Let’s take a quick peek at Coins.  What is Coins?  According to Coins (above screenshot from Coins’ website), Coins is the first encrypted cryptocurrency portfolio management tool (application) created on top of [sg_popup id=”3″ event=”hover”]Blockstack[/sg_popup].   Coins is in beta but fully functional on the Blockstack ecosystem.

The purpose of Coins is to allow the user to manage the user’s token or coin portfolio in a secure and decentralized way.  The Coins application (dApp) provides for both live and historical performance data in a variety of ways: cross-portfolio, by portfolio, by holding, or by token type.  The application also includes multiple views to look over your portfolio – dashboard and activity feed mode for individual portfolios or holdings.  Basically, Coins uses the power of Blockstack to bring us a token and coin management application platform that:

• is decentralized, secure and encrypted
• supports multiple currencies, tokens and coins
• provides a powerful metrics UX (user interface)
  

And, Coins has some exciting new features that will be coming very soon, that include:

• custom reports (e.g., add labels, exchange data, wallet IDs, and more…)
• trading between coins (e.g. to help the user track the performance and opportunity cost)
• custom news (e.g. giving the user insight into current events and investments)
• mobile app interface coming soon too

So, when the user buys those tokens and/or coins and needs a secure environment in which to manage those assets, Coins is the solution – decentralized, secure and encrypted, supports multiple currencies, tokens and coins with a powerful metrics platform and user interface (UX).

And remember, when the user uses Coins in connection with the Blockstack browser (which provides the portal into the Blockstack ecosystem – the new decentralized internet):

1. no one has access to the user’s information (data is encrypted only for the user to see or share…)
2. and the data and storage of the same is controlled by the user (this is done on the storage platform the user selected via blockstack browser (at install or anytime – with multiple storage platforms planned).

To get started with Coins, first make sure you have the Blockstack Browser installed and running (See Blockstack: Getting started… and/or here) along with your Blockstack ID (e.g. thestackcafe.id) you secured in the browser.

Then, navigate to the Coins login button (icon) which will start the application using the Blockstack browser on your local machine (screenshots may be slightly different depending on updates to blockstack browser).

As you can see, the Blockstack link will pop-up to make sure that the user signs in with the Blockstack Browser – the portal to the Blockstack internet ecosystem.

The Sign In Request will appear – as you can see the .id appear will be the user’s Blockstack ID – (e.g. thestackcafe.id).  Next, the user clicks approve to sign-in request and launch the Coins dApp.

Once the sign-in request has been approved and authenticated via Blockstack, the user can start creating a new portfolio of various tokens and/or coins.  In this case, we called our new portfolio – Test: Coinapps on Blockstack (see below)

Once the new portfolio has been created, the Coins dApp will land on the confirmation page and then ask the user to add a new holding – coin or token – Create A Holding.

Below, we see the landing page for the data entry related to the new holding that is being created in our new portfolio Test: Coinsapp on Blockstack.  For illustrative purposes, we will add a bitcoin holding into the appropriate fields and then click – Create Holding.

The next screen – All Portfolios and Holdings, is the place to view the portfolios created and all holdings – coins or tokens – in each portfolio that was created.  In addition, the user can add additional portfolios, view performance metrics – hourly, daily,… and view the portfolio in either a Dashboard view or an Activity Feed as shown below in the respective screenshots.

Activity Feed (see Edit, sell or Delete the coins/tokens) or click Dashboard view to return to the previous screen view.

The Coins dApp also provides some additional settings criteria on the Setting page – e.g., delete or destroy all data (no going back from there).

And, when you are finished managing your token or coin portfolio, and the user signs out, the user will be directed to the initial Login with Blockstack landing page as shown below.

Using Another Browser (not Blockstack’s Browser) – Another way to access the Coins dApp, is by starting on the Coins website.  If the user is on the Coins website, the user can find the login button there too – Log in with Blockstack (see the below screenshot). 

The user will follow similar login procedure as shown above.  The only difference in this instance is that the user could be using another browser on the internet and may want to access the Coins app to manage a particular coin or token portfolio created on the Coins dApp. 

If this is the case, once the user clicks on the Log in with Blockstack tab, the user will be asked via a pop-up page to open the Coins dApp with the Blockstack Browser (the appropriate and only way for the user to avail itself of the full functionality of the Blockstack internet (security, encryption, …).

What a great dApp! Coins has brought the blockstack community the first working decentralized secure and encrypted portfolio management platform for coins or tokens. Go check out Coins and try out the portfolio management application and begin creating some new coin or token portfolios.  Add those tokens and coins.

Note: If you do not have the Blockstack browser, please see this link (note – to enable the full functionality of any dApp built for the Blockstack ecosystem (e.g., building a new internet, a decentralized internet, re-decentralizing the internet) you need to use the Blockstack browser).

Thanks again for visiting The Stack Cafe^TM and we look forward to hearing from you. Please help us put out the word on Web^3.0 by posting a comment below and signing up for e-mail notifications for future updates (right side-bar). Let’s help build the new internet | The Decentralized Way^TM. A decentralized internet | The Way The Future^TM.

The post Blockstack: A New Decentralized App – Coins appeared first on The Stack Cafe™.

Even in today’s world with so many powerful browser choices, you may find yourself, for instance,  using multiple passwords or being distracted by the constant message that this site uses cookies and so on…  The cookie message is annoying and the multiple password landscape is frustrating almost to the point of making using the internet not fun.  If we just had a little more control over passwords, cookies, tracking…

Well, we think Blockstack has not only taken the browser to the next level by making it better, more powerful and simpler, but it has also given the user more control over the internet experience.  When the Blockstack Browser is coupled with [sg_popup id=”3″ event=”click”]Blockstack’s ecosystem[/sg_popup], it allows the user to control how they use and interact with the internet.  For instance, some of the items that the Blockstack Browser gives the user control over include:

• the user’s information/data
• the storage of user’s information/data
• access to the user’s information/data
• encryption of the user’s information/data.

