Shopify, the e-commerce giant known for its crypto-friendly services, has taken its commitment to the Web3 world to the next level by launching a suite of blockchain commerce tools. These tools aim to enhance the user experience for Shopify’s Web3-focused stores.
Ryan, a designer from Shopify’s blockchain team, took to Twitter to announce the launch, stating that they have launched “fresh tools to help you build token-gating apps for Shopify merchants.” Among the key features of these tools are expanded crypto wallet connect and tokengating API. The latter has been in early access beta mode since June 2022 and was previously only available to a limited number of merchants.
Shopify merchants can now set up their stores with the tokengating feature, which allows them to dictate who can and cannot access exclusive products, nonfungible token (NFT) drops, and benefits. The tool verifies a user’s eligibility by connecting with their wallet and provides NFT merchants with a convenient way to reward specific users or add exclusivity to certain products.
In terms of crypto wallet support, Shopify has integrated with the Sign-In with Ethereum (SIWE) protocol, which is led by the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and the Ethereum Foundation. SIWE allows for secure user sign-ins and authentication of Ethereum accounts and ENS domains without compromising private information like names, phone numbers, and addresses.
This integration is especially important for Shopify as the issue of private user information has been a cause for concern in the past. In April 2022, a group of users filed a class-action lawsuit against Shopify and Ledger over a data leak in 2020.
The SIWE integration has been welcomed by the Ethereum community, with Sadaf, a community advocate for ENS Labs, taking to Twitter to highlight the integration and linking to developer documents that explain how to build the tool into Shopify stores. The documents state that merchants can customize the statement displayed in a Sign-In with Ethereum message, allowing them to tailor the message to better suit their brand.
Once a merchant has hooked up the SIWE feature on Shopify’s wallet connect, users will be able to connect their addresses through intermediaries such as Coinbase, Fortmatic, WalletConnect, Portis, and Torus. By clicking the “sign-in with Ethereum” button, users will be able to securely access their accounts without revealing their private information.
In conclusion, Shopify’s launch of its blockchain commerce tools marks a significant step forward in the company’s commitment to the Web3 world. The expanded crypto wallet support and tokengating API will provide merchants with more control over their stores and allow users to securely access their accounts without compromising their private information.
