We Have the DApp Foundation, Now Let’s Build the Rest: Part Two
What we talk about when we talk about DApps.
How to Write DApp, Let Alone Talk About One
As I researched for this post, I not only wanted to consider “what are all the cool offerings” but also “how do we talk about DApps?” Incidentally, I discovered even the name itself is up for debate. I saw “Dapp” “dApp” and “dapp” down my various research rabbit holes. I stuck with “DApp” because I feel it better represents the two words we’ve combined (Decentralized Application) to get the term, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. “dApp” goes along with how many pronounce the term. “dapp” could very well end up being the winner as we saw internet lost it’s capital “I.” How we use DApps and how we write “DApps” will likely be determined by social factors, not concerns over capitalization or a rigid insistence on definition.
According to Coinsutra, there are three main types of DApps. They are distinct from each other in terms of how they interact with their various blockchains:
Type I
DApps with their own blockchain. Some examples are Bitcoin, Eth, and altcoins. The currencies themselves are the DApps, so ETH is a DApp on the Ethereum network. These DApps are running on their own private networks and are the most complex form of the applications in terms of engineering.
Type II
These are DApps that run on an existing blockchain, such as the Bitcoin blockchain or, most commonly, the Ethereum blockchain. Type II DApps are largely offerings being produced on the Ethereum network. Yes, we’re talking about those Cryptokitties here.
Type III
Type III DApps run on the backs of Type II DApps. A Type III would be an application running on a protocol and that protocol is running on a network such as Ethereum. An example of a Type III provided by Coinsutra is the SAFE network (utilizing SafeCoins) which uses the Omni Protocol on Bitcoin’s Blockchain.
You may be thinking that there’s some wiggle room in those definitions, and you’d be right. Distinctions can also be made between systems, applications, and apps. A system, such as the Ethereum network, supports other software. Applications are robust and feature-rich software. An app is smaller than an application and facilitates one specific task. A company could release a paired-down version of their desktop application in the form of an app that runs on phones and does a portion of what the original application accomplishes. These designations have some fluidity, however, as the Ethereum network could be argued to be a system as well as an application. The difference between applications and apps essentially comes down to platform and functionality. I bring this up to show how, even with software we understand, we still can’t exactly hammer down the exact nomenclature.
More colloquially in the blockchain world, what we call DApps fall more in line with what Coinsutra considers a Type II DApp. Most DApps don’t necessarily add functionality to existing blockchains as much as they derive their own functionality from the blockchain. They benefit from the imbedded security of these blockchains and are used for a specific function within that blockchain. As we move forward, I could see “DApps” usage shifting further and simply meaning applications that interact with the blockchain.
What Can We Expect, Linguistically and Otherwise?
I foresee discrepancies in terms of what is required for something to be considered a DApp. Different protocols, contracts, and currencies all fall under the umbrella of a “Decentralized Application.” But just like previous terms before it, “DApp” has become a buzzword, shifting it’s meaning not only in terms of the collective tech consciousness but beyond the community as well. Buzzword status can do weird things to meaning. It can be difficult to pin down what someone means when they say “DApp” before further clarification.
DApps have already seen a shift from blockchain buzzword to tech buzzword. At some point, the word “DApp” will spill from a family member’s mouth with derision and the word will have entered the mainstream. It’s still unclear whether specific DApps will gain enough cache to eclipse the moniker, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and even Tinder did outgrowing their designations as examples of social apps.
I’m confident that “DApp” will someday be a word that pops up in casual conversation like “app.” Those rigidly tied to a DApp literally being a “decentralized application” will be disappointed with how the word comes to be commonly used. DApps will likely be applications and apps that ping a blockchain as part of their functionality. I know I’m guilty of it, but with all the hype around DApps, many writers have been fast and loose with attribution and description. That’s fine, it’s a time of great excitement. But once the dust settles, it’s important not to be misleading with what we mean by “DApp” and also be realistic in terms of how people are realistically going to be utilizing this technology going forward. We must properly articulate how those applications function and their relation to the blockchains they’re running on.
DApps can help in the ongoing and mostly depressing fight for net neutrality. The decentralized nature of some blockchains and DApps could make it harder for ISPs to throttle services when they come from a variety of locations instead of one, centralized, location. Decentralized infrastructure can also help keep user data secure and potentially prevent platforms from selling that data to outside advertisers without user consent. Or unintentionally handing it over to malicious parties. The public has a great deal of well-founded concern for the security of our digital information and identity, as it seems like there’s a new breach every week and none of the tech giants are immune.
DApps are in their infancy. Whether they are going to end up as ubiquitous as the apps on our phone or stay in the realm of the tech-savvy is still yet to be determined. We’re hopeful that, with the variety of uses for DApps and their clear security benefits, businesses, programmers, and the general public will support this burgeoning tech in the blockchain industry. That is, assuming regulations in the space bring clarity to the developers waiting to create new applications instead of newer and more stringent rules negating their efforts.
Blockchain is gaining popularity, and DApps are an exciting addition to the tech. No one can totally predict what will happen next. What’s perhaps most unclear is will we all mean when we say “DApp?” It probably won’t mean exactly the same thing to everyone, and that isn’t necessarily bad. Although they may be confusing, one thing is clear, DApps are a fascinating component to blockchain that I suspect will become an increasingly larger part of tech and mainstream culture.
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