A decentralized application (dApp) is a software application that operates on a decentralized network rather than being controlled by a single entity or central server. DApps commonly utilize blockchain technology and smart contracts to achieve decentralization, enabling greater transparency, security, and immutability compared to traditional centralized applications. DApps can replace most common applications in various fields, including social networks, games, entertainment, productivity tools, or finance.|Reference: Benedict George, coindesk.com (2022) What Is a Dapp? Decentralized Apps Explained https://www.coindesk.com/learn/what-is-a-dapp-decentralized-apps-explained/
DApps typically rely on the computational power of the blockchain, which hosts their smart contracts. While Bitcoin can also be considered a decentralized application, the rise of dApps as perceived today came with BitShares, created by STEEM founder Dan Larimer in 2014, which was one of the earliest decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and decentralized exchanges (DEXs),|Reference: 
Hive blockchain is capable of hosting dApps. It offers fast feeless transactions, a set of different private keys granting different permissions, high scalability, and simple wallet names.|Reference: https://hive.io/ Moreover, dApp development is eligible for DHF funding.
Popularity-based rankings may not be truly relevant, as there is no reliable comparison with a clear methodology yet. Rankings based on the number of unique participating wallets or total transaction volume may be affected by the nature of the app and the very high volatility of their tokens. Nevertheless, dApps often cited as popular in 2024 include:
Hive primally hosts social media dApps and games. Besides various front ends intended for content creation ranging from microblogging to vlogging and Splinterlands, among the most popular ones are:|Reference: https://dappradar.com/rankings/protocol/hive
