Case Study

WEB3

1. Uniswap V3

Uniswap V3 can serve as an example of dApp that already achieved a high level of adoption and could benefit from app-chain infrastructure. Uniswap V3 is deployed via smart contracts on different blockchain platforms. Users need to move assets to one of the L1s or bridge them to L2s to use it. Once the assets are in place, the user must submit swap intents via transactions, which are then executed according to the underlying blockchain's execution and consensus engine. In this way, intent execution is dependent on the rules defined by the given blockchain.

As a result, private order flow and centralized intent solvers have emerged, primarily to protect users from sandwiching attacks and secondarily to offer better swap prices. While these solutions help users, they often conflict with the underlying blockchain rules on which they operate. This is why it would make sense for the Uniswap team to take control and define new execution rules that could be implemented on a separate app-chain. By doing so, they could significantly enhance user experience without affecting other participating parties.

The main reason, we believe, that Uniswap hasn’t pursued this opportunity is due to interoperability issues. Users would need to deposit assets into isolated silos. Once these interoperability issues are resolved, which is expected within a year or two, developing a custom Uniswap V3 app-chain would face no major obstacles.

WEB2

2. Sony's Web2 <> Web3 Integration: Proof of Picture

Sony, a global leader in camera technology, could leverage Web3 capabilities to enhance trust and authenticity in digital photography. By integrating cryptographic key pairs into each camera, Sony would enable a new, verifiable standard for proof of picture, where each photo is cryptographically signed by the camera that took it. This system can dramatically reduce the risk of forgery, manipulation, or misuse of digital images, offering a trustless way to verify picture authenticity.

Each Sony camera would be equipped with a unique pair of cryptographic keys, and every picture taken could be signed with one of these keys. When the camera is sold or leaves the factory, a proof of its key would be posted on-chain using zero-knowledge proofs. This ensures that no sensitive information about the camera’s key is exposed while maintaining the integrity of the verification process. Once a user receives a photo, they can simply verify its authenticity by checking the on-chain proof against the camera's cryptographic key.

This Web2-Web3 integration would provide numerous advantages:

1. Enhanced Trust: Users would have cryptographic proof that a picture was taken by a given camera, eliminating doubt about the photo's origin.

2. On-Chain Verification: The verification process could be conducted entirely on-chain, adding a layer of transparency and security.

3. Zero-Knowledge Proofs: These allow the cryptographic key to be posted on-chain without revealing sensitive data, ensuring both privacy and authenticity.

Much like Uniswap’s example of private order flows to counteract sandwiching attacks, Sony’s cryptographic signing of photos solves a key trust issue. While traditional Web2 methods rely on metadata and potentially manipulable digital certificates, Web3 integration via blockchain would ensure trust in a decentralized, tamper-proof manner.

The main challenge for Sony in implementing this system lies in interoperability and scalability issues. While the infrastructure to verify photos on-chain exists, integrating Web2 cameras with Web3 verification platforms would require robust frameworks. Solutions such as zero-knowledge proofs are still in development, and broader blockchain adoption could delay implementation. Once these challenges are resolved, Sony's system could offer seamless verification and trust in the digital photography space, unlocking new opportunities in digital rights management, media authenticity, and even photo-based NFTs.