Could Blink Lead the Web3 Social Revolution?

Authors: Lumos Ngok,Noah Ho and YuppieZombie

Read Time: 12 Minutes

Introduction

Solana's newly launched Actions and Blinks have rapidly captured the attention of the crypto community. This innovative feature transforms on-chain operations, such as transactions, voting, payments, and minting, into shareable links. Users can perform complex on-chain interactions directly on social platforms like X without leaving the page. Touted as "the most Web3 application," Blink is seen by many as a potential bridge between Web2 and Web3. But can this highly anticipated feature truly fulfill its promise, or is it just another fleeting trend? This article explores Blink's potential and challenges, assessing whether it can truly guide Web3 into the future.

Overview of Solana

Solana is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain recognized for its smart contract capabilities. Since its launch in 2017, Solana has gained significant attention for its remarkable performance. Unlike Ethereum, which processes only a few dozen transactions per second (TPS), Solana can handle hundreds of thousands of TPS. This efficiency gives Solana a distinct advantage, enabling it to effectively mitigate the congestion issues that have long plagued the Ethereum network.

Despite Ethereum's extensive ecosystem and high Total Value Locked (TVL), alongside its well-established decentralization and security, it still struggles with the blockchain trilemma: the challenge of balancing decentralization, security, and scalability. Ethereum excels in decentralization and security, attracting substantial capital and maintaining the highest TVL among blockchains. However, its limited scalability leads to low TPS, frequent high gas fees, and network congestion, often resulting in failed transactions. During high-profile events like the BAYC Otherside land NFT sale, gas fees surged to prohibitive levels, causing network-wide congestion that made other transactions impossible.

Solana emerged as a solution to these issues. By making calculated compromises on decentralization, Solana significantly enhanced its scalability, achieving transaction speeds of hundreds of thousands per second, with gas fees reduced to mere cents. Once hailed as the "Ethereum killer," Solana's native token peaked at over $240 in 2021. However, associations with SBF and FTX, coupled with multiple network outages, caused Solana's value to plummet by over 90% in 2022, with its price falling to single digits.

In 2024, Solana made a strong comeback, re-entering the spotlight. Its token price rebounded from a low of around $20, surging several-fold in just six months to surpass $140, sparking widespread discussion. In 2024, several projects within the Solana ecosystem gained significant traction, including infrastructure projects like Pyth Network, the migration of Render Network to Solana, IO.net, and the decentralized exchange Jupiter, which also conducted a token airdrop to users in 2024. Additionally, meme coins such as WIF, Bonk, Bome, and Slerf gained widespread popularity within the community.

The success of any blockchain relies on robust ecosystem projects and developer support. The projects mentioned above leverage Solana's high throughput to enable users to interact with contracts and conduct transactions with low gas fees, all without worrying about network congestion. Although Solana occasionally experiences downtime, its token price and ecosystem remain strong, particularly with the flourishing of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) and meme ecosystems.

The Rise of Blink Technology

The Web3 community widely recognizes the need for fresh innovation, as prolonged stagnation has led to participant fatigue. However, Web3's high barriers to entry and limited mainstream adoption often hinder its growth. Developers are continuously working to lower these barriers through infrastructure development while expanding the range of applications.

In a previous article, "Telegram Mini Apps: The Great Revolution—A Journey from Web2 to Web3," we discussed how Telegram mini-programs serve as a crucial bridge between Web2 and Web3. By leveraging the virality of social software, lightweight applications within mini-programs, and straightforward Ton contract interactions, Telegram has opened the door to Web3 for many Web2 users.

Recently, Solana made a bold move by launching its new Blink feature. Blink integrates on-chain operations into any website through embedded web pages, allowing users to complete preset on-chain operations without navigating away from the page. Traditionally, on-chain operations required visiting a DApp website operated by the project team. If users discovered information on third-party platforms, such as social media, they had to jump to the project's website to perform on-chain operations and contract interactions, raising the barrier to DApp dissemination and complicating adoption.

With Blink, developers can now embed on-chain contract operations anywhere. For example, Blink can enhance visibility and accessibility on social platforms like X. For developers, Blink offers a lower barrier to creating one-time on-chain operations, such as voting on a proposal on X. Developers can quickly create interactive links, easily publish them on X, or embed them in other websites, significantly improving user experience and operational convenience.

Blink is an innovative technology developed by Dialect Labs, focusing on information transmission through smart contracts. In 2022, Dialect Labs completed a multi-million dollar seed funding round, providing it with substantial financial backing. Before delving into Blink, it is essential to understand Solana Action, an API that complies with Solana's standards, featuring titles, summaries, images, and transaction signing and sending functions. By invoking this API, developers can retrieve its content and sign and send embedded transactions.

