December 2, 2025Open Access

The Social Movement Evolution of Non‐State Armed Groups in the Web 3.0 Era

YWYaohui WangQingdao University of Science and Technology YQYang QiuJoint Global Change Research Institute

Key Points

Resilience of non-state armed groups increases, driven by Web 3.0 technologies.
Key processes like recruitment and training are made more efficient through decentralized platforms.
Analysis employs social movement theory to explore dynamics and strategies of non-state armed groups.
Implications for security and organizational collapse of these groups are significant in the context of technology.

Abstract

How do the emerging Web 3.0 technologies affect the survival of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in their violent struggles vis-à-vis state entities? While techno-optimists argue that Web 3.0 can democratize the internet and curb monopolistic practices, its decentralized features, such as enhanced privacy, data ownership, and personalization, also present significant security challenges. These technologies can be weaponized by NSAGs to promote their efficiency and resilience. Borrowing insights from social movement theory, we construct a theoretical framework to explain how Web 3.0 applications affect the dynamics of NSAGs by impacting their organizational modes and strategies. It is argued that blockchain-based platforms, metaverse projects, and other Web 3.0 technologies promote the efficiency of the recruitment, training, financing, purchasing, and communication processes of NSAGs, increasing their capacities as social organizations, and thereby render these groups more resilient to collapse. We illustrate and corroborate our theoretical claims by examining the cases of how NSAGs such as the Islamic State utilize decentralized crypto exchanges and the Dark Web in their operations.

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