Top 3 Web3 Mobile apps in 2024 - The future of Onchain Mobile.

Cathal Berragan

Jul 30, 2024 • 6 min read

Mobile apps have become an integral part of our lives, with over 6 billion smartphone users worldwide. As we move towards an onchain future, the emergence of onchain mobile apps is set to revolutionize the way we interact with apps on our mobile devices.

Onchain mobile apps represent a transformative wave in web3, marked by enhanced security, privacy, and control over data and assets. This guide delves into the emerging landscape, addressing the benefits, challenges, and the innovative tools shaping the development of onchain mobile apps in 2024.

Introduction to Onchain Mobile Apps

Decentralized mobile applications, or onchain mobile apps, are gaining significant traction in web3. These apps leverage blockchain technology to provide users with a more secure, transparent, and censorship-resistant experience compared to traditional mobile applications.

Exploring the Benefits

Onchain mobile apps offer a range of benefits that set them apart from their traditional counterparts. One of the primary advantages is enhanced security. By leveraging blockchain technology, onchain apps ensure that user data and assets are stored in a decentralized manner, making them less vulnerable to hacks and data breaches. Additionally, the use of smart contract wallets and web3 authentication mechanisms provides users with greater control over their digital identities and assets.

Privacy is another key benefit of onchain mobile apps. Unlike traditional apps that often collect and monetize user data, onchain apps prioritize user privacy by enabling users to maintain control over their personal information. Transactions on these apps are also censorship-resistant, meaning that no single entity can block or restrict user access to the application.

Furthermore, onchain mobile apps facilitate trustless transactions, eliminating the need for intermediaries and ensuring that all interactions are transparent and verifiable on the blockchain. This not only reduces the risk of fraud but also empowers users with greater autonomy over their digital interactions.

2024: The breakout year for onchain mobile.

To further illustrate the potential of onchain mobile apps, let's explore five recent success stories: Blackbird, Cityverse Tycoon, Warpcast and King Of Destiny.

Blackbird.xyz

Blackbird.xyz is an innovative mobile application designed to deepen the connection between restaurants and their loyal customers through the use of blockchain technology. Blackbird leverages blockchain technology to create a novel user experience:

Loyalty Program with $FLY Token: Blackbird introduces a native reward token called $FLY. Diners earn $FLY tokens every time they check in at participating restaurants. These tokens can be used to unlock various benefits, such as free cocktails, extra desserts, and birthday discounts .
Enhanced Customer Recognition: The app allows restaurants to recognize and reward not only frequent diners but also first-time guests who dine out frequently. This is achieved by tracking the $FLY balance and dining history of users, enabling restaurants to offer personalized experiences to valuable customers.
Real-Time Communication: Blackbird enables real-time text communication between restaurants and members, recreating an "old school maître d’ mind-set" where diners feel a personal connection with the restaurant.

Cityverse Tycoon

Cityverse Tycoon is a popular web3 mobile game that has amassed over 200,000 downloads – With monopoly-style gameplay, players are able to collect and trade their way to the top of a virtual metropolis.

Players can own and trade unique NFT assets within the game, creating a vibrant in-game economy. One of the most significant aspects of Cityverse Tycoon's success is its use of a progressive web app (PWA). PWAs offer numerous advantages over traditional mobile apps, as they can be accessed directly through a web browser without requiring installation from an app store. This approach allows developers to bypass app store limitations and fees, providing a more flexible and cost-effective solution.

The game leverages thirdweb's mobile SDK to integrate blockchain functionality seamlessly.

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Warpcast

Warpcast is a decentralized social media app built on the Farcaster protocol. It aims to provide a user-friendly social networking experience while leveraging blockchain technology to offer enhanced user control and novel features.

Decentralized Identity: Users have full control over their social identities, which are verified and managed on the blockchain. This ensures that users own their data and can transfer their identities across different platforms if needed .
Content Creation and Interaction: Similar to traditional social media platforms, Warpcast allows users to create posts (called "casts"), reply, like, and share (recast) content. The interface is designed to be intuitive and familiar, making it easy for users to transition from other social media platforms .
Frames: One of the standout features of Warpcast is Frames, which are interactive elements that can be embedded within posts. Frames allow developers to create mini-applications or interactive experiences directly within the social media feed, such as polls, games, and NFT minting .

King of Destiny

King of Destiny is a mobile luck battle game set within the InfiniGods universe. The game has integrated blockchain technology to enhance the user experience, particularly through the introduction of collectible Avatar NFTs.

King of Destiny leverages thirdweb's 'in-app wallets' to make it simple to sign-in to the game using just your email or social media logins. This removes any friction caused by blockchain complexity.

Luck Battle Gameplay: King of Destiny is centered around luck-based battles, where players engage in strategic gameplay to achieve victory. The game’s mechanics are designed to be engaging and competitive, appealing to a wide range of players.
Avatar NFTs: The game has introduced limited-edition collectible Avatars, which are ERC-1155 NFTs. These Avatars serve as in-game cosmetics, allowing players to customize their characters and showcase their unique collections. The Avatars come in various rarities, adding an element of exclusivity and value to the game.

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Overcoming Development Challenges

Despite the numerous benefits, developing onchain mobile apps comes with its own set of challenges. One of the primary hurdles is the complexity of integrating blockchain technology into mobile applications. Developers need to ensure a seamless user experience while navigating the intricacies of blockchain protocols and smart contract development.

Scalability is another significant challenge faced by onchain mobile app developers. As the number of users and transactions grows, the underlying blockchain network must be able to handle the increased load without compromising on performance or user experience. Developers must carefully consider the choice of blockchain platform and employ techniques such as sharding and layer 2 scaling solutions to address scalability issues.

Building onchain mobile apps

To build onchain mobile apps, developers need to leverage a combination of blockchain technologies and mobile development frameworks. thirdweb's react native SDK is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of integrating blockchain functionality into mobile apps. It provides a comprehensive set of libraries and tools that enable developers to interact with every EVM-compatible network, such as Ethereum, and layer 2 solutions like Polygon and zkSync.

With the SDK in place, you can start building the core functionality of your onchain mobile app. thirdweb offers a range of pre-built smart contracts and templates that cover common use cases such as token creation, NFT minting, and marketplace functionality. These templates can be easily customized to fit your specific requirements, saving you time and effort in the development process.

One of the key challenges in onchain mobile app development is managing user onboarding and web3 wallets. thirdweb simplifies this by providing a seamless integration with popular wallet providers like MetaMask and WalletConnect. With just a few lines of code, you can enable users to connect their wallets and interact with your application securely.

thirdweb also provides a comprehensive solution for generating 'in-app wallets.' In-App wallets let users access your app using their email or social media logins. This ensure a seamless user experience for users with varying levels of blockchain experience.

Build web3 mobile apps

To further expand your knowledge and understanding of onchain mobile app development and web3 technologies, we recommend exploring the following related articles:

What is Onchain Data? - Dive deeper into the concept of onchain data and its significance in the blockchain ecosystem.
How to Become a Blockchain Developer - Learn about the skills, tools, and resources needed to embark on a career in blockchain development.
What is a Web3 API? - Explore the role of web3 APIs in enabling developers to interact with blockchain networks and build decentralized applications.
How to Create a Web3 Mobile App - Get hands-on experience with building a web3 mobile app using Thirdweb's tools and frameworks.

By exploring these related topics, you'll gain a more comprehensive understanding of the web3 landscape and be better equipped to navigate the exciting world of onchain mobile app development.