The core function of Blink is to convert Solana Action code into a visual link. This link can be displayed on a website and used to send on-chain interaction requests, and it can also be embedded in third-party websites. From a developer's perspective, they only need to encapsulate the required content and on-chain operations into Solana Action, submit the code, and, after approval, receive a Blink link. This link can be shared and embedded on any website, especially on highly viral social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Discord.

On social media, this embedded web page displays the encapsulated information, allowing users to initiate transactions with a simple click. From a user's perspective, they only need to click on the shared Blink page or input the required parameters and click a preset button to trigger their browser's wallet extension to sign and send the transaction. For example, the figure below shows a Blink page for sending Sol, with instructions to send Sol to a specific address pre-written within it. Users only need to input the amount and press the send button to complete the Sol transfer. This approach simplifies the user's operational process, enhancing the convenience of interaction.

Blink's introduction significantly reduces the difficulty of developing DApp interactions while enhancing their ability to spread through website embedding. For users, this approach reduces the hassle of frequently switching pages, allowing them to complete all operations within a single page. Currently, the Blink feature has been launched on social media platforms like X, generating widespread discussion and experimentation among developers. Blink makes on-chain operations easier to disseminate and gain exposure, but it also presents some unresolved issues.

The first issue is potential security risks. Although Blink links are reviewed, the review process is not stringent, leaving the possibility of malicious actors encapsulating phishing transactions in Blink links and spreading them widely. Secondly, Blink transactions still rely on browser wallets and Externally Owned Account (EOA) management. After clicking on a preset transaction, users still need to invoke their browser wallets to sign and send the transaction, requiring them to have a private key wallet, which does not lower the entry barrier. To further attract users, improvements in wallet infrastructure may be necessary, including abstracted accounts and custodial wallets. Additionally, mobile adaptation is required, which still depends on further blockchain infrastructure development.

Compared to Telegram mini-programs, which lower the entry barrier for Web2 users entering Web3, Solana has adopted a different strategy with Blink. While Telegram mini-programs leverage the vast user base of Telegram's internal social software, Solana lacks its own social media platform and instead uses Blink to embed contract operations within existing social media or other websites, driving traffic and engagement. Additionally, the two approaches differ in their carriers—Telegram mini-programs primarily target mobile and client-side platforms, whereas Solana Blink mainly focuses on desktop web pages. Finally, Telegram's built-in wallet and custodial wallet lower the entry barrier for wallet usage, a feature Solana has not yet addressed.

Blink's Prospective Application Scenarios

The foundation of Blink's technology is Solana Actions, a standardized API that allows developers to convert various Solana actions into interactive buttons on social media platforms. Blink can be compatible with links, QR codes, push notifications, messaging apps, and more, creating a wide range of application scenarios. These scenarios include but are not limited to the following areas:

Advertising

Blink's application in the advertising sector can provide advertisers and users with a new mode of interaction. The following are some potential approaches:

• Direct Interaction: Blink allows users to interact directly with advertisements on social media, such as clicking a link or button within a tweet to participate in activities like receiving coupons, entering a raffle, or purchasing a product directly.

• Increased Conversion Rates: By simplifying the steps required for users to engage with an advertisement, Blink can increase conversion rates. Users can complete transactions or participate in activities without leaving the social media platform, enhancing their engagement through a seamless experience.

• Enhanced Advertising Effectiveness: Advertisers can use Blink technology to showcase more ad content, such as issuing coupons verified through blockchain technology, offering product trials, or launching limited-time discount campaigns to boost ad appeal.

• Real-Time Feedback and Analytics: Blink can provide advertisers with real-time user feedback and interaction data, helping them analyze ad performance and optimize their strategies.

• Innovative Ad Formats: Blink can support new advertising formats, such as gamified ads or interactive story ads based on blockchain, offering users a more engaging ad experience.

Gaming

Blink technology can not only enhance players' gaming experience but also provide game

developers with new business models and community interaction methods. The following are some potential approaches:

• Direct In-Game Purchases: Players can use Blink technology to purchase in-game items or currency directly on social media without navigating to other payment platforms or pages.

• Simplified Login Process: Players can quickly connect their blockchain wallets using Blink technology, serving as a means of game login and identity verification, simplifying the registration and login process.

• Social Sharing Incentives: Game developers can use Blink technology to encourage players to share game content on social media, such as earning in-game rewards or special items through sharing.

