Using the Decentralized Web

Interact with decentralized applications without understanding Ethereum

Outside of a small community of cypherpunks, futurologists, and speculators that tend to congregate in dark corners of the web known as subreddits, the amount of people in the world who understand Ethereum is small in scope relative to the vast number of lives the technology will impact in coming years. The fact of the matter is that blockchains, the grand innovations introduced to the world by Bitcoin, are neither interesting nor easy to comprehend for most people without a computer science background.

On the other hand, the utility of decentralized applications is easily understood, especially in highly regulated or censored environments. Imagine a company or service that isn’t controlled by a single individual or other central entity, is outside of the jurisdiction of any government, and is impossible to be shut down. These characteristics are obviously appealing for social networks, gambling platforms, identity management, banking, online marketplaces, media distribution outlets, and many other fields.

Understanding Ethereum is by no means a requisite for using applications built on top of it, much like knowledge of SMTP is not necessary to send an email. Thanks to a tool named MetaMask, you can connect to and start interacting with decentralized applications such as Ethlance, Etherplay, Maker Market, vDice, Weifund and more within a matter of minutes.

Setup MetaMask

If you are not already doing so, open Google Chrome Click here Press ‘Add to Chrome’ and confirm Click the Fox icon from your Chrome extension menu Agree to the terms Set a strong password Copy your seed words

Buy Some Ether

Ether is the fuel required to interact with applications built on the Ethereum network. Think of it as the charge in a Tesla’s battery pack. You can power up your Chrome browser by purchasing some ether directly from your MetaMask extension.

Open MetaMask and click ‘Ropsten Test Net’ near the top left Click ‘Ethereum Main Net’ Reopen MetaMask and input your password Click ‘Buy’ then ‘Continue to Coinbase’ Select the amount you would like to buy ($1 is plenty to get started), submit the requested info, and complete your purchase.

Note: This functionality is currently only available in the US. For readers located outside of the US, please refer to this guide.

What Now?

You are ready to start interacting with applications built on Ethereum, just keep MetaMask enabled and stay connected to the Ethereum Main Net.

To put things to the test, head over to Ethlance to set up an employee or employer profile. Fill in the required info, hit send, wait for MetaMask to pop up, and click Accept.

That’s it. You just used the Ethereum network. Your profile will exist on the blockchain in perpetuity, free from censorship or removal, ready to accept proposals and work for or hire others.

Join Our Slack

Having trouble getting setup? Did you decide that this Ethereum stuff does seem interesting after all and you’re looking to take a trip down the rabbit hole? Do you have feedback about Ethlance you’d like to share? We want to hear from you. Join our Slack team today!