Introduction to Blinks and Actions

Solana's ecosystem has taken a significant leap forward with the introduction of Blinks and Actions, a revolutionary approach to blockchain interactions that has caught the attention of developers and users alike. In this deep dive, we explore the innovative technology behind Blinks and Actions, their rapid adoption, and the potential they hold for the future of blockchain integration across various platforms.

Blinks, short for "blockchain links," are a novel way to share and interact with blockchain functionalities directly from platforms like Twitter (now X). Actions, on the other hand, are the backend components that power these interactions. Together, they create a seamless experience that allows users to perform blockchain transactions without leaving their social media feeds or navigating to separate decentralized applications (dApps).

The Genesis of Blinks and Actions

The story of Blinks and Actions begins with the Solana Pay specification, which was initially developed as a mechanism for mobile wallets to conduct transactions at point-of-sale terminals. Jordan Sexton and his team expanded this concept to allow for arbitrary transactions to be invoked through an API call, rather than embedding the entire transaction in a URL.

Jon Wong from the Solana Foundation explains the evolution:

"Solana Pay originally was developed as a mechanism to allow for a mobile wallet to do a transaction at, say, of a point of sale. It would do that by, you know, present a QR code, you scan it with the mobile wallet, it has some parameters around whatever you're about to do."

This foundation laid the groundwork for what would become Blinks and Actions. The team recognized that if they could express these transactions as URLs, they could be shared more easily across various platforms.

The Chrome Extension "A-ha" Moment

The real breakthrough came with the realization that Chrome extensions, which many crypto users already have installed for their wallets, could be leveraged to create a more integrated experience. Chris Osborn from Dialect recalls the moment of revelation:

"John messaged me. He's like, I have an idea. And he mentioned the Chrome extension hack. And I was like, this is brilliant. I was so distracted on the call. I had to like apologize to the person. I was like immediate. We just knew this was the way to go."

This insight opened up possibilities for seamless integration of blockchain actions directly into web browsing experiences, without requiring users to install additional software.

Rapid Adoption and Ecosystem Excitement

The launch of Blinks and Actions was met with unprecedented enthusiasm from the Solana ecosystem. Chris Osborn highlights the rapid adoption:

"We launched with, I think, almost 10 actions providers, like Jupyter, Mediora, Tensor, Sanctum, Helium, a bunch of our favorite teams on Solana. We launched with Phantom and Backpack. Since then, there are now five supporting wallets today as Chrome extensions with some mobile experiences coming soon."

The team set an initial goal of having 10 actions for launch and 100 by the Breakpoint conference. Remarkably, within a week of launch, they had already reached 100 actions. As of the podcast recording, there were over 260 officially submitted or registered actions, with the total builds exceeding 300.

How Blinks and Actions Work

Blinks and Actions operate on a simple yet powerful principle. When a user encounters a Blink on a platform like Twitter, the Chrome extension detects the special URL format and fetches data from the associated Action API. This data is then used to render an interactive interface directly within the user's browser.

Chris Osborn explains the process:

"When a URL is detected to be a blink, calls are made by the client, Phantom in this case, to fetch that data, get the data back according to the specification. And then what it does is it unfurls using client-side libraries. And so it unfurls to be the full image title description, optional buttons, input fields, all that."

This approach allows for a wide range of interactions, from token swaps to governance votes, all without leaving the original platform where the Blink was shared.

Security Considerations

Security is a paramount concern when introducing new ways to interact with blockchain technologies. The team behind Blinks and Actions has implemented several measures to ensure user safety.

Firstly, the feature is opt-in for every wallet, requiring users to explicitly enable it. Additionally, all network calls to third-party action providers are made through a proxy service to protect user privacy. Jon Wong emphasizes:

"You see when you're scrolling through is completely anonymous today. So in this case, no one knows that you're scrolling through your feed. The thing you get is going to be the same thing that someone else would see for that same thing."

