Peer-to-peer payments firm Valora recently launched “Mobile Stack,” a decentralized, permissionless, and open protocol launchpad for Web3 DApps on mobile devices.
According to Valora, writing in a press release seen by Cointelegraph, “only 8 of the top 100 Web3 apps on DApp Radar have a mobile native experience.” The company hopes to change this by giving developers in the Web3 community a simple, intuitive platform for deploying user-friendly, mobile-first DApps.
“UX is typically an afterthought in web3, and mobile experiences are few and far between despite smartphones being the primary devices used by seven billion people worldwide to interact and transact online.”
Other fintech and crypto-related apps have found success with mobile users including Robinhood Crypto and Coinbase’s applications. However, the DeFI and Web3 communities at-large tend to operate in the desktop/laptop space. This could be due to the perceived difficulty disparity in developing for PC/Linux and creating mobile first applications.
Cumbersome DApp UX
Valora described the current state of DApp user experience as “cumbersome” due to the necessity to combine wallet apps with browsers or desktop applications in order for users to interface with Web3 applications.
Based on information provided by Valora, Mobile Stack functions as a blank canvas for developers with the necessary protocols and features in place for Web3 functionality. Developers take the placeholder app and customize it for their specific DApp’s needs using only those protocols necessary.
Per the press release, among the first apps to launch on Mobile Stack are “Troopo” a savings and earnings app from Stake Capital and Vana’s “ChatGPT Data DAO,” a user-operated DApp aimed at empowering users to monetize their data.
Mobile Stack use cases
The company also pointed out several potential use cases for its Mobile Stack platform including borderless peer-to-peer payments, simplified onboarding apps for DeFi services, driving universal basic income programs in emerging markets, and enabling “learn-to-earn” campaigns with partners such as cryptocurrency exchanges.
Valora was founded in 2020 as a decentralized wallet operating on the Celo network. As Cointelegraph reported in 2021, the company completed a $20 million funding round led by A16z and became an independent business separate from Celo.