The world of Web3 is expanding rapidly, with an ever-growing number of blockchains and decentralized applications (dApps) emerging every day. However, as the InterOp Summit at EthDenver recently highlighted, the lack of interoperability and standards between these chains is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.
The responsibility for building a more connected and unified Web3 falls on the shoulders of dApps developers, as Steven Fluin, Head of Developer Relations at Axelar, emphasized in his talk “Think Interchain”. He pointed out that the current approach to managing a multi-chain world is “fundamentally flawed” and that a new way of thinking is required to create an interchain world where blockchains can safely interact without relying on risky bridging mechanics and sub-par user experiences.
Fluin drew an analogy to the birth of the internet, where the adoption of standards such as SMTP and HTTP helped build a unified global network that we now call the world wide web. Similarly, he argued that in order for Web3 to scale, developers need to unify and adopt interchain standards that will bring meaningful abstractions and enable full availability of tokens across chains, real interactivity of dApps, and universal Web3 IDs.
However, achieving this goal is not without its challenges. As the number of chains continues to increase, there is no single point of truth regarding the total number of public blockchains available to developers. Moreover, the needs of users and developers do not always align, and the lack of standards and common language between blockchains makes it difficult to create a unified Web3 ecosystem.
Fluin called on developers to focus on the end user and collaborate with a “yes and” mentality, recognizing that different blockchains have different strengths and weaknesses. He also suggested that a semi-centralized marketplace like OpenSea, with access to NFTs across all chains, would be better for users.
In conclusion, as Web3 continues to evolve and expand, the onus is on dApps developers to build bridges and unify the decentralized world of blockchain. Only by working together and adopting interchain standards can we create a more connected and accessible Web3 that benefits everyone.