The bottom line is that the blockstack browser allows the user to control many more things than the other browsers when those browsers are used on the traditional internet.

Along with being, not only the window – main portal or access point – into the Blockstack internet, the Blockstack Browser is a one stop shop tool to help the user control the user’s identity, wallet and all settings (guide for browser) that the user may need to make the new internet experience very powerful, simple and enjoyable. 

Some examples of these new and key features that are part of the Blockstack Browser include:

Identity: When the user installs the browser, the user is provided a unique identity that the user owns.  The Id is used for everything and is:

• unique
  • meaning there is no situation where two people can independently create and use a unique name – e.g., thestackcafe.id or blockstack.id, (manipulate your bio, add a picture, verify social level, add a username, see your non-human readable id…)
    
• human-readable
  • a name should look – e.g., The Stack Cafe or John and not like the non-human readable part – e.g. 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa
    
• decentralized
  • names are chosen and owned by users and not by a central authority – creating decentralization of identities
    • The names/IDs are created via the Blockstack Naming System (BNS).  This is very similar to DNS (domain naming system) except the naming system created by Blockstack (more on BNS in a later overview) provides that the names are owned by the user via a cryptographic address that is secured by the underlying blockchain and their associated private keys – further decentralization).
      

A quick recap – the browser is installed locally on your device (e.g., computer, phone…) and stores the user’s human-readable decentralized identity (ID) (e.g. username for all applications) and the private key (cryptographic/encrypted) that you received when you installed the browser.  The private key is never sent to any remote servers and is meant to stay on your device.  The private key is what is used to control your data and ID while you use any of the applications – dApp(s)- when you use the Blockstack Browser on the decentralized internet.  The Blockstack Browser is a very powerful but extremely easy to use tool.  For more on the browser, visit here.

Storage: When the user installs the browser, the user is provided control over how data/information is stored.  Some of the key features of the decentralized storage options that are part of the Blockstack Browser include:

• control by user (user id) 
  • your personal data and storage is built around the ID (all stored data values are signed by an owner key (encrypted)
    • all applications can request permissions from users and then gain read and write access to user controlled storage – applications that want to access your data use your permission and identity to find it.
      
• simple
  • data storage is simple, reliable and uses existing cloud infrastructure or a personal storage device
    
    • use Dropbox, Google Drive, S3, etc…
      • data is automatically synced from the user’s local device up to cloud or the user’s local storage device
        
• decentralized –
  • users should be able to use decentralized storage systems where they can store their data without revealing it to any remote parties.
  • using a new unstructured peer network, called the Atlas network powered by Gaia (covered in later overview), that uses peer-to-peer (P2P)network
  • multiple choices of storage platforms to use
• portable
  • if you don’t like your present storage provider, change it out for another one or use your own
  • store encrypted and/or signed data on the storage providers
  • users can take their data with them if they leave the application
    • data is the user’s data and is owned by the user, not the application
• unlimited choices
  • the system was designed to avoid centralization and provide decentralization of storage
  • store encrypted and/or signed data on the storage providers
  • provides/allows for multiple storage providers to coexist, including both cloud storage and P2P systems
    • it basically treats cloud storage providers (e.g., Dropbox, Amazon S3, and Google Drive) as “dumb drives” 
      • available storage providers just host user data
        • Blockstack ensures that all data is signed and verified and (optionally) encrypted end-to-end
          • no-one (e.g., applications, storage providers, blockstack…) except the user can only read it with the user’s consent
            
            • the storage systems are not trusted to serve data
• store data/information that is encrypted and/or signed
  

A quick recap – the browser helps the user take full advantage of a decentralized storage system that is controlled by the user, simple, decentralized, portable, encrypted and provides unlimited storage provider choices.  Whew, this is good stuff.  The Blockstack Browser is a very powerful but extremely easy to use tool.  For more on the browser, visit here.

Wallet:  When the user installs the browser, the user is provided a secure Bitcoin wallet-

• pre-configured bitcoin wallet
  
• use a bitcoin wallet QR code image for ease of use
• instant display of your bitcoin wallet balance

A quick recap – On the traditional internet, when you use a website (e.g., twitter, facebook, amazon and others), you establish a secure connection to that website, log in to that website and you are given no choice other that to keep all of your data/information with that website.  In the Blockstack internet, Blockstack harnesses all of the power of the traditional internet and then adds the Blockstack Browser on top.  The Blockstack Browser opens the window to a new internet, a decentralized internet that puts the power back in the hand of the users.

Note: If you do not have the Blockstack browser, please see this link (note – to enable the full functionality of any dApp built for the Blockstack ecosystem (e.g., building a new internet, a decentralized internet, and re-decentralizing the internet) you need to use the Blockstack browser).

Resources re: Blockstack and dApps

• Blockstack
• @blockstack
  • @blockstackapps
• Developers
  • Introduction
    • Papers
    • Videos
    • Tutorials
      • (e.g., todo and multi-player storage)
    • Installation
    • Github
      • Javascript
      • Core API
• Blog
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Blockstack Meetups
  • Blockstack NYC Meetup

Thanks again for visiting The Stack Cafe^TM and we look forward to hearing from you. Please help us put out the word on Web^3.0 by posting a comment below and signing up for e-mail notifications for future updates (right side-bar). Let’s help build the new internet | The Decentralized Way^TM. A decentralized internet | The Way The Future^TM.

The post Blockstack: The Browser – It does that? appeared first on The Stack Cafe™.