Zero-Friction, Mobile-First Onboarding for MetaNet-Enabled Apps
Asking someone to create an account and back up a key before they have seen what an application does loses most of them. This starts them with a temporary key straight away and offers a proper one later, once they care.
Summary
- Why
- Users abandon apps that demand sign-up or key setup before showing any value, so onboarding needs to be delayed without blocking use.
- What
- BRC-110 is a proposed UX standard for onboarding into MetaNet-enabled apps using temporary keys, mobile-first design, and contextual explanations instead of upfront sign-up.
- How
- An app generates a temporary key in the background within half a second, lets the user act immediately with a subset of features, and only later prompts persistence through a standard dismissible banner and export screen, explaining blockchain-specific benefits at the moment a feature needs them.
What this lets you do
- Give users instant access via a temporary key with no sign-up
- Show a standardized banner offering export/onboarding plus a "What is this?" explainer
- Let users export a temporary key into any compliant MetaNet wallet
- Explain blockchain-specific benefits inline, at the point a feature needs them
- Let temporary and certified users chat across apps, with muting for unidentified users
Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the specification text. Where the two differ, the original is correct.
Reference for an AI
Everything an assistant needs to answer questions about BRC-110 accurately, including what it depends on.
The specification
Abstract
A zero-friction onboarding protocol optimized for mobile-first metanet enabled user experiences. Temporary key generation enables instant access without sign-up; standardized UI components facilitate seamless export of keys and cross-app communication while preserving usability across devices. Secondly it mandates clear contextual communication of the benefits of uniquely blockchain enabled features, so users understand why persistence matters at the right moments during their learning curve.
Motivation
MetaNet-enabled applications fail if users cannot immediately perceive utility. Conventional onboarding flows (downloads, signups, verification) create friction and deter adoption. Allowing immediate engagement via temporary keys, mobile-first UX, and contextual communication of blockchain value improves retention and adoption of wallets, encourages certification over multiple sessions, and through it long-term participation.
Specification
1. Temporary Key Generation
- On initial visit, apps MUST generate temporary keys asynchronously.
- Key generation MUST complete within 0.5 s; otherwise, users MUST be allowed to browse placeholder data until ready.
- Delays beyond 0.1 s interrupt flow; beyond 1 s break task continuity (NN/g: Response Times).
2. Immediate Access and Deferred Onboarding
- Users MUST access core features without sign-up, download, or authentication.
- Users typically leave within 10–20 s unless value is instantly clear (NN/g: How Long Do Users Stay on Web Pages?).
- Temporary keys MUST unlock a subset of functionality.
- Apps MUST NOT enforce explicit onboarding (tutorials, forced walkthroughs) before core functionality is visible (NN/g: Mobile App Onboarding).
3. Mobile-First, Responsive Design
- Apps MUST be designed mobile-first: prioritize small-screen usability (touch targets, minimal UI) before adapting for desktop.
- Responsive design MUST prevent content dispersion or degraded usability on larger devices (NN/g: Content Dispersion, Baymard: Mobile UX).
4. Optional Persistence via Standard Banner
- Apps MUST NOT force key saving during first sessions.
- Apps MUST display a standardized, dismissible banner (configurable top/bottom).
- Banner MUST include:
- A link/button to export or onboard.
- A permanent "What is this?" link.
- The "What is this?" link MUST open a drawer with a one-paragraph explanation of:
- What MetaNet is.
- How this app uses it.
- Which features require persistence, and why.
- Which features do not.
5. Standardized Export Screen
- Accessible via the banner, this screen MUST:
- Provide clear export instructions.
- Enable one-click export to supported MetaNet wallets.
- Show a neutral, curated list of compliant wallets.
- Wallets MUST implement compatible import functionality.
6. Feature Disclosure and Blockchain Value Communication
- Apps MUST clearly indicate which features require persistent keys, MetaNet certificates, or social certificates.
- Apps MUST communicate the unique benefits of blockchain usage in context:
- When identity persistence enables social reputation, explain that benefit at the point of use.
- When immutability or micropayments enable a feature, explain it where the user invokes that feature.
- Explanations MUST emphasize user benefit over technical detail in maximum two lines of paragraph text.
- Research shows abstract explanations fail; users only retain information when given at the moment of relevance (NN/g: Contextual Help, Baymard: Accounts & Self-Service).
7. Cross-App Communication
- Temporary users MUST be able to communicate across MetaNet apps with other temporary and certified users in real time.
- Apps MUST show total network-wide online users.
- Identified users (with social certs) MUST be distinguishable.
- Identified users MUST be able to mute or apply a "trolltoll" to unidentified users or opt-out from being visible across metanet apps.
Implementations
- Standardized banner guidelines. (placement, style, dismissibility, "What is this?" drawer).
- Mobile-first design approach strongly encouraged for all metanet enabled apps, validated with NN/g and Baymard heuristics.
- IRC-style communication overlay that allows temporary and certified users to communicate and troubleshoot across metanet enabled apps.
- Export/import flows tested across multiple wallets.
- Contextual tooltips and inline hints that describe blockchain-backed benefits in plain language at the point of use.
- Emphasize in-app value unlocked via persistence at the right moment of the user journey.