An ÐApp (it is written with this strange Ð and pronounced as [Di-app], similar to how we say “e-mail” [i-meil]) is a decentralized application, that is, an app that does not depend on a central system , but it depends on the community of users that use it.
The decentralized application can be a mobile app or a web application that interacts with a smart contract to carry out its function.
If we briefly recall what an intelligent contract or smart contract was , we will say that it is a computer program that executes itself when the conditions that were programmed in its code are met.
To understand how an ÐApp works and its interaction with smart contracts, it is best to make a brief introduction comparing traditional web applications with the new ÐApps.
TYPES OF APPS
After knowing the characteristics that an ÐApp must have to be considered as such, and continuing with the purpose of this article, we will go on to differentiate the different types of ÐApps that exist.
We will make this classification of decentralized applications based on whether they have their own blockchain or whether they use the block chain of another ÐApp .
According to this criterion, we could differentiate three types of ÐApps:
Type I decentralized applications
These are the ones that would have their own independent blockchain .
In this case, and as we have already seen in the previous section, Ethereum would be one of these ÐApps, although the most famous in the world of cryptocurrencies is Bitcoin. Litecoin, Dash, Monero and many other “altcoins” would also fall into this classification.
Type II Decentralized Applications
The main characteristic of type II ÐApps is that they use the blockchain of a type I decentralized application instead of having their own . This type of ÐApps are protocols that work either with their own tokens or with the tokens of the blockchain in which they operate.
An example of this type of ÐApps would be Omni Layer . This decentralized application is built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain and is a platform for creating and trading digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Acting on top of the Bitcoin blockchain, Omni transactions are also Bitcoin transactions.
Another example of a type II ÐApp, this time based on the Ethereum blockchain, would be the Raiden Network .Dapps Development
This platform offers a scalability solution within the Ethereum network when it comes to allowing almost instantaneous and low-cost payments. The main idea of Raiden Network is to take advantage of a network of payment channels that allow value to be transferred safely without the need to involve the Ethereum blockchain in each transfer, which would multiply its speed.
Type III Decentralized Applications
Finally, type III ÐApps would be those that use the protocol of a type II decentralized application like the ones we have just seen.
These applications also work with their own digital tokens or with those of the ÐApps on which they are based, as was the case with type II ÐApps.
A type III ÐApp could be Safe Network , which uses the Omni Layer protocol (a type II ÐApp) to issue its own cryptocurrency — Safecoin -, which in turn can be used to purchase distributed file storage, for example.
Or continuing with the Raiden Network example, a type III ÐApp in that case would be µRaiden (read as ‘Micro Raiden’).
Where Raiden Network seeks to allow transfers through a network of bidirectional payment channels, this ÐApp performs the functions of making micropayments through unidirectional payment channels.
To finish understanding the types of ÐApps 100%, we will put a simile that is better known to all of us in our day to day:
A type I ÐApp could be the equivalent of a computer operating system. The operating system could be said to be the basis for everything that can be done on the computer. Some of those that can come to mind are Windows, Mac OS or Linux, and for mobile devices, Android or iOS.
A type II ÐApp would be the equivalent of a general purpose program, such as a word processor (Word), a spreadsheet manager (Excel) or a file synchronization system such as Dropbox.
And finally, a type III ÐApp would be the same as a specialized software solution for that word processor, that spreadsheet manager or that file synchronization system. In other words and following the previous example, a type III ÐApp would be a kind of plugin or tool that adds some kind of service to Word, Excel or Dropbox. ethereum token development company
