The differences and similarities between APPICS and Steemit - Explained!

APPICS - Next Generation Social Media

APPICS (XAP) is a Smart Media Token (SMT) on the Steem Blockchain.

There will be some similarities, but also several significant differences between Steemit and APPICS.
We often get questions regarding APPICS, Steemit, and the technology behind it -

Let's take a look at what makes the concept of APPICS so unique!

What are the main differences between APPICS and Steemit ?

First of all, APPICS will be a mobile application while Steemit is browser-based.

Steemit is mostly focused on text in the form of blogposts, but APPICS will be centered around visual content.

We will create an intuitive experience for the mainsteam social media user, making it easy to use and providing a simplistic approach for anyone who is completely new to cryptocurrency.

With our in-built wallet and the integrated shop system, earning, sending and spending XAP will be easier than ever. No previous knowledge about Blockchain Technology is needed for APPICS users.

Another big difference between Steemit and APPICS are the content categories.

On Steemit, content is categorized by the 5 different tags that each user can add to their blogposts.
APPICS will have a system with 15 different content categories, ranging from lifestyle to sports to technology.
After 1 year, they will be chosen by the users in an annual voting ceremony.
Of course, users will also be able to filter content by hashtags like # cars , # nature etc, in addition to the content categories.

Each category will have a team of representative directors, experienced social media users who are experts in their field and have built a reputation and audience on other social media platforms, namely social media influencers.

The category directors' “like“ will have a large weight on the rewards due to a stake (frozen funds) being put into their account wallets.

Because just like on Steemit, voting weight depends on the APPICS Power in their account.

The Influencers will be able to judge content and give advice within their specialized category and act as a moderator, filtering valuable content as well as bringing their existing audience to APPICS, allowing them to benefit as well.
On Steemit, those with a large steem power are investors or individuals who are not divided in different areas of content.

Apart from the 15 static categories, the last one will be Charity.

Under the hashtag “#givingback”, foundations and individuals can ask for support from the community. The community can help by donating via the “donate button” besides, up-voting (liking) the content.
In cooperation with APPICS, foundations will have the unique opportunity to provide insight and buildt trust within their community and in return receive a reliable reputation score and funding.

Furthermore, for people living in third world countries, where the banking system is on a constant downward spiral, earning cryptocurrency via content sharing has the potential to change lives on a global scale.

- From the APPICS Whitepaper

Another difference to Steemit is that APPICS will also have an integrated shop system.

For one, this means that brands can directly integrate a shoppable feed and that users can make purchases within 2 clicks from the discovery page.
Users can in turn spend their earned XAP coins easily within the integrated shop of their favorite Influencer / APPICS User.
And Investors will be pleased to hear that the shops and discovery page add alternative income streams to our business model .

Does APPICS work on its own blockchain?

Many people get confused what exactly the relationship between APPICS and Steemit is.
APPICS is one of the first Smart Media Tokens (SMT) on the STEEM Blockchain.

An SMT is a native digital asset on the Steem blockchain that can be quickly launched by anyone to help monetize online content - especially practical in the social media space.
"They're like Ethereum's ERC-20 tokens, but with certain built-in ‘Proof-of-Brain’ properties and a token distribution reward system designed specifically for digital content businesses."
You can read more about the SMT protocol here

So will APPICS have its own cryptocurrency?

Yes. APPICS will have its own, independent cryptocurrency XAP.

Will APPICS posts automatically be posted on Steemit?

Once the SMT comes out, no - because APPICS will be independent from the Steem Blockchain.
But as of right now, you might see some APPICS posts on steemit because we are currently testing the app on the STEEM blockchain while the SMT is still under development.