Where are we now:

Blockchain, the transformative technology behind cryptocurrencies is witnessing a race in adoption across all industries. No one wants to fall behind and the competition is driving the research of all possible implementations of this new technology. Major corporations are evaluating their existing digital infrastructures at the same time governments and regulators are zooming in on the situation and trying to get "combat capable" to be able to exercise some degree of control over it.

While the rich and powerful are getting blockchain-ready, the ordinary people probably heard of Bitcoin or Ethereum at most. Majority of them didn't even have a chance to stumble across this promising tech. Nowadays the "easiest" way for a regular non-tech-savvy person to experience blockchain is through cryptocurrencies. It is challenging to grasp the concept of any cryptocurrency if you don't understand the technology behind it or even worse if you never actually used it. The problem is it is difficult to use and even more difficult to use securely, not to mention all the steps you need to go through to obtain it.

Taking advantage of the hand that we've been dealt:

Almost 50% of the global population now uses the internet. That's billions of people that have a tool to access the crypto world. However, the everyday users didn't flock to crypto yet. There are many reasons why but one of the biggest barriers to mainstream adoption is how painful and complex it is to use. According to a recent study conducted by Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance currently, there are only up to 5.8 million unique users actively using cryptocurrencies. That's an alarmingly small number if you consider the exposure that is available via the internet itself. Convenience is the key to capitalize on this massive exposure. Crypto was supposed to be the most convenient form of money in the world. But if it wants to fulfill that promising potential, it will have to start acknowledging that, while it has many other virtues, convenience isn't necessarily one of them. Until any internet user can do it, until your mum can do it, cryptocurrencies cannot go fully mainstream.

Talking about regular internet users, the majority of them are (to a certain extent) familiar with some web browser. This is where Nimiq comes into play. Nimiq is the first browser-based blockchain, aiming to solve the crypto adoption problem with simplicity and ease of use. For starters, there's no need to install any software(besides the browser). Synchronization takes only a fraction of the time to establish consensus with the network due to the utilization of the Mini-Blockchain Scheme and support of light clients. Furthermore, Nimiq is employing off chain transactions to ensure instant confirmations and low fees. You can experience the platform first hand on the testnet. Currently, the platform has built-in web wallet and miner both are a perfect showcase of simple, neat, minimalistic and self-explanatory design. Nimiq is a work in progress, many of its parameters aren't set in stone yet, the mainnet is expected to launch by the end of this year.

Ambition needs execution:

In future Nimiq aims to implement decentralized Peer-to-Peer exchange. Web the biggest market in itself and frictionless payment protocol native to the web should be an example of a happy marriage. Furthermore, Nimiq seeks to achieve cross chain compatibility via Hash Timelock Contracts that will allow its users to use smart contract features of Ethereum or transfer value from other blockchains by directly exchanging into Nimiq without any 3rd party. This comes as a logical next step, as the atomic swaps are becoming the new standard in crypto.

Nimiq is an ambitious project by all measures and this is further highlighted by the technology that it utilizes. Year or two ago the technology was simply nonexistent. Even now the tech could be considered somewhat unstable, but bear in mind that nothing similar was ever attempted before. There have been projects experimenting with the browser like Mist or Metamask, but this is a first time we’ll see a full blockchain client in the browser. The most demanding tasks will be making users aware of the irreversible nature of blockchain, explaining the importance of private key, keeping it simple to use/store yet secure in this new environment. These are fundamental barriers that mystifies cryptocurrencies for mainstream users. Removing them requires to pinpoint a perfect balance between simplicity and security. As with any new endeavor into the unknown, the risk is high, but I dare to think that the timing is right. If the devs can deliver the possible rewards are worth it: first mover advantage, recognition and a momentum comparable to giants of the crypto world. After all, the fusion of the web browser, an essential entry point to the world wide web and blockchain technology might prove to be the missing component in our race towards the masses.