This section is a breakdown of where the main chains are in 2025 and how their decisions have shaped their current reality. I also cover a more decentralized option, with Nostr, lightning and CashU all using open protocols that offer a different take on what’s possible now and what direction the space might go in the future.
I give two potential product examples. These are not designed to be limiting recommendations, but more so a snapshot of two ends of the ecosystem of what’s available to solve some of the challenges companies might be facing both today and in the future. There is of course a lot of the ecosystem we don’t cover in this section, the hope being, that this is a starting point for your thinking and a solid framing for you to use when investigating other products and parts of the broader ecosystem.
Decentralization is important, not just for philosophical or social reasons. It is the true, full, unimpinged expression of the best this technology can offer and although it is quite far outside of the usual operational direction for many corporations, I encourage you to dive in and learn more about the way it works and how it might benefit you.
Below are live examples where you can test and explore the technology mentioned in the report. Feel free to tag me in your first post on Primal, and I’ll send you some sats!
This section starts by covering the basics; you can learn more about Ethereum here and Solana here. The ecosystem is large, with layer twos and new alternative layer ones. The State of Crypto Report from A16z is a great resource for a broader perspective.
Below are working examples of both an AppChain, NOSTR with the Lightning Network, Bitcoin and CashU. The best way to understand this technology is to use it, so I encourage you to try them out.
AppChains
To demonstrate the technology, Syndicate has created an AppChain (the Syndicate Chain) and set up a demonstration membership token that can be saved and updated within your native iPhone/Android wallet app. You can try this on your own phone via the link below.
Minting a membership and checking in:
- Mint a membership & save to your native wallet via: https://demo-event.syndicate.io/
- Live update with points and status within the native wallet.
- View/ verify the mint on the blockchain explorer.
NOSTR & Lightening with Bitcoin
Primal is a NOSTR-native social app that allows users to replace likes with zaps. A zap is a micropayment in Bitcoin, meaning participants earn money for their social posts and creative expression instead of just attention. This is a must-try experience! The second, even more powerful aspect of this technology is that on NOSTR, you can take your follow graph with you to any other NOSTR client. This means you can download Damus, and by using the same private key from the settings of your Primal app, you can set up an account and retain the same followers as on Primal. This is truly the next generation of the creator economy in action.
Create a post and get zapped.
- Download the Primal App (IOS / Android)
- Set-up an accoint
- Add $5 into your wallet
- Create a post & tag @belikewater so I can zap you!
Cashu Protocol
Cashu is a free and open-source Chaumian ecash protocol built for Bitcoin. A digital bearer token that is stored on a user’s device, very similar to physical cash. The Cashu protocol allows you to build applications such as wallets or voucher systems. Transactions are instant and nearly free, you can test this out via a pilot webapp wallet called Nutstash where you can send 10 sats (less than 1 cent!) from Primal to Nutstach. Instant and nearly free.
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