The team is also exploring additional security measures, such as using burner wallets for interactions and implementing stricter standards for unknown transactions and programs.

Mobile Integration and Future Prospects

While the current implementation of Blinks and Actions is primarily focused on desktop browsers through Chrome extensions, there's significant interest in bringing this functionality to mobile devices. The team is exploring various approaches, including deep linking to mobile wallets and potentially leveraging technologies like iOS App Clips.

Chris Osborn shares his vision for mobile integration:

"Imagine you see a regular link preview on Twitter, it doesn't do anything fancy directly in Twitter mobile. When you tap it, it deep links out to whichever mobile wallet you know and trust."

This could potentially make mobile interactions even faster and more seamless than the current desktop experience.

The Impact on Developer Experience

One of the most significant advantages of Blinks and Actions is the simplified development process it offers. Developers can create powerful blockchain interactions without building entire user interfaces or websites. Chris Osborn highlights this benefit:

"What's really interesting here, just to give an example of like let's say I'm a crypto researcher and I want to give people a donation link to be able to fund my research. And I want to build that myself. There's also growing list of things you can do without having to code. But let's say I want to build that myself. What you're building is an action, which is truly like a non UI, no user interface. It's just an API, a service running out in the world, just like any other service."

This approach drastically reduces the time and resources needed to bring new blockchain functionalities to users, potentially accelerating innovation in the Solana ecosystem.

Real-World Applications and Success Stories

The podcast highlights several successful implementations of Blinks and Actions, demonstrating their versatility and impact. One notable example is the "Back This" campaign by Baxxis, a Solana-based startup:

Jon Wong describes the campaign:

"The back this blink, they had a limited edition run of a particular bottle. There's a whole story, but it's associated with the Lehman Brothers collapse. But 500 bottles and the only way you could obtain this bottle was via blinks."

This campaign not only showcased the e-commerce potential of Blinks but also demonstrated how quickly businesses could launch new initiatives using this technology. Baxxis was able to set up the entire campaign in just a few days, resulting in sales of over 375 bottles and generating $70,000 to $80,000 in revenue.

The Open Specification and Community Involvement

Blinks and Actions are built on an open specification, allowing for community involvement and continuous improvement. The team encourages developers to contribute to the evolution of the technology through Solana Requests for Comments (SRFCs) and GitHub discussions.

Jon Wong explains the process:

"Having more complex input types like select boxes, things like that. And that allows you to take one action and then another one and another one allow for each to know about the previous one, which is pretty cool. And all of these ultimately start with SRFCs. If you look at the Solana forum, you'll see people submitting SRFCs there."

This open approach ensures that the technology can adapt to the needs of the ecosystem and evolve with user demands.

The Potential for Social Proof and Enhanced Interactions

While the current implementations of Blinks and Actions are primarily focused on individual interactions, there's significant potential for more social and collaborative features. Jon Wong envisions future developments:

"The social proof is it has multiple levels. The first level is like saying, Joe, Joe did this really well where they, there was betting on the euros and you could see how many people bet on each of the options. Cool. The next step is, okay, not just 20,000 people, but like 300 mad lads and as a result of doing that, you have your own like mad lads blink."

These social elements could lead to new forms of engagement, such as group purchases, petitions, or collaborative decision-making directly through Blinks.

Challenges and Future Developments

Despite the initial success, the team acknowledges that there are challenges to overcome and areas for improvement. One key focus is enhancing the mobile experience, which currently lacks the seamless integration seen in desktop browsers.

Additionally, there's a need to develop more sophisticated security measures to protect users from potential scams or malicious actions. The team is exploring various approaches, including improved verification processes and user education.

The Role of Wallets in the Blinks Ecosystem

Wallet providers play a crucial role in the Blinks and Actions ecosystem. Their rapid adoption of the technology has been a key factor in its success. Chris Osborn notes:

"Since then, there are now five supporting wallets today as Chrome extensions with some mobile experiences coming soon."

