The Disconnection

The narrative is shifting hard towards post + creator coins, and that’s reflected in the Base App UX. I get why: it’s a fast path to virality and volume.

But right now there’s a real disconnect between social engagement and trading intent.

If the social algorithm is meant to push meaningful engagement, we need more context. I’m seeing lots of coins/posts with little or no explanation. So naturally, I don’t know how to engage, even if I want to.

The Reconnection

I see mini apps as the bridge between doing something and caring enough to transact.

If I were revamping Base App, here are the biggest UX changes I’d make

1. Remove the "Trade vs Talk" split

Trade vs Talk creates a tradable vs non-tradable dichotomy that hurts social discovery.

• Posts with mini apps aren’t tradable

• Users are default to the Trade tab

• That means mini app posts (and builders) get less visibility

You can see the impact in the base.dev dashboard: Feed discovery is down vs a few months ago.

Fix: unify the feed so social discovery isn’t artificially split.

Instead of showing users endless coins they have no emotional connection to, let mini apps be the engagement gateway—where people interact first, then trade when it makes sense.

Posts with mini apps should be tradable to support builders and align incentives.

Ranking-wise, weight content by:

• social relevance to the user

• quality/context

• real engagement signals (not just noise)

2. Surface Mini Apps in Search

Right now mini apps are tucked away: Search → Apps → categories → (then maybe discovery)

Even then, it doesn’t feel like a true “user acquisition” surface, more like a curated shelf.

Fix: add a lightweight module in Search like Trending Coins:

• show 1 trending app per category

• tap-through to a proper mini app discovery page

Importantly, social feed should go hand in hand with mini app discovery. Mini apps that drive social engagement, transactions, or high-quality onchain activity should rank higher in Feed discovery.

3. Increase diversity in highlighted categories

The highlighted categories right now skew towards trading/airdrop/soft gambling.

If the attention stays narrow, builders will keep pivoting into the same category of apps, reinforcing repetition. Users eventually get fatigued.

If Base App wants meaningful engagement, the UI/UX should actively encourage a broader range of mini apps (games, social utilities, creator tools, IRL coordination, learning, etc.).

Closing thoughts

I believe in Base and in the builders who came here because of the builder culture.

I want to see a wide variety of mini apps flourish, and I want Base App to actually solve distribution for builders. So every builder has a real shot at shipping and reaching users because

Base is for everyone.

JAstra, Base Builder