Decentralized Application (DApp)

A Decentralized Application (DApp) is an Application Software that runs on a decentralized computing system.

• Example(s):
  • Augur,
  • Cryptokitties,
  • Blockstack,
  • Steem,
  • Uniswap,
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Decentralized Computer Network,
  • Decentralized Clinical Trial,
  • Decentralized Web,
  • Decentralized Digital Currency,
  • Decentralized Online Social Network.
• See: Smart Contract, Application Software, Decentralized Computing, Distributed Ledger, Ethereum, Blockchain Network, Ethereum Virtual Machine.

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References

2021a

• (Wikipedia, 2021) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized_application Retrieved:2021-9-26.
  • A decentralized application (DApp, dApp, Dapp, or dapp) is a computer application that runs on a decentralized computing system. DApps have been popularized by distributed ledger technologies (DLT) such as the Ethereum blockchain, where Apps are often referred to as smart contracts.

2021b

• (Ethereum, 2021) ⇒ https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/dapps/ Retrieved: 2021-09-30.
  • QUOTE: A decentralized application (dapp) is an application built on a decentralized network that combines a smart contract and a frontend user interface (...).

    A dapp has its backend code running on a decentralized peer-to-peer network. Contrast this with an app where the backend code is running on centralized servers.

    A dapp can have frontend code and user interfaces written in any language (just like an app) that can make calls to its backend. Furthermore, its frontend can be hosted on decentralized storage such as IPFS.

    • Decentralized means they are independent, and no one can control them as a group.
    • Deterministic i.e., they perform the same function irrespective of the environment they are executed.
    • Turing complete, which means given the required resources, the dapp can perform any action.
    • Isolated, which means they are executed in a virtual environment known as Ethereum Virtual Machine so that if the smart contract happens to have a bug, it won’t hamper the normal functioning of the blockchain network.

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