Keplr, Explained: Native vs. Non-Native Integration
Want to know about Keplr Wallet integration and the options? Start here.
Building a safe, trusted tool in a decentralized environment doesn’t come with a clear guidebook; it’s a constantly evolving process of iteration. The heart of Keplr wallet is to help the ecosystem scale by enabling builders to reach users without the wallet (or lackthereof) being a bottleneck— a clear path forward is enabled by permissionless, frictionless integration.
As we venture further into the year of interoperability, we wanted to address recurring questions regarding Keplr integration: how does a project integrate with Keplr, and what is the difference between native and non-native integration? Pros and cons of permissionless integration?
If you are a Cosmos-SDK chain and interested in integration with Keplr wallet, this article is for you.
Native Integration
The possibilities for web3 wallets seem endless. It’s been an adventure for us to develop some of these ideas and, through trial and error, figure out what’s valuable in the long run.
Since implementing some additional features requires communication and some heavier lifting between teams, we’ve separated these offerings as a premium service, and due to some costly provisions like endpoint infrastructure, it does have a price tag.
To offer maximum value to these integrations, we consider these more as partnerships and work closely with these teams. Not only do we guarantee uptime and provide quality service, but we regularly receive feedback and prioritize processing their inquiries.
The service differences between native and permissionless integration:
If you would like to move forward with native integration, be prepared to discuss the following, along with any technical specifications: community activity, contribution to the Cosmos ecosystem, team, project roadmap, etc.
If native integration is what you are aiming for, contact us at partnerships[at]chainapsis.com.
Permissionless or Non-Native Chain Integration
To contribute to the scalability of the Cosmos ecosystem, Keplr’s aim is to give builders permissionless access to users by providing transaction signing and other basic account management functionalities. For this purpose, we’ve enabled permissionless integration, which is exactly as it sounds.
If you simply want a launch pad to access Cosmos’ user base (and Keplr’s awesome features), then permissionless integration is the way to go. It’s free and self-guided, with documentation provided online, authored by the Keplr team.
If you’re curious what permissionless integration looks like, open Keplr wallet and start a connection with chains like Comdex, Ki, Likecoin, and many others. (For IBC-enabled chains, even IBC transfers can be supported for permissionless integrations. 🙌) You could consider reaching out to these teams and asking them about the process.
Pros? You have free reign to use the Cosmos ecosystem’s leading IBC-enabled wallet giving you access to an ever expanding, active, and passionate user base. Cons? You are in charge of managing the integration and its success, and certain features and support are not available.
If permissionless integration is a better fit for your project, the technical details can be found here — feel free to get started! 🚀
Some Other Options
If you’re a Cosmos builder and still not satisfied with the options, the road doesn’t stop here. Some of these may be obvious, but we’d like to take this opportunity to state that we highly encourage the following:
- Get more involved on Github and do a feature request for Cosmos SDK
- Fork Keplr code and build your own stuff — Keplr is open source!
- Join Keplr’s dev team and help shape its future yourself (we’re hiring!)
In conclusion, Keplr team is excited to see the influx of community members and projects into Cosmos. We remain committed to providing an awesome service, while continuing to grow and improve with the ecosystem. Looking forward to seeing many more chains on Keplr wallet, whichever path you choose. 🔭
Keplr, Explained is a blog series published by the Chainapsis team with aim to equip the Cosmos community with more understanding about IBC technology, its development, and the teams behind them.
Any questions or comments? Reach us at Keplr Help Desk. You can also connect with us on Twitter!