• In-Game Event Participation: By embedding Blink on social media, players can participate in various in-game activities like competitions, voting, or community decisions directly within tweets.

• Enhanced Game Interactivity: Blink can be used to create interactive ads or game trailers, allowing viewers to interact with the content directly, such as pre-registering for a game beta or signing up for an event.

• Community-Driven Game Design: With Blink, game developers can gather community feedback and votes directly on social media, influencing the direction of game development and updates.

• Game Achievements and Rewards: Players' interactions on social media can be translated into in-game achievements or rewards, encouraging them to be active on social platforms and promote the game.

Tipping

Blink technology offers a modern, efficient, and user-friendly solution for reward and supporting creators, helping to incentivize creators to produce more high-quality content while strengthening their connection with fans. It also provides fans with a direct way to support their favorite creators. Here are some specific possible applications of Blink in tipping and creator support:

1. Instant Tipping: Viewers or readers can directly tip content they like on social media without using third-party payment platforms. Blink technology can enable instant on-chain transactions.

2. Increased Interactivity: Creators can embed Blink tipping buttons within their content, allowing viewers to tip by simply clicking the button, increasing content interactivity.

3. Creator Incentives: Blink can be used to incentivize creators to produce more high-quality content by providing direct financial support to encourage continued creation.

4. Customized Tipping: Creators can customize tipping options according to their needs, such as setting different tipping levels with corresponding rewards or privileges.

E-commerce

Blink technology can bring greater convenience, security, and personalization to social commerce, while also providing merchants with new marketing channels and customer interaction methods:

1. Product Showcase: Brands and merchants can showcase products on social media and add purchase buttons using Blink technology, allowing users to complete transactions directly within tweets or posts.

2. Simplified Transaction Process: Blink technology can integrate payment and transaction confirmation processes, making the shopping experience on social media smoother and more convenient.

3. Social Proof Shopping: In a social commerce environment, friends' recommendations and purchase behaviors can significantly influence users' buying decisions. Blink can allow users to see their friends' purchases and quickly follow suit.

4. Incentivized Sharing: Merchants can use Blink technology to incentivize users to share product links, offering discounts, cashback, or loyalty points to both the sharer and the buyer.

5. Personalized Recommendations: By combining users' social media behavior and purchase history, merchants can provide personalized product recommendations using Blink technology.

6. Supporting Digital Goods Transactions: In addition to physical goods, Blink technology is also applicable to digital goods transactions, such as e-books, music, and virtual items.

In summary, Solana's Blink showcases the potential of blockchain technology in social media applications, offering new possibilities for user interactions. However, it also necessitates further consideration and optimization in terms of security and user experience. Key areas requiring attention include the security of smart contracts, user privacy protection, transaction verification, and fraud prevention. Furthermore, Blink's success relies on the innovation capacity of the Solana ecosystem, its market appeal, and the integration of technology with market demand.

Blink: Is Socialization the Sole Path to Web3 Mass Adoption?

Analyzing recent trends in the cryptocurrency space reveals that numerous projects are leveraging socialization as a strategy to capture mainstream attention. The inherent appeal of social applications, driven by the universal nature of social needs, naturally draws in a broad user base. Integrating on-chain operations within social media, thus lowering the operational barrier, certainly holds promise as a potential gateway for widespread Web3 adoption. But is socialization truly the only avenue to achieving mainstream success? To delve deeper into this question, we will examine several alternative approaches.

Farcaster

Farcaster is a decentralized social protocol that adopts a modular design, allowing developers to build various social applications. As a decentralized social network based on Ethereum, Farcaster aims to provide users with a social environment free from centralized platform control. Its core features include:

• Decentralized identity system

• Open data format

• Multi-client support

• Off-chain data storage, on-chain verification

Farcaster demonstrates how Web3 social platforms can leverage technological innovation to address decentralization needs. Next, we will explore another socialization effort—Lens Protocol.

Lens Protocol

Lens Protocol is a social graph protocol built on the Polygon network, which tokenizes users' social relationships, making social assets programmable. Its key features include:

• NFT-based profiles

• Transferable follow relationships

• Modular content monetization mechanisms

Lens Protocol offers new possibilities for Web3 socialization by tokenizing social relationships. In contrast, TON integrates cryptocurrency deeply with social networking.

