https://www.pentagon.xyz/hyperapps.html

Tokens changed how we think about capital, yet their innovation is currently limited to the confines of a blockchain. I propose a new primitive I’m calling “hyperapps.” I imagine that hyperapps could transform applications and drive the creation of millions of new tokens.

So what is a hyperapp?

A hyperapp is an off-chain application (i.e., website front-end) that is wholly or partially governed by an address (i.e., DAO, EOA, etc.).

A hyperapp manifests as an on-chain object containing an address, administrator right, and pointer to the application’s data (a hash to Arweave/IPFS). The administrator may update the hyperapp’s on-chain pointer to a new deployment, permeating changes across all deployed instances.

Unlike a DAO (albeit complementary), what makes a hyperapp novel is the ability to own and trade the right to update certain parts of an off-chain application. In its simplest form, a hyperapp is a website that enables on-chain governance over its front-end.

An example in practice.

For example, Coolmath Games is one of my favorite websites. While they often create the most addicting games, the experience is polluted with ads. This is no fault of Coolmath, they need to make money, and there are historically few options in Web2.

Coolmath could transcend this by becoming a hyperapp. This would transform Coolmath’s core business model. Coolmath could issue $COOL tokens that control the website’s user interface (i.e. this week’s featured games) or even govern aspects of game experiences. Advertisers may purchase $COOL to acquire digital real estate. Service providers like AWS or Mixpanel could bid to integrate into the application.

In this future, $COOL is inherently valuable, and the ability to trade the ‘right to update’ means that $COOL has a price.

This is increasingly interesting when Coolmath issues $COOL to their users.

The benefits to Coolmath Games are immense:

1. Coolmath Games, the organization, unlocks liquidity and becomes well-funded via keeping some $COOL.
2. Depending on what parts of the website Coolmath decide to tokenize, theoretically, anyone and everyone can become a contributor to Coolmath Games (and be incentived to do so via inherent utility, token appreciation, or direct rewards).
3. Service providers, advertisers, partners, etc., could be forced to purchase and hold the token to be considered.
4. The most significant users and contributors of Coolmath Games become the application owners, enabling them to play a part in dictating their future.
5. Coolmath can build novel application retention and optimization strategies through $COOL.