Talking about blockchain is quite deep and has a lot to cover. This time we will talk a little about Dapps or decentralized applications.
A decentralized application (Dapp, dApp, or DApp) is an application run by many users on a decentralized network with reliable protocols. They are designed to avoid any single point of failure. They usually have tokens to reward users for providing computing power.
Definition
The most accurate definition I have found of what a dapp is: It states: dapps operate autonomously without a central control entity with all changes decided by the proposals and the consensus of its users.
This already begins to clarify why Dapps have become so interesting to developers: without a central authority, they are architecturally superior to centralized applications.
Typical definitions include the following attributes:
The code is open source and autonomously managed.
- Records and data are stored using the blockchain, providing reliable interaction and avoiding any single point of failure
- Use crypto tokens to reward users who provide computing power.
- Tokens generated through a cryptographic algorithm.
The advantages of Dapps
One of the key challenges in regular web applications is fault tolerance. If an application becomes too popular or is the victim of a denial of service attack, the application developer cannot do anything except cry.
On the other hand, Dapps have their resources and functionality distributed among the peers on the blockchain.
Which makes it extremely expensive to attack with traditional attacks denial of service, as they do not depend on a single server.
The other important advantages dapps have over their centralized counterparts is that they reshape the dynamics.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram depend on the content that their users produce and consume.
With regular applications, the centralized entity is the maximum beneficiary of the effort contributed by its users.
With Dapps, their decentralized governance models ensure that power is redistributed so that application users and their software creators can benefit in a more equal way.
Dapps, the future for the delivery of information without manipulation
While the technological advantages of Dapps may be very clear, when it comes to really unlocking the potential of dapps, given that being a decentralized part the manipulation of the data is quite difficult.
A clear example that we can give is the role social networks play in political events, a clear example was in Egypt a few years ago.
Another example is the scandals that were revealed in elections in some countries, where social networks have been used to favor certain candidates.
Given this, Dapps can totally change the landscape, but one element is still missing: real-time data.
The apps that can come to life and work at this time they will always be a much more powerful tool for people and organizations than applications that essentially must remain static over time.
Most developers, of course, are completely familiar with the benefits of real-time information.
But integrating quality real-time data sources for decentralized applications comes with serious challenges.
Currently, Dapps that handle only crypto transactions within the realm of the blockchain do not need to think about these issues.
However, to create complex Dapps that can offer more functionality than just transaction settlement, access to external data in real time from ordinary people and a multitude of organizations becomes vital.
Some Dapps
Finally, some Dapps have emerged and of which we can mention some:
- Augur - prediction market
- Basic Attention Token - Digital advertising network.
- Cryptokitties - blockchain-based virtual game
- OmiseGO - open payment platform and decentralized exchange.
- Steemit - a blogging platform, similar to Reddit
- Steepshot - a photo sharing platform, similar to Instagram
- DTube - a video sharing platform, similar to Youtube
- DSound - a music sharing platform, similar to Soundcloud
Mastodon would not then be a Dapp?
It is right.