@OrangelGilCrypto
A technological revolution that still discriminates
Web3 promised equity, anonymity, and decentralization. But in practice, the figures show another face. According to the Boston Consulting Group (2023) report, only 13% of Web3 startup founders are women, and the salary gap compared to their male counterparts can reach up to 34% in technical and financial leadership roles.
Mettalex CMO and crypto-feminism advocate, Maya Zehavi, states:
"Decentralized technology does not guarantee inclusion if the same biases of the old system are still encoded in culture and capital."
Advantage or disguised discrimination?
Some Web3 companies have started hiring women in visible positions to appear diverse, but without allowing them real access to decision-making power.
"There are times when being a woman opens the door for me, but it also keeps me out of important decisions,"
declared Evin McMullen, CEO of Disco.xyz.
This practice, known as tokenism, has led many developers, investors, and designers to create parallel spaces like SheFi, Women in Blockchain Talks, and Blu3 DAO, where female participation is not only welcome but necessary.
What is not seen: invisible gap in code and capital
Beyond the figures, there is an even quieter barrier: access to venture capital. According to Crunchbase data, only 2% of Web3 funding in 2024 was allocated to women-led teams. Meanwhile, men with less solid backgrounds but greater visibility continue to monopolize the funds.
For digital activist and data analyst Cleve Mesidor,
"True inclusion is not measured in conference panels, but in investment balances and governance participation."
How to reverse this bias without breaking the decentralized promise?
It's not about enforcing quotas, but about redesigning incentive and governance models so that women's voices are not only present but count. Gender-focused Web3 education, targeted funding, and active mentorship are key tools.
But it is also the critical surveillance of a community that still claims to be "free," while repeating patterns of exclusion that come from the system it claims to challenge.
