Shopify Floats New Web3 Community Building Tools for Merchants

Shopify, a Canada-based leading e-commerce platform with a known history of incorporating blockchain solutions to improve user experience has now launched a new suite of tools for merchants with Web 3.0-focused stores hosted on its platform.

According to the announcement shared on Twitter, merchants can create token-gating apps for their stores on the platform and control which products including Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) drops, events, contents, and other benefits that can be accessible to specific token holders using the new tools.

The token-gating app guides users through the gate configuration process, which is understanding the gate requirements and corresponding reactions. Similarly, the app checks the configured token gates to be sure users meet up with the needs of the gate it configures. Afterward presents them to customers thereby allowing them to connect to their wallets. The app also helps evaluate the contents of the wallet.

Interestingly, the token-gating feature was introduced in June 2022 and has been in beta mode. The initiative which allows merchants to connect with users and drive sales through exclusivity was initially opened to select merchants with NFT collections. 

However, with this new development, merchants with stores on the platform can now utilize this feature to reward loyal fans and build strong communities around their brands as they can now control who gets what. With the new range of tools, merchants on the platform can now manage their portfolios, including digital wallets and smart contracts, and make the most of blockchain technology.

Shopify Integrates SIWE

Additionally, Shopify has expanded its crypto wallet connect feature to integrate the Sign-in with Ethereum (SIWE) protocol powered by the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and the Ethereum Foundation to secure sign-ins and protect users’ data from third-party data collectors.

Also, merchants can utilize an additional statement generator prop to customize message statements for improved user experience. This new addition comes after a group of unsatisfied users filed a class-action lawsuit last year against the global e-commerce platform and Ledger a hard wallet maker for its handling of users’ data.