Magic Dapp Workshop at Florida Bitcoin Citadel: No coding tools to build Bitcoin apps

by James · May 10, 2023

Kurt Wuckert Jr. and Zachary Weiner hosted a workshop at Bitcoin Citadel in Florida to demonstrate Magic Dapp, a “no code” tool that allows people to easily build Bitcoin applications.

Two flavors of Magic Dapp

Weiner opens by explaining that there are two flavors of this app: a DIY version (Magic Dapp) that he will walk participants through, and the Alpha Dapp, which can be made for you by Weiner and his team.

Weiner initiates an application built for ‘Cardinal University’. He shows us how elements such as tables can be created with fields such as student ID, course ID, credits, course instructors, etc. Adding new data is as easy as clicking on a number tab and filling in the fields. In this example, pass/fail are grades, course names and so on.

Weiner then demonstrates how this new record can be added to the BSV blockchain with just a click and a micropayment. He finds the transaction ID and displays the data added to the chain, creating an immutable record.

Is there a process for editing or deleting erroneous or malicious data? Weiner says that transactions cannot be removed, but can be updated by publishing new transactions.

How do we know that the data is authentic and that registrations are valid? This is where signatures come into play. Every transaction is created and signed by someone. We can confirm that they are indeed the professor, administrator, or whoever is authoritative for the record.

Different types of users

There can be a few different types of users of Magic Dapp. Administrators can create new apps, add data, set user permissions, and more. User accounts do not have the same permissions; they can read records but not create them, and guests can’t do any of that.

“We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for people to forget the blockchain existed,” says Weiner, highlighting how it will eventually be plumbing that underpins user-friendly apps. For example, users are not required to remember the 12-word seed phrase, but can get it just by entering a password.

Profiles also have many options. For example, they can be set so that certain records are not written on the blockchain. Weiner says they’re not “infinitely configurable,” but if default profiles don’t have the settings users want, they can reach out, and he and his team will help create them.

Setting up applications

Weiner gives a vivid example of how to create an app. Instead of entering each field manually, he drags a spreadsheet into the Magic Dapp settings. It’s as easy as clicking ‘import data’ and doing it, and apps can be created in seconds. Magic Dapp can interpret data and can automatically create headers, fields, etc.

During the data import demonstration, Weiner shows how, if an upload fails, such as an internet connection dropping, it’s okay. Simply by clicking “start” again, the upload continues where it left off.

Weiner then builds a distributed application live for the public. It’s designed to broadcast an announcement from the Bitcoin Citadel, and he can build it in a couple of minutes flat. He shows how it’s even possible to create a custom template to present data in a way that’s more visually appealing to the app builder.

Weiner then talks about what kind of use cases might be possible. He mentions invoicing and invoices, social networks and data management for organizations ranging from government to corporations. In most cases, Magic Dapp can get you most of the way there, but where it can’t, his team can help you use Alpha Dapp to get you over the finish line.

We’ll wrap up the session and answer some technical questions about encryption, hashing, data privacy, and how the tool works under the hood. Watch the presentation via the video link to learn more!

CoinGeek weekly live stream: Magic Dapp and Alpha Dapp with Justin Pauly from VX Technologies

New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeeks Bitcoin for beginners section, the ultimate resource guide for learning more about Bitcoin – as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto – and blockchain.