TON

Although TON was initially developed by the Telegram team, it later transitioned to community maintenance. It still represents an innovative attempt to combine cryptocurrency with social networks. TON integrates wallets and decentralized applications within Telegram, allowing users to conduct crypto payments and transactions while engaging in social interactions. This integration not only enhances user convenience but also promotes Web3 technology on mainstream social platforms. TON's design philosophy includes:

• High-performance multi-shard blockchain

• Integrated payment and social functions

• Lightweight client

These cases illustrate the diverse exploration of Web3 socialization, with each platform following its unique technological path and value proposition. While they adopt different approaches to achieving socialization, they share a common trend: the significant market opportunity that Web3 socialization presents.

However, to truly meet the needs of the broader public, Web3 socialization still faces significant challenges:

• User Experience: Currently, most Web3 social platforms lag behind traditional social media in terms of user-friendliness. The complexity of wallet management and high gas fees remain barriers for ordinary users.

• Scalability: Despite Layer 2 solutions, handling globally distributed, high-concurrency social interactions remains a technical challenge.

• Regulatory Compliance: The decentralized nature of Web3 social platforms makes it difficult to implement traditional content moderation and user management, potentially leading to regulatory issues.

• Ecosystem Development: Web3 socialization requires a thriving developer ecosystem to create rich applications and content, but the current developer base is relatively small.

• User Education: The Web3 concept is still unfamiliar to most users, requiring extensive educational efforts to build user habits.

• Balancing Privacy and Anonymity: Striking a balance between protecting user privacy and preventing the misuse of platforms for illegal activities is a critical consideration.

The Future of Web3 Socialization

Despite the challenges, Web3 socialization holds promising prospects, particularly in the following areas:

• The Rise of SocialFi: Web3 social platforms have the potential to seamlessly integrate social interactions with financial activities, creating new value exchange models. For example, reputation-based lending and social tokenization could emerge as innovative applications.

• Integration of the Metaverse and Web3 Socialization: As the concept of the metaverse evolves, Web3 social platforms could become vital connectors between the real and virtual worlds, offering users immersive social experiences.

• Expansion of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Web3 social platforms may become incubators and operational centers for DAOs, fostering the development of new organizational forms.

• Content Creation: Through NFTs and tokenization, Web3 social platforms could reshape the incentive models for content creation, enabling creators to better monetize their work.

• Cross-Platform Identity and Reputation Systems: As decentralized identity technologies mature, users could have a unified identity and reputation across different platforms, enhancing the consistency of their social experiences.

Alternative Pathways to Mass Adoption

While socialization is a powerful strategy for Web3 adoption, it is not the only avenue. Here are some other potential approaches:

1. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) : DeFi has already gained significant traction in specific communities by offering innovative financial services like lending, trading, and asset management, capturing considerable attention from financial markets.

2. Gaming and Entertainment : The blockchain gaming and NFT art markets have shown immense potential. Leveraging blockchain technology in gaming can draw in a large audience of young users and gaming enthusiasts.

3. Enterprise Applications : B2B applications in areas like supply chain management, digital identity, and other sectors could lead to substantial breakthroughs. Blockchain technology provides clear advantages in enterprise settings, such as enhanced transparency and fraud reduction.

4. Public Services : The integration of blockchain technology by governments and public sectors could have widespread implications, particularly in areas like elections, land registration, and other public services.

5. Internet of Things (IoT) : Combining blockchain technology with IoT can enable interconnected, secure data sharing among smart devices, enhancing the security and efficiency of IoT systems.

Summary

While socialization is undoubtedly a key route for bridging Web3 technology with the general public, relying on a single approach is unlikely to address the diverse demands of the market. The broad adoption of Web3 may necessitate progress across various sectors. In the future, we may witness a profound integration of social, financial, entertainment, and other functionalities within Web3 platforms, leading to the creation of entirely new application paradigms. For example, SocialFi could blend social interactions with financial services, providing users with expanded opportunities for value exchange.

Conclusion

The launch of Blink marks a significant step forward for Solana in the realm of Web3 socialization. By simplifying on-chain operations and seamlessly embedding them into social media platforms, Blink demonstrates considerable potential as a tool to bridge Web2 and Web3. However, while the socialization pathway is promising and capable of attracting a broad user base, the widespread adoption of Web3 cannot rely solely on socialization. As exemplified by Farcaster, Lens Protocol, and TON, the future development of Web3 requires multi-sector, multi-dimensional advancement and innovation. From decentralized finance (DeFi) to the Internet of Things (IoT), Web3 technology must explore breakthroughs across various application scenarios to achieve comprehensive adoption and widespread use. While Blink offers a crucial opportunity for Web3 socialization, the path to success will hinge on security, user experience, and ecosystem development. As concepts like SocialFi and the metaverse emerge, we may witness unprecedented integrations, with Blink playing an increasingly important role in this transformation.