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Compared to the content-centric "read"-based Web 1.0 and the "read-write"-based Web 2.0, the Web 3.0 model is based on the "read-write-own" paradigm, which is user-centric: enabling data to be controlled by users rather than centralized platforms. Web 3.0 applications are deployed decentralized and transparently, which prevents malicious programs from being set up. This can result in unreasonable data usage, value allocation, and privacy violations. In terms of identity management, Web 3.0 allows for local user-generated identities, which can be used across decentralized applications as evidence of data owned by users. Additionally, user data and identities are stored in distributed ledgers, such as blockchain, and can be transferred to different applications with the user’s permission; thereby overcoming the data islands problem.

In addition to Web 3.0, the concept of the Metaverse has recently garnered considerable attention from industry and academia due to its potential to create a fully immersive and self-sustaining virtual reality world. Interactive technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, provide users with a seamless and immersive experience. Next-generation networks are critical in ensuring high-speed and low-latency connectivity. Furthermore, decentralized technologies, such as blockchain, play vital roles in the metaverse ecosystem by guaranteeing fairness, transparency, and authentic rights for digital assets. Such advanced technologies facilitate the Metaverse to generate a digital replica of the physical world, produce unique virtual content, and lead to a surreal digital universe.

Metaverse shares the same ultimate vision as Web 3.0, which aims to provide inclusive, secure, trustworthy, and privacy-preserving interactions and transactions for humans, machines, and virtual economies. However, metaverse involves the deep integration of physical, digital, and biological domains to eliminate the boundaries between reality and virtuality. Therefore, a full-fledged metaverse also signifies the arrival of Web 3.0.

This Special Issue (SI) of the IEEE Network intends to attract contributions from academia and industry; and is meant to expose the most recent advances in networking and applications for the Metaverse and Web 3.0. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Communications and networking technologies for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Zero-trust architecture and protocol for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Incentive and consensus mechanisms for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Privacy-preserving technologies in Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Identity Management System in Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Distributed storage, identifiers, and data verification in Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Fundamental limits and theoretical guidance for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Machine learning, edge computing, and other emerging technologies for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Hardware and infrastructure implementation for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Semantic computing and services for Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Applications of Metaverse and Web 3.0.
• Standardizations of Metaverse and Web 3.0.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format indicated in the "Information for Author" section of the Paper Submission Guidelines. All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through Manuscript Central. Select “November 2023/MetaverseWeb3” from the drop-down menu of Topic titles.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 25 June 2023
Initial Decision Notification: 1 August 2023
Revised Manuscript Due: 1 September 2023
Final Decision Notification: 15 September 2023
Final Manuscript Due: 1 October 2023
Publication Date: November/December 2023

Guest Editors

Bin Cao
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China

Lei Zhang
University of Glasgow, UK

Lan Zhang
Michigan Technological University, US

Salil Kanhere
The University of New South Wales, Australia

Chen Sun
Sony (China) Limited, China

Dusit (Tao) Niyato
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore