Meet Dialect Smart Messages
Dialect opens specification for Smart Messaging, announces 50+ projects building with Smart Messages, and launches $100k Grant Program for Builders
We got started on Dialect with the belief that blockchain will eat the internet, that web3 would create new kinds of experiences not possible in web2, and that messaging would be no exception.
Today we are excited to announce the next step toward these new, rich, interactive messaging experiences with the alpha release of Dialect’s Smart Messaging specification. We’ve been quietly building a new web3 messaging standard with over 50 of Solana’s most-loved projects and are teaming up with them to build the first Smart Messaging experiences for the protocols and products you love. Today we’re also launching a $100k Smart Message Grant Program to help kickstart the next wave of apps and services building the future of messaging.
The Smart Message Specification
So, what is Smart Messaging?
It is a 100% open standard, leveraging the power of web3’s universal identity and authentication layer: your wallet. Smart Messages allow you to take any action on any message directly in the chat. You can make trades, send friends money, bid on NFT auctions, order merchandise, follow artists, vote on proposals, pay bills, play games, upvote posts, and more — all from a button inside a chat.
Rich link previews transformed messaging in web2, making URLs more accessible, understandable, and even delightful. The Smart Message now puts a button on it.
We have worked to develop this spec in close collaboration with Solana Labs and the Solana Pay team, and have partnered with OtterSec, a leading expert on blockchain security, for an audit, which is now underway.
We also know that standards are only as good as their adoption. So today, we’re thrilled to announce that more than 50 projects across the Solana ecosystem will be working with us to develop the first smart messages, including Helium, Magic Eden, Jupiter Aggregator, Realms, Raydium, Exchange.Art, Marinade, Degenerate Ape Academy, Squads, Friktion, and many others. Together, they represent nearly every use case you could imagine in web3, from DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, Multisigs, Social, and more, highlighting the flexibility and breadth of applications for this new spec.
The Smart Message Grant Program
To further kickstart the adoption of this new spec, we’re delighted to announce the Smart Message Grant Program: $100,000 in total funding to the best new web3 talent.
Every week, we see incredible new talent taking the leap into web3. If you’re a new dev and looking to build next-generation chat experiences into your products, protocols, or services, head to our developer site for more information.
We will be awarding new grants on a rolling basis, and will begin responding to applicants in the coming weeks. We expect to fully deploy the grants by the end of Q1 2023. We can’t wait to see what new things you dream up.
Oh, and one more thing…
The Smart Message specification is fully open for anyone to use. However, we believe that mobile messaging requires a pixel-perfect, consumer grade experience. That’s why we’ve been quietly building the Dialect App, the first wallet-to-wallet mobile messaging experience. The app is now in private beta for iOS devices, and will be on Solana’s Saga phone on Day One, and Android soon.
