Based Apps

What it is

Based Apps are the current app-building path on Kaspa.

They give you one managed app environment with a built-in account model for users, balances, permissions, and app state. You write a Rust app against that environment and use the provided Kas bridge instead of designing the execution stack yourself.

Mental model

sequenceDiagram
    participant W as Wallet
    participant K as Kaspa
    participant E as Based App Environment
    participant A as Rust App

    W->>K: Send an app action
    K-->>E: Route the action into the environment
    E->>A: Run the app logic
    A-->>E: Update balances and app state
    E-->>W: Return the new app result

Pick this when

• You want one managed app environment for your product.
• You want the built-in account model instead of defining users, balances, permissions, and app-state rules from scratch.
• Your product needs rich shared state and multi-step business logic.
• You want to build in Rust with the provided Kas bridge.
• Multiple features should coexist inside one app.

Good fits

• Consumer apps
• Trading or product suites
• Products with rich shared state and multi-step business logic
• Products that need bridging between the managed app environment and Kaspa

Developer experience

This is the most app-shaped option in the docs today. You focus on Rust logic and state transitions inside the managed app environment rather than designing the whole execution model yourself.

The environment provides the built-in account model and the Kas bridge. You still own product logic, state design, permissions, and UX. This is the closest current lane to the future Full vProgs world, but it is still one managed environment today rather than sovereign network-wide composition.

When not to use it

• Your product is mostly about native asset rules and flows.
• Each action should be verified and settled independently.
• You need a custom account model or a privacy-first execution model.

Current expectations

This is the current app path on Kaspa. The main builder job is to define product logic, state, and UX inside one managed app environment while the surrounding builder workflows continue to mature.

Future direction

For app builders, Full vProgs are the future direction for network-level app composition. Based Apps are the current app path and the simpler migration lane.