The dApp industry is in an interesting place right now. Despite increasing user numbers, it seems existing projects cannot necessarily sustain their initial hype for more than a few weeks. One exception in this regard is Kin, which seems to be adding new users very quickly. In fact, Kin now has more daily active users than all Ethereum dApps combined.

Kik Shows How it’s Done

It is always difficult to get the average person on the street excited about cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. That situation will not necessarily change in the near future, although there are some interesting developments taking place behind the scenes. Kik Interactive’s Kin project, for example, shows how easy it can be to get people interested in cryptocurrencies without them even realizing it.

A lot of people use Kik without knowing how it works. Unlike what they may think, the application makes use of blockchain technology and its native “cryptocurrency” token to provide access to new features and additional content. For the average Kik user, it works no differently from other messaging apps, which makes it very accessible.

Some people may argue that ventures like these will not necessarily boost overall cryptocurrency and blockchain adoption. It is certainly true that the majority of Kik’s users do not even know they are dealing with these new technologies, yet that is how it should be. Very few people understand how the internet works, yet everyone can use it because the barriers to entry have been lowered significantly over the past few years.

Despite users not being aware of how Kik works under the hood, the project’s native blockchain activity is still increasing rapidly. That’s primarily because the app’s user base has been increasing on a nearly daily basis. It is another interesting example of how blockchain can be used in a non-invasive manner and without making consumers jump through various hoops to access brand-new technology.

According to recent statistics provided by Kin Explorer, the application – which is still in beta – has reached a daily active user count of over 8,200. That is quite a bit higher than all the dApps running on top of the Ethereum blockchain. In fact, all of the 1,786 dApps combined only generate a daily active user count of 7,390. Having one app make the entire ecosystem look ‘bad’ is slightly worrisome, although it is also to be expected where Kik is concerned.

How this particular application will affect the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry in the long run remains to be determined. It is evident there are a lot of mainstream use cases waiting to be unlocked, yet presenting these technologies to the masses in a convenient package will be a big challenge. Kik is showing the industry that it can be achieved, as long as there is a use for the technology and the token associated with it.

Image(s): Shutterstock.com



