Building dApps Just Got Easier: The Power of Biconomy SDK
A software development kit, or SDK, is a set of tools and resources that enable developers to build and integrate their software with other platforms and systems.
Using an SDK often saves time and streamlines the development process. SDKs are especially beneficial when developing more complex decentralized apps (dApps). A quality SDK can often cut down production time and introduce functionalities that would otherwise be too expensive to develop independently.
For example, the Biconomy SDK is a Web3 suite that helps developers create easier onboarding and a simplified UX in dApps. From enabling glassless transactions to creating a seamless cross-chain experience, the Biconomy SDK can help you make your dApp truly user-friendly.
Learn more about Biconomy here and let’s dive into the Biconomy SDK!
What Is the Biconomy SDK?
In November 2022, Biconomy unveiled its new SDK. The new toolkit leverages the Ethereum standard of EIP-4337 aka Account Abstraction, and combines the use of smart contract wallets with Biconomy's multi-chain relayer infrastructure to assist developers in onboarding users and providing an effortless dApp experience in a non-custodial manner.
By integrating Biconomy's infrastructure, developers can make their dApps more intuitive and user-friendly, as the technical complexities of transactions, gas, and network switching are handled behind the scenes.
Using Biconomy's SDK, developers can create various features such as social login for easier account creation and recovery, on/off ramps within the dApp for buying and selling crypto and fiat, gasless transactions sponsored by the dApp, batch transactions that allow users to bundle multiple actions into a single transaction across multiple chains, and even cross-chain contract calls and asset transfer (coming soon). These capabilities can greatly enhance the user experience and usability of dApps.
But, how does it all work? The key is in smart contract wallets.
What Is a Smart Contract Wallet?
Ethereum supports externally owned accounts (EOAs) and contract accounts.
EOAs are controlled by a private key and are typically managed by a single entity. An example of an EOA is your MetaMask wallet.
On the other hand, smart contract wallets (SCWs) are a type of Ethereum wallets that utilize smart contracts to manage funds rather than relying solely on private keys. This separation allows for advanced features such as social logins, multi-sig transactions, ERC20 token payments, fiat on-ramp, enhanced account security settings, batched transactions, and social recovery. The standard for creating these wallets is outlined in EIP-4337 for Account Abstraction.
Biconomy uses SCWs in order to leverage the capabilities of contract accounts and provide expanded functionality that creates a UX similar to traditional web2 apps.
What You Can Achieve With the Biconomy SDK
The Biconomy SDK offers a range of features and tools to enhance the development process. In this section, we will explore the capabilities the Biconomy SDK offers when developing dApps.
Easy User Onboarding
The Biconomy SDK offers social login, account creation, and recovery features to help developers onboard Web2 users onto their dApps. Wallet-related complexities are often a barrier to entry for users unfamiliar with blockchain technology. Creating an onboarding experience that feels intuitive to newcomers in Web3 is a major benefit when it comes to the adoption of dApps.
With the Biconomy SDK, you can combine a Web2-like social sign-in process with the wallet-based login. Imagine logging into your account with your Gmail or Facebook login. Users get are onboarded effortlessly while retaining a non-custodial account and full ownership of their cryptographic key pair.
Fiat On-Ramp and Off-Ramp
The SDK includes a fiat on-ramp and off-ramp feature that allows users to purchase cryptocurrencies within your dApp. That way, the users don’t have to deal with multiple transactions or go outside the dApp to buy crypto.
Biconomy offers this feature in partnership with Transak, a developer integration toolkit. Check out the list of support currencies here and learn how to integrate this option into your dApp.
Gasless Transactions
Gas fees can be a significant barrier to entry for some users when it comes to using dApps. In addition to gas fees being highly volatile and often expensive, users have to own the chain’s native token in order to pay them. Having to take several complicated steps before using dApp can often prevent users from further engagement.
With the Biconomy SDK, you can offer gasless transactions within your dApp. For example, you can sponsor gas fees for all users, offer this option to premium users, or allow users to pay gas in ERC20 tokens.
The Biconomy SDK enables gasless transactions in a non-custodial manner through a mechanism called Account Abstraction. This involves the use of a Paymaster contract that acts as a "gas-tank" for users to deposit funds into and whitelist dApp contracts to enable gas abstraction.
Paying Gas Fees In ERC20 Tokens
The Biconomy SDK enables users to pay gas fees using ERC20 tokens. This can be particularly useful for users who have a large balance of a specific ERC20 token and want to use it to facilitate transactions.
Users can pay for gas fees using ERC20 tokens, including DAI, USDC, and USDT, with plans to support more tokens in the future. This feature improves the user experience by allowing users to save their ETH or native tokens on the blockchain they are interacting with and preventing stuck transactions when using dApps.
It also enables users to pay for gas fees using the tokens that they already have in their wallet rather than having to exit the dApp to purchase or swap for native tokens.
Custom Transaction Bundling
Batched transactions, which are only available for smart contract-based accounts, allow users to perform multiple transactions in a single on-chain transaction. There are several advantages to this, including cost and time efficiency. Batched transactions can save on gas fees, as each transaction on Ethereum has a base fee of 21,000 gas, and can also save users time when sending sequential transactions.
With the Biconomy SDK, developers can build custom transaction bundling methods within their dApps, allowing users to bundle multiple actions in a single transaction - even across different chains. This can be particularly useful for tasks like approving and depositing funds, which can be done in a single transaction without requiring any changes to the dApp's smart contracts.
Cross Chain Contract Calls and Asset Transfer
In the future, the Biconomy SDK will enable seamless in-dApp cross-chain asset bridging and contract calls, allowing for a chainless experience for users. Having the option to interact with multiple blockchain networks from within the dApp makes it simple for users to access a variety of different assets and services.
Conclusion
The Biconomy SDK has the potential to significantly improve the user experience of Web3 applications, leading to the wider adoption of decentralized technologies. By providing developers with the tools to create dApps with seamless onboarding and intuitive interfaces, the Biconomy SDK brings Web3 one step closer to mainstream adoption.
Browse the Biconomy SDK documentation if you’d like to learn how to integrate the Biconomy SDK and dive deeper into the infrastructure behind its capabilities. Of course, feel free to reach out and ask questions! The Biconomy community is active on Discord, Twitter, and Telegram.