This cooperation between wallet providers and the Blinks team demonstrates the ecosystem's commitment to improving user experience and expanding blockchain accessibility.

Blinks as a Gateway to Blockchain Interactions

One of the most significant impacts of Blinks and Actions is their potential to serve as a gateway for new users to interact with blockchain technology. By integrating these functionalities into familiar platforms like Twitter, the barrier to entry for blockchain interactions is significantly lowered.

Jon Wong emphasizes this point:

"We want to make sure that all the stakeholders are involved are, you know, at least looking at these things. So wallet, it's action providers, that sort of stuff. But the best, the best, the best parts of the new specs came from actual ecosystem contributors, like Spaceman Dev being like, I need this to build games. Here's how I need this."

This inclusive approach ensures that Blinks and Actions can cater to a wide range of use cases, from simple token transfers to complex gaming interactions.

The Impact on User Experience

The introduction of Blinks and Actions represents a significant leap forward in blockchain user experience. By allowing users to perform blockchain actions directly from social media platforms, it removes many of the friction points traditionally associated with blockchain interactions.

Chris Osborn highlights this improvement:

"We love to ship things really quickly. Um, and we also like to ship with partners. And so obviously collaborating with Solana was like, it was just a fantastic opportunity, but as we were lining up the like, okay, which wallets are going to sit, participate in the launch. And then we call them actions providers, the like Jupyter's sanctums, tensors of the world building the actions that the, that the wallets then render on Twitter."

This collaborative approach has resulted in a seamless experience that feels native to the platforms where Blinks are shared.

The Role of Chrome Extensions

The use of Chrome extensions as the primary vehicle for Blinks and Actions is a crucial aspect of their success. By leveraging existing wallet extensions, the team was able to create a powerful new functionality without requiring users to install additional software.

Jon Wong explains the significance of this approach:

"Except we already have, we all have extensions. That's like how you interact with blockchain for better or for worse, for better for worse. And the result of that was like, like me, and this was at token 2049, Dubai, talking to literally everyone at this, at this party or whatever it is and getting like, excited, like, okay, found something interesting."

This insight allowed for rapid development and deployment of the technology, contributing to its quick adoption across the ecosystem.

The Potential for Cross-Platform Integration

While the initial focus has been on Twitter integration, the team behind Blinks and Actions sees potential for expansion to other platforms. Chris Osborn envisions:

"We certainly don't see it stopping there. And we think that there is going to be different experiences on places like Facebook and Wikipedia and LinkedIn and stuff like that."

This cross-platform potential could significantly expand the reach and utility of blockchain interactions, making them a more integral part of everyday online experiences.

The Role of Interstitial Sites

An interesting aspect of Blinks and Actions is the use of interstitial sites, which provide a standardized interface for actions without requiring developers to build full websites or applications. Chris Osborn explains:

"Because Baxxis is like a venture-backed, like successful Solana startup, and they just wanted to have this totally new experience. They wanted to get out the door as quickly as possible. So you can use interstitial sites. Ours is one of the most popular right now. It's dialed up too."

These interstitial sites further lower the barrier to entry for developers looking to create blockchain-enabled experiences.

The Future of Blockchain Interactions

The success of Blinks and Actions points to a future where blockchain interactions are seamlessly integrated into everyday online experiences. Jon Wong envisions:

"How do you really tie into the fact that this is an on chain action that you have access to this information on in an API? The social proof is it has multiple levels."

This integration could lead to new forms of social commerce, collaborative decision-making, and community engagement, all powered by blockchain technology.

The Impact on the Solana Ecosystem

The rapid adoption and enthusiasm surrounding Blinks and Actions demonstrate the innovative spirit of the Solana ecosystem. By creating tools that simplify blockchain interactions and make them more accessible, Solana is positioning itself as a leader in user-friendly blockchain technology.

Chris Osborn reflects on this impact:

"We're hearing through some rumors that some very big household names are actually been asking the same question. So one, the thing I love is launching something and seeing developers who want to build with it."

