We’re excited to announce the official release of Blockstack Connect, a new JavaScript library that empowers developers to onboard users smoothly into their applications while setting them up for success with contextual education.
We’re releasing this library along with The Blockstack App, a new authenticator that dramatically simplifies the signup process for users and comes integrated with Blockstack Connect.
Developers can now seamlessly provision users with Blockstack accounts that protect their data and privacy in just a few steps — without the need to install anything upfront or learn about cryptography or blockchain technology.
Visit our documentation to enhance your app with Blockstack Connect today
Blockstack Connect comes equipped with optimized UI components that support developers in educating new users how Blockstack apps provide a more privacy-centric experience than traditional Web 2.0 apps. New users are provisioned with a Secret Key and username, then sent directly into your app. We’ve worked hard to eliminate friction, helping them get started with just the credentials and context they need.
The new authenticator replaces the now-deprecated Blockstack Browser. While we’ll continue to host the Blockstack Browser and support any apps configured with blockstack.js in their migration to Blockstack Connect, it will receive only critical updates for the next year.
Easier than ever for users to auth client-side
The new authenticator is also now available as a browser extension, making it simple for users to enter their Secret Key into an authenticator that they install and run client-side. This is the most decentralized approach and the recommended way for users to engage with Blockstack apps — these extensions should make that straightforward for anyone.
Of course, Blockstack Connect, the Blockstack App for authentication and its extension are all open-source. The extension is available for installation from source for Chrome or Firefox. We’ve also submitted it to the Chrome Web Store and Add-ons for Firefox for availability soon upon approval.
Blockstack Connect and the new authenticator have been active in beta testing since early this year, with today marking the official general release. You can try out BlockSurvey, Sigle, and Runkod for a taste of the new experience within the context of live apps built on the platform.
We believe Blockstack Connect is a huge improvement over the previous authentication scheme as provided by blockstack.js. We encourage all developers to update to this library as soon as possible to offer the best user experience available. Existing users will be able to use their existing credentials.
You can learn more about the design approach for Blockstack Connect here. Please submit issues to the Blockstack UX repository if you have suggestions or bugs to report.
This is a new chapter for the UX of Blockstack apps and yet another step toward a user-owned internet.
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