Where blockchain technology can also overcomplicate what should be simple. Most dApps being built today are complex financial tools or speculative trading platforms catering only to the initiated few. But it really needn't be that way. Let's dive into just what consumer-facing dApps are, and why they are at the heart of Morph's vision for the future.
Defining Consumer-Friendly dApps
Now, imagine an ecosystem of applications, which a user interacts with each day-Instagram, Uber, Spotify, etc.-all intuitive, solving very real-world problems through simple and intuitive means. Now, contrast that imagery with what immediately pops into minds when thinking about decentralized finance-pesky platforms. Slowly but surely, one is bombarded with confusing terms: liquidity pools, impermanent loss, yield farming. yeah, that sounds like fun. Consumer-friendly dApps bridge the gap to offer exactly the same seamless ease of use as Web2 applications, augmented by the capabilities of blockchain, and keep the complexity wrapped up in the hood.
Here's an example reimagined to illustrate.
So imagine a generic food delivery app: browse menus, order your food, and then track delivery on your end. Fairly universal-easy to do for most people. Now, with blockchain integrated into that same app, the experience is similar, but your loyalty points are tradable digital tokens belonging to you. Unlike how it works today, whereby points can expire or become obsolete, these tokens flow across platforms, or can be exchanged or even sold.
With blockchain, restaurants will instantly settle with very minimal fees. They can incentivize loyal customers in the form of rare digital collectibles and hence build a closer community. Delivery drivers enjoy immediate cash-out options, with permanent reputation tracked on the blockchain, which is transferable to other platforms.
Notice how none of this requires the user to master blockchain jargon or processes. There's no need to understand gas fees, wallet addresses, or crypto terms. Blockchain enhances the service without cluttering up the simplicity. That's the magic of a consumer dApp: putting familiar functionality to work, made more powerful by blockchain.
Unlocking the Power of Consumer dApps
The consumer-centric dApps can disrupt almost any routine activity or service. Following are a few aspects in which blockchain can add real value:
Social Media: Platforms where you own the content, make money when your posts go viral, and you have full control over your data. Your audience belongs to you, not to platforms.
Gaming-true ownership of in-game items, characters, and achievements: Trade, sell, or transfer digital assets from one game to another.
eCommerce: Tokenized loyalty schemes, supply chains, and verifiable authenticity of products.
Entertainment: Direct artist-to-fan relationships. Own tickets, art, or music directly and securely, without intermediaries taking huge cuts.
Travel & Hospitality: Tradeable loyalty rewards, room keys as temporary NFTs, and instant refunds managed by smart contracts.
Education: An individual store of all their certificates and credentials, ensconced securely on the blockchain, so that they can be provably authentic and accessible.
Healthcare-to-store patient-controlled medical records, tokenized appointment systems, and rewards for healthy habits.
Fitness & Wellness: Be rewarded and trade workouts, control access to fitness data, and participate in blockchain-backed staking for participation in active communities.
In all these, blockchain is done to enhance the service without overcomplicating the user experience.
Building Consumer-Ready dApps: Challenges
Despite the huge potential, most dApps today do very little to meet the needs of everyday users. Built for developers by developers often, they solve pressing technical problems but few in a way that would benefit daily, real-world problems. A lot of the dApps present today are financial tools used for trading obscure tokens or speculative NFT projects in hopes of riding the trends.
The user experience often makes the situation even worse.
New users are supposed to set up wallets, safely store their seed phrases, buy tokens, estimate gas fees, and study crypto-specific terminology. Imagine having to understand TCP/IP protocols before posting an image on Instagram or learning about the mechanics of payment processing in order to book an Uber. This is part of the reason the adoption of blockchain extends to only 3.9% of the world's population. For mainstream success, the mentioned barriers have to be resolved.
Morph: A Platform for Mainstream Blockchain Adoption
Morph was designed for a straight-up global foundation for consumer dApps with comprehensive developer support throughout. Technology alone is just not enough, though. Yes, Morph's technology provides fast, low-cost transactions and seamless user experiences, but builders also need funding, visibility, and guidance to navigate the sometimes-problematic world of blockchain development.
To this end, Morph provides resources at every level: through VC Alliance for funding, coalitions for exchange listing, incubator programs for mentorship, and more. These tools will finally let developers produce an application that combines the powers of blockchain with seamless user interfaces. Whether it is a new social network, a game-changing e-commerce solution, or a ready gaming experience, Morph will empower creators to bring these ideas to life and make blockchain available to all.