This interest from major players suggests that Blinks and Actions could play a significant role in bringing blockchain technology to mainstream audiences.

The Role of Community Feedback

The development of Blinks and Actions has been heavily influenced by community feedback and contributions. Jon Wong emphasizes the importance of this collaboration:

"We want to make sure that all the stakeholders are involved are, you know, at least looking at these things. So wallet, it's action providers, that sort of stuff. But the best, the best, the best parts of the new specs came from actual ecosystem contributors."

This open and collaborative approach ensures that the technology evolves to meet the real needs of users and developers in the Solana ecosystem.

The Potential for New Business Models

Blinks and Actions open up possibilities for new business models and revenue streams within the blockchain space. The success of the Baxxis campaign demonstrates how businesses can leverage this technology for direct-to-consumer sales and limited edition releases.

Jon Wong highlights this potential:

"The speed to get, you know, the thing done was incredible. And the actual asset was incredibly valuable. And so if you look at that, if you look at that tweet today, you'll see all the replies or people's screenshots of their receipts, which is like pretty incredible social proof."

This ability to create exclusive, blockchain-verified experiences could revolutionize how businesses interact with their customers in the digital space.

The Educational Impact of Blinks

One often overlooked aspect of Blinks and Actions is their potential as an educational tool. By making blockchain interactions more visible and accessible on familiar platforms, they can help demystify blockchain technology for newcomers.

Chris Osborn touches on this aspect:

"We've seen teams launch in like basically didn't exist. They're like 100% blinks dedicated and they've done incredible like record setting, engagement on like mints and trading volume and all this other stuff."

This increased engagement and visibility could play a crucial role in driving mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

The Technical Challenges Ahead

While Blinks and Actions have seen rapid adoption and success, there are still technical challenges to overcome. The team is actively working on improving mobile integration, enhancing security measures, and expanding the range of possible interactions.

Jon Wong acknowledges these challenges:

"We're looking to formalize this process as we go. We want to make sure that all the stakeholders are involved are, you know, at least looking at these things."

This ongoing development process ensures that Blinks and Actions will continue to evolve and improve over time.

The Potential for Cross-Chain Integration

Although currently focused on the Solana ecosystem, the concept behind Blinks and Actions could potentially be applied to other blockchain networks. This cross-chain potential could lead to a more interconnected and interoperable blockchain landscape.

While not explicitly discussed in the podcast, this possibility aligns with the team's vision of making blockchain interactions more accessible and integrated into everyday online experiences.

Conclusion

Blinks and Actions represent a significant step forward in making blockchain interactions more accessible and user-friendly. By leveraging existing technologies and focusing on seamless integration, they have the potential to bring blockchain functionality to a much wider audience.

As the technology continues to evolve and expand to new platforms, it could play a crucial role in driving mainstream adoption of blockchain technology. The enthusiasm and rapid adoption within the Solana ecosystem suggest that Blinks and Actions are not just a passing trend, but a fundamental shift in how we interact with blockchain technology.

The future of blockchain interactions looks bright, with Blinks and Actions leading the way towards a more integrated and user-friendly blockchain experience.

Facts +

• Blinks are short for "blockchain links" and allow users to take direct "Actions" on the Solana blockchain from platforms like Twitter/X.

• The technology behind Blinks originated from the Solana Pay specification for mobile wallet transactions.

• Blinks and Actions leverage Chrome extension wallets like Phantom and Backpack to render transactions seamlessly in the browser.

• The team launched with almost 10 actions providers and 2 supporting wallets. This quickly grew to over 260 registered actions and 5 supporting wallets.

• Within a week of launch, there were over 100 actions created, far exceeding the initial goal of 10 actions at launch.

• The Baxxis "Back This" campaign using Blinks sold over 375 limited edition bottles, generating $70,000-$80,000 in revenue.

• Blinks and Actions are built on an open specification, allowing for community contributions through SRFCs and GitHub discussions.

