Do dApps Have a Place Post-crypto Craze and What are hApps

Hardly a day goes by where you don’t bump into headlines about Bitcoin (ETH/LTC/choose your fighter) and the evolving technologies fueling the fad.

Blockchain technology, in particular, has made front pages for stirring ploys. But what we haven’t seen before are dApps, forging a brighter future for traditional mobile apps and crypto usage.

And while we were squabbling over cryptos, decentralized applications amounted to almost 4K, accounting for 179.37 daily users. That’s quite a statement for something as fledgling as dApps, isn’t it?

So let’s not get cryptic (pun intended) about this new app generation and find out whether they’re worth the hype. We’ll also discuss their plausible prospects in the years to come.

But first, a dab of dApps

You must remember the wealth of opportunities that were offered to startups and investors by ICO in 2017.

Back then, decentralized apps were heralded as a brand new tech comfort aimed at a slew of industries. Sadly, only a few industries accrued dApp benefits back then. After the bust of the great cryptocurrency bubble in early 2018, we haven’t heard much about dApps until 2020. That’s when dApps renewed their potential on the Ethereum mainnet.

A-list players like MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, and Tesla’s Elon Musk have attested to the rebounded prospects of dApps.

So what is a dApp?

Decentralized apps (dApps) are software programs that exist and run on a P2P network of computers rather than being hosted on an individual computer or server. In theory, they represent the next stage in the evolution of software development, which has traditionally been dominated by centralized servers.

In general terms, dApps are decentralized, transparent, and more attack-resistant applications that rely on blockchain. The technology itself is an open-access database, where all data nodes are cryptographically linked to each other and have an immutable block structure. According to Ethereum, here’s what dApps bring to the table:

• Zero downtime – no denial-of-service attacks are possible once the smart contract is deployed and on the blockchain.
• Privacy – no user data is shared with third parties.
• Censorship-resistant – user adoption of dApps or their deployment cannot be denied by any single entity (there are none, actually).
• Complete data integrity – the stored data is immutable, it cannot be forged or erased, which allows the technology to satisfy the main data integrity requirements, according to the FDA's ALCOA concept.
• Trustless computation/verifiable behavior – thanks to the automatic execution of smart contracts there is no need to trust a central authority to verify the transaction.

But along with the added edge, decentralized applications are tricky to maintain, update, scale.

A back-of-the-envelope calculation puts the overhead at something like 1,000,000x that of standard computation currently. - Ethereum

Clearly, centralized applications beat dApps in these areas. As a developer and owner, you have complete control over the app and how it is used. Traditional applications can also handle large amounts of traffic.

Already, we can assume that dApps aren’t the ultimate resort for all software kinds. So, why should you invest in decentralized solutions? Let’s see.

What are dApps used for?

Decentralized applications aren’t the hype only. Today, we can see lots of practical implementations of dApps. These include:

• DeFi - applications that allow you to buy, sell, and trade digital assets (e.g. MetaMask swap, etc).
• Digital collectibles (NFT market) - these combine the functions of an online store, an auction, and a blockchain platform for the issuance of non-interchangeable tokens. Users should be able to create their own NFT items and sell them.
• Gaming/Gambling - blockchain-based gaming applications where users can buy, sell or trade virtual properties (e.g. CryptoKitties)
• Communication - social media dApps that encourage users to share valuable content by compensating them with crypto.
• Healthcare - a promising use case of dApps that will help link hospital data systems across a shared network and make patient data more secure.

Just think of it. A few years ago, dApps were that far-fetched sci-fi concept that had little to do with real-world problems. And now look at all these applications, most of which have already made a dent in the market, backed by high-flying brands.

Therefore, decentralized apps are becoming more involved in day-to-day living, eliminating the need for third-party control and enabling users to manage their finances, data, and digital assets directly.

We can also validate their positive dynamics by comparing stats from Dapp Radar.

In 2021, over 2.7 million Unique Active Wallets (UAW) connected daily to a blockchain dapp.

In 2019, this number didn’t climb higher than 20K.

It seems like we’ve reached a milestone in 2021, so what’s next? Will the hype vanish and will dApps sink into oblivion? It doesn’t s seem so.

What are hApps?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: dApps are still too young to claim dominance over traditional applications. Also, large-scale migration is still hampered by the lack of infrastructure and its complexity. Although I’m pretty positive that early-stage problems will be eliminated (remember the first BTC wallets?), decentralized technology has a plan B anyway.

Hybrid blockchain is a cross between traditional blockchain and centralized databases. This results in a perfect combination of the two different methods, leading to better security, lower cost, and faster transaction rates.

One of the biggest problems with blockchain technology is its inability to handle high loads. This hinders its ability to be used for enterprise-level purposes. Hybrid blockchains were created using this realization which resulted in an increase in their utility for the development and deployment of applications requiring high levels of throughput.

So why not apply the same principle to dApps while they’re still in their infancy? Thus, instead of making a major overhaul, we’ll secure a smooth transaction and a brighter dApp future by blending both centralized and decentralized capabilities.

hApps are a combination of both traditional and decentralized applications that rely both on centralized and decentralized components.

Just like hybrid blockchains, they can take the best from both worlds. Thus the back-end will rely on the salient blockchain features provided by smart contracts. The front-end will amalgamate both decentralized and centralized versions to match the computing power of any device. A centralized interface, for example, will be accessible for smartphones, while a decentralized one can be accessed via laptops. It also means that speed-intensive processes can be delegated to centralized servers to make confirmations faster.

The Future of decentralized applications

Decentralized awesomeness is certainly the man of the hour in 2022. According to Gartner, Blockchain is set to generate $3.1 trillion in new business value by 2030. It means that blockchain and blockchain-powered technologies like dApps will gain traction in the coming post-pandemic years.

Is the future decentralized? It’s hard to say as we’re still standing at the onset of it. Nobody believed in humanoid robots and self-driving cars, remember? And here we are, watching the humanoid robot in its public demo.

It seems to me that we are forging our way to a more decentralized future, that’s for sure. As for dApps, the numbers prove their tailwind and the growing user base. So whether it’ll be hApps first or purely decentralized applications, the very concept of them has already changed the tech landscape and made a statement on the global arena, securing its place in the post-pandemic reality.