Web3 is distinct from Tim Berners-Lee’s 1999 concept for a semantic web. In 2006, Berners-Lee described the semantic web as a component of Web 3.0, which is different from the meaning of Web3 in blockchain contexts.
The term “Web3” was coined by Polkadot founder and Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood in 2014, referring to a “decentralized online ecosystem based on blockchain.” In 2021, the idea of Web3 gained popularity. Particular interest spiked toward the end of 2021, largely due to interest from cryptocurrency enthusiasts and investments from high-profile technologists and companies. Executives from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz traveled to Washington, D.C. in October 2021 to lobby for the idea as a potential solution to questions about regulation of the web, with which policymakers have been grappling. Refer Web3 wiki