Why we need a ERC20 Token specific Transfer Dapp
First off, I have to apologize for the “click bait” title of this article. To be fair though, we do need an ERC20 specific transfer dapp.
ERC20 Tokens
Ethereum paved the way for a new breed of specialized tokens: Erc20 tokens as far back as 2015, when the standard was first drafted by Fabian Vogelsteller (ERC20). Since then, there have been a number of erc20 tokens created because of the sheer ease and inexpensive creation of said tokens.
Over the months that followed, a host of erc20 tokens were created. These are just a four of those which I have found interesting:
DAI - Which is a stable erc20 oken created by MakerDao which is pegged at the rate of 1 DAI ~ 1 USD
REP - An access token required to access the Augur betting platform
BNT - A token used to grant access to the Bancor network trading platform, as well as being a component of the network’s economic model
LOOM - A membership network to participate and utilize fully the Loom network, and the dapp chains, just to mention a few.
There are also tokens which have served as IOU pending the actual release of the actual product, mostly a separate chain from Ethereum.
In all of this, one major issue I have had is being able to easily interact with Tokens, most commonly when I have to transfer the tokens between addresses.
The acclaimed and respected tools for doing this in the community are Ethereum wallets, and are more focused on development around Ether itself, and have only in recent times added a little if at all any ease to interaction with Erc20 tokens. The top three by my opinion are:
- Metamask: https://metamask.io/
- MyCrypto: https://mycrypto.com/
- Myetherwallet: https://www.myetherwallet.com/
All these provide basic control /interaction with the tokens:
- Allowing you provide the contract address of the toke, and sometimes requiring that you also provide the symbol and decimals used in the contract
- Based on the provided information, you are able to transfer tokens to a single provided address, in same fashion as transferring Ether.
Token Transfer Dapp
Having written a number of smart contracts some pertaining to escrows, settlements and other functionalities which require interaction with the ERC20 tokens, I found myself repeating the same process over and over again: getting the contract address, getting the symbol, confirming the decimals, just to transfer some tokens to an address, in order to use or test the Product I am building.
My realization of how much interest had been allocated to ERC20 tokens interaction lead to the development of the Token Transfer Dapp( https://github.com/ico-busses/token-transfer-dapp ).
This is a Dapp focused on the transfer and interaction with ERC20 tokens. Since it is focused on optimizing the ERC20 life, it tries to add features that matter to the erc20 flow, and in return make it easier and faster to interact with the tokens..
Key features right now include:
- Auto load contract details from contract address
- Batch transfer using only JS resources
- Security, by ensuring only wallets are used.
Use
Utilizing the tool is extremely easy and straightforward, as all you need is the contract address, and all features are loaded, giving you instant access to your tokens
In the same fashion of the greats (Myetherwallet, Mycrypto), you can clone or download the zip, and run locally, or if you are brave enough, you could visit the live site of the most recent update: https://ttd.icobusses.io
Next step
Based on the use and feedback from you who choose to use the Dapp, we would be adding beneficial features, remembering that the tool is focused on ERC20s, and as such there is no interest in adding non-ERC20 related features.
At the top of the development TODO, right now:
- Add support for Approval management (approve, increaseApproval)
- Allow storing of favorites tokens for quick access
Do not hesitate to reach out or contribute to the discussion, and repository.
Github: https://github.com/ico-busses/token-transfer-dapp
Live site: https://ttd.icobusses.io/
Reddit Discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/ethdev/comments/b258e0/why_we_need_a_erc20_token_specific_transfer_dapp/
