MAPPING THE EOS COMMUNITY, Part 1: Dapp Trackers
This is Part 1 of a SERIES that investigates active projects leveraging the EOS mainnet. It considers and investigates existing:
statistical trackers of decentralized applications (dapps)
lists of projects leveraging EOSIO technology
exchanges actively trading EOS token pairs
tools used by developers and community influencers
MAIN PROBLEM TO SOLVE
Effectively mapping the EOS community requires a dedicated team capable of conscientiously networking with existing and emerging projects. For this reason, the objective of this largely solo effort is merely to compile a list of projects that exhibit both a significant level of activity while presenting a visible image to the community.
Projects will be checked against trackers, maintained lists, token exchanges, and possibly tools, as well as for intangibles via metrics like social media tweets following the PowerUp. The goal of Part 1 (this article) is to validate the most dedicated EOS dapp tracker (DappRadar) while identifying other influential trackers and resources warranting further investigation. Part 2 will draw upon this information, advance it, and begin to compile a list of notable EOS projects with verified community engagement.
BACKGROUND
EOSIO is the underlying technology upon which the EOS blockchain was developed. In an effort to avoid confusion, sometimes community members will add the term “mainnet” or “network” when discussing EOS. This helps differentiate applications and explain compatibility across sister blockchains and the private netowrks that incorporate EOSIO. For example, Block.one identifies the mainnet as the EOS Public Blockchain to differentiate other EOSIO-based projects.
DAPP TRACKERS
There’s a lot to explore in crypto. EOS is among the most productive, exciting, and engaging communities within the industry. In an effort to hasten the pace of this effort, dapp trackers are examined first.
When it comes to tracking decentralized applications, one would be hard pressed to find a better, more reliable resource than DappRadar. It’s statistics may sometimes lag, but overall, the site provides a good, daily snapshot of ongoings within crypto. As good as DappRadar proves to be, a single source upon which to make decisions simply won't cut it. Resources* used to track historical dapp data on the EOS mainnet include:
DappRadar (ACTIVE - users, transactions, volume, activity, category, protocol, balance)
State of the Dapps (ACTIVE - platform, category, users [24hr], volume, developer activity, user activity)
DappReview (ACTIVE - users, transactions, volume)
Dapp.com (questionable)
Dapp Stats (questionable/not useful)
*Only readily available and visible dapp trackers were considered.
A BIT ABOUT DappRadar AND WHY MANY TRUST IT
DappRadar is a privately-held company founded in 2018. It’s headquartered in historic Kaunas, Lithuania. DappRadar claims to track over 3,000 dapps across more than 10 dapp environments (blockchains). It analyzes several metrics (listed above) to help people make informed decisions about dapps. Among the better known dapp environments tracked are:
EOS
WAX
Ethereum
BSC
TRON
DappRadar found recognition in 2019 by attracting a few million in seed funding. Prosus & Naspers took the lead role in investing, with Angel Invest and Blockchain.com Ventures following. DappRadar plays a pivotal role in crypto. It's instrumental in helping discern between fake industry data which became burdensome during the Ethereum-driven ICO scams.
Over its brief few years, DappRadar grew into a place for dapp discovery. The accuracy of site data is on par with industry standards, which is impressive given its relatively large database. Relentless innovation makes timeliness a persistent issue for the whole crypto industry.
DappRadar handles the challenge well by stabilizing activity data for each day. Keep in mind that tracking dapps is quite a different endeavor from tracking crypto markets. Furthermore, as DappRadar matures, it looks to progressively refine data for relevancy and provide actionable market intelligence. The non-crypto world will one day realize that information science and intelligence gathering finds blockchain-based tools indispensable.
CROSS-CHECKING: STATE OF THE DAPPS AND DAPPREVIEW
State of the Dapps does not hide that it was initially designed for Ethereum dapps. Its rankings tend to differ from DappRadar. While State of the Dapps does lay claim to independent funding and not-for-profit curated status, it retains an underlying bias towards Ethereum. Maybe in time it will prove to deliver uniform data. As for now, it seems best served as a cross-check reference against other interests in the EOS environment.
DappReview claims to track more activity than DapRadar, but it seems more concerned with providing advertising services than upholding an objective and timely analysis of the industry (NOTE: that this statement isn’t verified, merely an observation based upon the site’s presentation). Still, DappReview does make a few data points (listed above) particular to the EOS environment freely available. It also serves as a cross-check against DappRadar.
Note. Rankings on Dapp.com seem to drastically differ from DappRadar and State of the Dapps.
OTHER RESOURCES FOR MAPPING THE EOS MAINNET
The rest of the information will be examined in a later presentation. The ultimate goal is to provide an actionable map of influential projects that leverage the EOS(IO) environment. Among the key focus points will be to identify open projects and other types that impact users of the EOS cryptocurrency.
Dedicated Wallets / Exchanges
Decentralized exchanges (DEX) are usually the quickest way to check if a project holds any merit. However, they offer minimal information and can be slow to respond to innovation. Since this project centers around dapps, only exchanges connected to wallets that allow users to hold their keys will considered. The following will be among the first to be explored*:
* Yet to explore which wallets work with each exchange.
Wallets to explore for connectivity against each exchange are:
Include Ledger, Trezor?
* Thanks to changelly blog for help in compiling this list.
Existing Lists
Pre-compiled lists of EOS projects warranting further examination:
https://awesomeopensource.com/projects/eosio (“The Top 30 Eosio Open Source Projects”)
https://defiprime.com/eos (“20 EOS DeFi projects”)
https://101blockchains.com/eos-dapps-landscape-complete-list/ ("EOS dApps Landscape: Complete List of EOS Decentralized Blockchain Applications" - Which projects remain from this 2018 list?)
Tools
Scribble notes of tool providers:
https://github.com/DanailMinchev/awesome-eosio (“😎 A curated list of awesome EOSIO resources for users and developers.” )
Block.one
EOS Authority
Greymass
LiquidApps
Block producers are often tied to dapps and tools (https://eosauthority.com/producers_chart?network=eos#producer-rankings)
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