IV | Here’s why you should use DApps | SimplyPut

DEXON demos 2 DApps on its testnet: ArcadeX & DEXON Chat

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DEXON

5 min readJan 23, 2019

Not too long ago, it was a dilemma between web-based applications or smartphone apps (essentially the word ‘app’ was coined around that time). Now, our inner voice is calling for something even better — Decentralised applications (or better known as DApps). Apps totally changed our lives, and practically evolved how we interact with services or other social creatures. The fact that we are so dependent on them, yet so mindful of the fact that these love-hate apps are owned by a pretty small niche community of tech titans ruffles the hair of most people.

Think of the myriad of now infamous cases of surveillance, backdoors, and lack of privacy, many so deeply embedded within the centralized backend servers powering these apps that some conspiracy-theorists believe are watching our every movement (just think about your friends sticking all sorts of stickers on their laptop’s webcam, but totally forgetting about the camera on their smartphone). And that’s where decentralized applications come in.

So what’s a DApp and what’s an App

Strictly speaking, any sort of software capable of coordinating functions or tasks for the benefit of the user can be considered an app. But in the blockchain universe, a traditional app will primarily refer to software that uses a client (frontend) and a centralized server (local server, cloud servers, etc.). On the other hand, a DApp is defined as one that has a client (frontend) interacting with a smart contract (blockchain-based) instead.

So then why create something new when the existing ones aren’t broken?

In the utopian state of a well-designed DApp, users should not even feel a tad different interacting with the interface of a DApp versus that of a centralized app. The magic happens behind-the-scenes, or under-the-hood in a more geeky way of expression. Generally, an action on the client inputted by the user will make a corresponding request for actions with the backend server. What you do not know is that all these series of actions, content, and entities are pretty much contained in these servers. This is more commonly known as data. Now take these raw ingredients, throw in some big data analysis, run some machine-learning algorithms, and voila — a quasi-magical concoction of data potion is served up.

Generally, people don’t really care that their information is being recorded and used by these tech giants (who cares when the apps they are using is free and fulfilling their needs). Then comes along the Cambridge Analytica saga or other scandals, and then people start waking up to their senses and goes “Holy Sh**, I didn’t know data could do that.” Before you know it, you have practically been violated in various senses in this virtual world of ours.

Is DApp any better then?

The fundamental value of blockchain is to solve the issues of trust and transparency, DApp, in this case, are applications built on blockchains with these values in mind. So in the aforementioned example, all these data and how they are being used in the smart contracts (think of them as code that processes the requests) are all transparent and open to the public. Meaning, you can go online and check out the code and transactions made in this DApp at any time. Since these transactions are written on distributed digital ledgers, it means that even if you destroy one copy, there are several others of the same ledger stored somewhere on Earth. Think of it as these transactions are carved in stone and cannot be erased.

Now, try to scam others or blackmail others with these DApps, up the cloud they go and for all to see. So in one way or another, it forces the good in us to shine. Or at least in the sense that the evils humanity tries to commit virtually is kept in check. Making the world a better place to live in (pun intended).

DEXON DApps to the rescue

Till date, the blockchain technology has been plagued with a technological impasse of achieving a balance between the issues of decentralization, security, and scalability. These are the properties of a good blockchain. With the current block technologies, it has always been a compromise of sorts. For example, you want something faster; then you lose out on security. You want something more scalable; you shall not have scalability. It’s like trick-or-treat. You simply can’t get both. You get my idea now :P

DEXON is a breakthrough technology that can resolve these issues altogether, without any compromise. To test out whether the blockchain (more accurately, blocklattice) lives up to its reputation, the development team created two DApps to test it out.

ArcadeX

This is pretty much a collection of mini-games (slot machine and capsule machine) that allows you to unlock various characters of DekuSan (the official mascot of DEXON). Apart from the fact that they’re incredibly cute (I wish they were cuddly too…), the user will be able to feel the speed of how smooth the game operates. Actually, you won’t even feel anything different from a traditional centralized game. Now that’s what I mean by speed. It’s as good as any conventional app, just that all the transactions, all the characters unlocked are automatically stored in the cloud, and cannot be erased. Just imagine you play LOL and realized that imba-weapon of yours is suddenly gone. You know that pain.

TRY ARCADEX NOW

DEXON Chat

Some conversations are meant to be as private as possible. Others are supposed to be broadcasted and made known. Think of DEXON Chat as an IM (Instant Messaging) service powered by blockchain.

Honestly, some things should still be kept confidential and centralized. If everything is so overt and made known to everyone, the world will be filled with so much noise that we can’t focus. But that chasm between technological uptake and actual application of technology has to be bridged, and some sort of consensus be achieved. But apart from that, the notion of blockchain entering our lives is not a too distant one. At least for now, the adoption of DApps can drive the future of technology towards one that is more responsible and fair. That is, if you bother to look when you want to.