Accessing and building on Ethereum is hard, and Infura makes it easier. But at what cost? And what can be done about it?
Blockchain Onboarding Is the Worst
While some in the cryptosphere appear befuddled that cryptocurrency has not yet reached mass adoption, the explanation seems rather obvious to me. Frankly, using blockchain and crypto is a pain.
First, you have to have enough information to care in the first place. Most people I talk to don't even know what blockchain is, but people already in the space seem to forget how esoteric this stuff is. At the very base level, you have to sell people on the underlying values of decentralization and security, and make them understand, at least in some general way, that blockchain delivers on those promises. This alone is a challenge[1].
Then, once a person knows what blockchain is and why it matters, they have to know how to access it. For people who are new to blockchain, even finding the right terms for a Google search might be difficult. They might not know what Ethereum is, or what Dapps are, or how to buy the cryptocurrency required to interact with them. They have to learn about private keys, exchanges, MetaMask – they likely have to jump through a million KYC hoops, or have problems with their bank or credit union's compatibility with an exchange or wallet. Onboarding is a nightmare is what I am saying.
But say you get through all of that, and you've chosen to use Ethereum because you think that as a network and community it aligns with your values. Then you get to the Dapps. There aren't a whole lot of particularly useful ones out there, at least in part because of the lack of network
