of the infrastructure itself.