What are Solana's Actions and Blinks?

Opinions on Solana are like…eyeballs; everyone has one (unless you’re Aemond Targaryen).

Regardless of whether you think the blockchain is going to onboard the next billi to web3 or is a glorified memecoin casino, you gotta give it to Solana for their latest onchain action.

?? Enter Solana Actions and Blockchain Links (aka Blinks), a new move toward mass adoption from the L1 to help “connect Solana to the entire internet.”

What are Actions?

Solana Actions are APIs (essentially a bridge or translator that allows different computer applications to communicate with each other) that enable onchain actions (i.e., transactions) and are embedded into different online environments — QR codes, buttons, widgets, tweets, the text thread you’ve had on mute for the last year.

How do Actions work?

Blockchain + Links = Blinks.

If Actions are like a Genie, Blinks are the magical oil within its lamp that grants you special powers … or a magic carpet ride.

Technically speaking, Blinks are the actual clients that request the API mentioned above and generate the UI enabling you to interact with that onchain Action.

A Blink can direct a user to a separate page or embed on top of the page where the Blink URL was posted (a Twitter post, DM, blog page) so that you can actually execute your onchain transaction.

It’s just like a traditional hyperlink, but instead of Rick-Rolling you or overheating your computer on a hot summer’s day, Blinks let you buy an NFT on social media in one click.

What do Actions & Blinks mean for web3?

Then web3 entered the chat, introducing shared, dynamic content that was moderately disturbed but still mostly centralized. APIs made it easier for different websites and products to communicate with each other, share data, and deliver content to users.

The issue with most APIs, however, is that they are heavily centralized and often guarded by corporations that don’t want to give up the keys to their content castle.

Web3 changes the game here, allowing brands to leverage custom APIs that connect consumers to onchain environments where they can collect, create, and earn in a secure and often incentivized environment.

Brands gain the benefits of transparent data and a direct route to their users without having to kick funds upstairs to Uncle Elon.

The challenge here has long been connecting the dots between the old world and the new so that web2 platforms can interact with web3 products, and users on both sides can experience the best of both worlds without needing a degree in computer science (or even major web3 knowledge).

With Action & Blinks, Solana is giving developers and their products an easier way to attract online users (and their funds) without relying solely on web3-native social apps like Farcaster, which pioneered in-app onchain transactions via Frames.

What do Actions & Blinks mean for brands?

While web3 native companies might have an easier time bringing their product’s onchain transactions to social via apps like Farcaster, it’s still likely a harder sell for traditional web2 brands and their consumers who might be unfamiliar with the technology.

Similar to the accessibility of user — and brand- friendly blockchains like Base, Solana’s Actions and Blinks are balancing web3 tech and web2 accessibility, vast digital real estate, and very-online ?meta-communities to breathe new life and opportunity into traditional social feeds.

It could prove to be a powerful solution for brands that want to meet their customers where they’re at across platforms like X or Discord.

As a company devoted to helping brands leverage accessible (and invisible) web3 experiences to engage consumers and sell products through white-label APIs, on-demand wallet solutions, and easy-to-navigate marketplaces, our team at Mojito loves to see it.

Looking for expert guidance on how to navigate the evolving onchain ecosystem? Mojito has you covered. ?Fill out this form.