Coinbase Alums Patchwork Take Next Step Toward No-Code Blockchain Development

Patchwork, a startup focused on simplifying blockchain and smart-contract development founded by former Coinbase employees, has released the next version of its low-to-no-code tools for building decentralized applications (dapps).

Currently linked to Coinbase’s popular Ethereum layer-2 network Base and backed by Coinbase Ventures, the “Create-Patchwork” picks-and-shovels approach lowers the barriers to building blockchain applications and attaching data to them.

Following the trend toward easily generated content, the complex world of blockchains and smart-contract design is on a path to no-code applications, or “text-to-app” experience.

Create-Patchwork is the first of several features the team plans to roll out in early 2025 and a foundational step to enable creators to generate contracts and applications in seconds using natural language inputs.

“Patchwork is an Ethereum protocol that makes it really easy to build dynamic on-chain applications,” co-founder Kevin Day said in an interview. “It lets on-chain things own other on-chain things, and it allows anyone to attach programmable data to on-chain things.”

User-friendly examples of Patchwork’s data modelling include things like attaching on-chain ownership to valuable gaming items such as weapons, or attaching a marker that a particular smart contract has been audited, or perhaps a reputation score to indicate whether something has ever been hacked, Day said.

Prior to creating Patchwork, Day was part of the team that built Paradex, a decentralized exchange crossed with a central limit order book familiar to traditional traders, which was acquired by Coinbase in early 2018. Day and company ended up working on the Coinbase core exchange, but decided to leave after about four years.

“We always had the itch to get back into the real Web3 development space, so we decided to get the band back together,” he said.