Dap Dap: An Aggregator to Navigate all Layer-2 DeFi Apps

With an enhanced frontend for DeFi users, Dap Dap uses Near’s Blockchain Operating System (BOS) to simplify the process of getting started, discovering and accessing the services of Layer-2 DeFi Apps.

5 min readJan 17, 2024

DAP DAP: A universal entry point into L2s

There are over 1,000 forked versions of DeFi protocols; Uniswap alone has over 500 forks and Compound has over 100 forks.

Web3 is open-source and developers can make changes that alter how their software protocols function in a process known as forking. The ‘fork’ becomes a separate version of the original protocol, allowing scammers to easily mask a forked protocol as the original protocol.

There are +15,000 web3 applications and it is nearly impossible for a new user to find the right protocol without logging on to a scam protocol or phishing site. Even degens suffer from this.

In 2018, I painfully lost over 3 Ethereum to a phishing site masquerading as EOSNetwork. Now that’s just one case.

In 2023, liquidity marketplaces Velodrome and Aerodrome suffered major security failures, compromising their front-end servers. The phishing sites prompted users to connect their wallets, resulting in a theft of $250,000.

This is a major factor in the delayed global adoption of Web3.

If we want the world to adopt this “our techy web3 thingy,” we need web3 apps/ protocols/ products with the following features for users:

Simplicity,
Easy onboarding,
Accessibility, and
Seamless app interaction.

We don’t need an Ethereum or Solana killer. We need all DeFi apps to be interoperable/ compatible with each other.

Simple.

Dap Dap’s mission statement is clear:

“Give the people what they want.”

So what do the people want? (DeFi users both old and new)

user-friendly apps,
easy onboarding,
zero need for multiple wallets,
interoperability/ compatibility between apps, and
zero need to understand web3 technicalities.

What is Dap Dap?

Dap Dap is a hub for decentralized apps (dApps), making it easy for DeFi users to start, discover, and manage their activities on web3 Layer 2 platforms.

Dap Dap uses the Blockchain Operating System (BOS) to ensure a user-friendly experience while maximizing security and scalability.

Near Protocol developed the first Blockchain Operating System, a tech stack that allows developers to create, deploy, and store frontends in a secure and decentralized way, for any protocol on any chain.

As an aggregator for L2 apps, Dap Dap is focused on providing Frontend-as-a-Service in web3. Dap Dap operates with ready-made components that can be reused, rearranged, and customized to craft a frontend tailored to meet users’ exact needs.

Dap Dap combines 3 major utilities in web3:

DeFi Portfolio Dashboard, just like DeBank.
Web3 App Store, just like DappRadar.
Multichain Wallet Access.

Key Features of Dap Dap

Dap Dap stands out for its security and decentralization with BOS. It is also designed for new and old DeFi users with key features:

All-in-One Hub for Different L2s: Just like Amazon is an all-in-one hub for e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence, so does Dap Dap serve as an all-in-one hub for L2s, allowing you to find and use various L2 apps.
Single Wallet on Multiple Chains: Dap Dap allows you to plug into L2 apps with a single wallet login and no need for chain/ RPC registrations in your wallet, making it easy and smooth to use multiple chains.
Improved User Experience: Dap Dap provides one-click access to L2 apps with user-friendly features like sorting, categorization, search, single-click transactions/ bridging, and user account information.
Portfolio/ Asset Monitoring: Dap Dap allows you to effectively view and manage your assets in one interface with swaps and trade features available.
Quick Integrations: Dap Dap is swift with integrating new chains and apps. There are over 12 chain integrations on Dap Dap including Ethereum, Polygon zkEVM, Optimism, Arbitrum, and Base with over 100 L2 apps like 0vix, Syncswap, Uniswap, Gamma, Camelot, BenQi, and Pendle.

Why Does Dap Dap Use Near’s Blockchain Operating System?

Near Protocol introduces a unified user interface with BOS (Blockchain Operating System), simplifying the user experience across chains.

BOS makes it easy to support multiple blockchains without the complexity of direct integration; everything happens on the user interface or the access layer, which is Dap Dap in this case.

So, with one click, users can access all L2 apps in one place.

BOS components have three main qualities.

Open-source: The code for BOS components is stored on the blockchain and is open for anyone to see and integrate into any protocol/ app.
Composable (Mix-and-Match): BOS components or modules are developed in a way that they can be easily combined, mixed, and matched to create new applications or functionality. So developers simply plug and play.
Reusable: Because the components are open-source, anyone can include any of the existing 12,000+ components in their product or adapt them to fit their specific needs. Again, simply plug and play.

BLOCKCHAIN OPERATING SYSTEM BY NEAR PROTOCOL

How does Dap Dap work?

Dap Dap is simply the access layer to all L2 apps.

This may be confusing but here’s what happens when you use Dap Dap;

USER VISITS DAP DAP AS AN APP STORE/ AGGREGATOR FOR WEB3 APPS
USER CONNECTS “JUST ONE” WALLET TO DAP DAP
USER SEARCHES FOR AN L2 APP (like Camelot)
USER CLICKS ON CAMELOT
DAP DAP CONNECTS WITH CAMELOT ON THE BACKEND DIRECTLY.

On the front end, users are clicking on Dap Dap’s decentralized frontend component built on BOS; on the back end, these components directly interact with the smart contracts of these L2 apps.

With Dap Dap, you don’t: