Elevating Business Models to the Ecosystem Level: Evidence from Web3 and Beyond

Business models integrate activities for value creation and capture. While ecosystems have emerged as potent catalysts for value creation through collaborative innovation, the common understanding is that value capture occurs within individual firms. This paper challenges this dichotomy. In an empirical study using a polar types case approach, we first illustrate how two ecosystems employ decentralization technology, specifically blockchain-based Web3 platforms, to elevate value capture to the ecosystem level. We then outline the implications beyond the blockchain domain using two non-Web3 cases. Specifically, we show — from the perspectives of value proposition, value constellation, and profit equation — how business models can rise to the ecosystem level.