A case for Web3 chat apps with Push Protocol’s Harsh Rajat

Episode 39 of Hashing It Out features an interview with Harsh Rajat, founder and project lead of Push Protocol, who talks about the Ethereum ecosystem and the future of on-chain chat apps. In the episode, Rajat explains why Web3 messaging apps will lead the next wave of crypto adoption and the need for Web3 communities to pivot from Web2 tools and become fully on-chain. 

Rajat articulates that his innovations in the cryptocurrency industry were inspired by his background working on mobile applications. He explains that he compared Web2 and Web3 apps and realized that the decentralized applications ecosystem needed things like notifications. This was an important requirement, considering that notifications are such an important part of user retention for Web2 applications.

Rajat believes the Ethereum ecosystem is where innovation happens in the blockchain space. According to him, the availability of mentorship and support from the community creates a conducive environment for development. He points out that things like face-to-face access to Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, make a difference for people building on the blockchain. Based on the culture that Rajat describes, he argues that he does not fancy the narrative of “Ethereum-killers” since it is impossible to kill what has been established.