Dear Steemians,
As announced in our previous post we are working on SteemConnect 3, this new version will be improved in many ways. This is the first in a series of posts that aim to explain and go through the changes we are implementing.
The most fundamental change from previous versions is the switch to the Steem URI protocol standard for signing transactions. This has huge benefits to both users and developers. Users no longer need to trust a single point of failure with their keys, they can choose from any wallet that implements the standard. Developers can build their applications with SteemConnect without any fear of vendor lock-in, they can always roll their own implementation of the standard and keep all existing users.
SteemConnect 3 will be a layer on top of this protocol offering applications and services that makes it easy to use for both users and developers.
The signing portal
The current SteemConnect website will be replaced with what we call a "Signing portal". It is the place users land when an app asks them for a signature. From there they can scan a QR code to sign with their mobile or click a steem:// link to open a Steem wallet app that they have installed on their device. There will also be an option to sign directly in the browser for users that don't have a wallet set up yet.
The signer apps
SteemConnect will offer signing applications for all major platforms. First out will be desktop apps for macOS, Linux and Windows followed by browser extensions and later mobile apps for iOS and Android.
You can think of these apps as minimalistic Steem wallets, they will implement key storage and the signing protocol. It is our hope that other Steem wallets will adopt the signing protocol as well.
JavaScript SDK
The SteemConnect JavaScript SDK is being updated with some great features that help developers take advantage of the steem:// protocol and SteemConnect 3 services. For example it will be possible to directly call out to the browser extension or desktop app to sign a transaction for users who are already set up, creating a seamless experience.
In the next post we will cover the improvements we are making to the posting APIs and how SteemConnect 3 will be more decentralized and resilient.
Peace & love,
The SteemScript team