The Solana Foundation is launching a new feature to seamlessly integrate its blockchain with any website via shareable links.
On June 25, the foundation announced the introduction of Solana Actions and blockchain links, or “blinks.” This innovation will allow any website capable of displaying a URL to facilitate Solana transactions.
With this solution, users can share a link that opens an interface for conducting Solana transactions. For example, you could share a link on a social media platform like X (formerly Twitter), enabling users to carry out a crypto transaction directly from the platform without navigating away. This new feature could be used for activities such as crowdfunding, online shopping, and onchain voting.
Chris Osborn, founder of Dialect, highlighted the versatility of this feature, stating, “From your X feed, you can buy an NFT, tip a creator, receive money, vote, stake, swap, and much more.” Dialect is responsible for the developer tools that power Solana Actions, including forkable, self-hosted interstitial signing sites and software development kits, according to a spokesperson from the Solana Foundation.
These shareable links, or blinks, can be distributed via websites, social media platforms, and even physical QR codes. Jon Wong, head of ecosystem engineering at the Solana Foundation, explained that Solana’s actions and blinks enable any website or application to facilitate onchain interactions.
Secure Interaction with Whitelisted DApps
To ensure user safety, the Solana Foundation has outlined a security roadmap for these new features. Users will have the option to enable wallet support for Actions and blinks. A spokesperson clarified, “Actions and blinks are similar to ‘connecting’ your wallet to decentralized applications (DApps) – you should trust the sites just as you would trust familiar DApps.”
When a wallet first interacts with an unfamiliar API, users will see a standard “connect to site” prompt. If a site domain has previously been connected to the wallet, it is considered more trustworthy. As with DApps, Action transactions are always simulated before execution to enhance security.
Initially, the launch will include whitelisted domains from Solana’s partners, such as Jupiter, Helium, Truffle, Phantom, and Backpack, to ensure a secure experience.
Growing Popularity of Solana Blockchain
The Solana blockchain has experienced a significant increase in activity recently. Its low transaction fees have made it a popular choice for memecoins and decentralized infrastructure protocols. According to a report from venture firm Pantera Capital, Solana accounted for over 60% of new volume in decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in May. By May 2024, Solana represented 85% of all new tokens appearing on DEXs, up from 50% the previous year. This surge in Solana-based tokens highlights its growing popularity in retail usage, particularly driven by memecoin activity.
In summary, Solana’s new feature of shareable blockchain links promises to make blockchain transactions more accessible and integrated into everyday web and social media experiences, while ensuring security through a robust safety roadmap and trusted partnerships.