Thiago says he first explored crypto around 2018 or 2019, but an exchange he tried did not operate in Brazil. He returned to the subject during the pandemic market boom, drawn by the technology as well as the financial interest. His first professional Web3 project was at Futures Factory, where he helped build an NFT fashion collection from its assets and smart contracts to its front end and hosting.
Building the Future of Mobile Web3
Speaker
React Native developer Thiago of KOST joins Callstack’s host on React Universe On Air: Coffee Talk #15 to discuss Web3 development and the gaps in its mobile tooling.
Thiago points to DeFi liquidity pools as an alternative way to provide assets and participate in the returns they generate. He also sees potential in game items that could be owned as NFTs and moved between games, though he presents that as an emerging possibility. Scams and a steep learning curve discourage newcomers, and he says many underlying concepts recur across chains.
Thiago says front-end developers can enter Web3 by connecting apps to blockchain data without writing smart contracts. Ethereum’s web tooling is relatively mature, but many tools assume browser APIs such as `window.ethereum` and wallet extensions, which do not work directly in React Native. Developers often face cumbersome polyfills or fall back to displaying a web app in a WebView.
For Ethereum apps, Thiago recommends viem for blockchain requests, a wallet connection kit such as WalletConnect, and wagmi for hooks such as `useBalance` and `useAccount`. He describes connecting a wallet and reading blockchain data as enough for a Web3 app, while calling a decentralized app a more contested label. His team is also exploring WalletConnect SDKs with Expo, React Native, and React Native Web to support web and mobile experiences from one codebase.
Takeaways
- A front-end developer can begin in Web3 by learning wallet connections and blockchain data access without first building smart contracts.
- When choosing React Native Web3 tools, check their browser API assumptions and polyfill requirements early.
- Separate the blockchain client, wallet connection flow, and application hooks when planning the development stack.
- Test whether a responsive WebView meets product needs before investing in a native mobile Web3 integration.
- Cross-platform work with Expo and React Native Web may offer a path to shared web and mobile app experiences.
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What was claimed 9
- works at
“now at KOST, I’m back doing what I love”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- featureFutures Factory: Connects digital and physical worlds with NFTs, including fashion and sneakers
“a company that tries to bridge the digital and physical worlds with NFTs”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- previously atThiago previously at Futures Factory
“Last year—2022, and maybe I started in 2021—I worked with Futures Factory.”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- featureReact Native: Web3 tooling often needs polyfills because browser APIs and extension wallet APIs do not work directly
“Those extensions usually expose APIs through something like window.ethereum, and that already breaks when you come to React Native.”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- built
“viem, a library by the Wagmi team”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- integrates with
“What I’d recommend today is viem”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- featureWalletConnect: Provides a UI and SDK that abstracts wallet options for connection
“you get a modal with hundreds of wallets abstracted for you”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
- featureWagmi: Provides hooks such as useBalance and useAccount
“Want to read your balance? Use useBalance. Want to read your address? Use useAccount.”
YouTube Unverified1 source· Talk