• The technology is designed to be platform-agnostic, with potential for integration on platforms like Facebook, Wikipedia, and LinkedIn.

• Interstitial sites are used to provide standardized interfaces for actions without requiring full website development.

• The team is actively working on improving mobile integration and enhancing security measures for Blinks and Actions.

• The rapid adoption of Blinks and Actions demonstrates the innovative spirit of the Solana ecosystem.

• The technology has potential applications in social commerce, collaborative decision-making, and community engagement.

• Blinks and Actions could serve as an educational tool to help demystify blockchain technology for newcomers.

• The team envisions future developments in social proof and enhanced interactions through Blinks.

• The open nature of the specification allows for continuous improvement and adaptation to ecosystem needs.

Questions Answered

What are Blinks and Actions?

Blinks, short for "blockchain links," are a way to share and interact with blockchain functionalities directly from platforms like Twitter. Actions are the backend components that power these interactions. Together, they allow users to perform blockchain transactions without leaving their social media feeds or navigating to separate decentralized applications (dApps). This technology integrates with Chrome extension wallets like Phantom and Backpack, rendering these interactions seamlessly in the browser.

How do Blinks and Actions work?

When a user encounters a Blink on a platform like Twitter, the Chrome extension detects the special URL format and fetches data from the associated Action API. This data is then used to render an interactive interface directly within the user's browser. The user can then perform various blockchain actions, such as token swaps or governance votes, without leaving the original platform. All of this is powered by an integration with Chrome extension wallets, which handle the transaction signing and submission.

What are the security considerations for Blinks and Actions?

Security is a top priority for Blinks and Actions. The feature is opt-in for every wallet, requiring users to explicitly enable it. All network calls to third-party action providers are made through a proxy service to protect user privacy. The team is also exploring additional security measures, such as using burner wallets for interactions and implementing stricter standards for unknown transactions and programs. They are continuously working on improving security measures to protect users from potential scams or malicious actions.

How are Blinks and Actions being adopted in the Solana ecosystem?

Blinks and Actions have seen rapid adoption in the Solana ecosystem. The team launched with almost 10 actions providers and 2 supporting wallets. This quickly grew to over 260 registered actions and 5 supporting wallets. Within a week of launch, there were over 100 actions created, far exceeding the initial goal of 10 actions at launch. This rapid adoption demonstrates the enthusiasm and innovative spirit within the Solana ecosystem.

What are some real-world applications of Blinks and Actions?

One notable example of Blinks and Actions in use is the "Back This" campaign by Baxxis, a Solana-based startup. They used Blinks to sell a limited edition run of 500 bottles associated with the Lehman Brothers collapse. The campaign was set up in just a few days and resulted in sales of over 375 bottles, generating $70,000 to $80,000 in revenue. This showcases the potential for Blinks and Actions in e-commerce, limited edition releases, and direct-to-consumer sales.

How can developers contribute to the development of Blinks and Actions?

Blinks and Actions are built on an open specification, allowing for community involvement and continuous improvement. Developers can contribute through Solana Requests for Comments (SRFCs) and GitHub discussions. The team encourages input from all stakeholders, including wallet providers and action providers. This open approach ensures that the technology can adapt to the needs of the ecosystem and evolve with user demands.

What is the future potential for Blinks and Actions?

The team behind Blinks and Actions sees significant potential for expansion to other platforms beyond Twitter, such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and LinkedIn. They also envision more social and collaborative features, such as group purchases, petitions, or collaborative decision-making directly through Blinks. The technology could play a crucial role in bringing blockchain functionality to mainstream audiences and driving adoption of blockchain technology.

How do Blinks and Actions impact the user experience of blockchain interactions?

Blinks and Actions represent a significant improvement in blockchain user experience. By allowing users to perform blockchain actions directly from social media platforms, they remove many of the friction points traditionally associated with blockchain interactions. This seamless integration makes blockchain functionality more accessible to a wider audience and could play a crucial role in driving mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.