Introducing Log in with Ethereum

Product

March 23, 2022

Author: Reed McGinley-Stempel

Unlock Web3 via Stytch without having to touch a blockchain.

Stytch is on a mission to eliminate friction from the internet and we’re thrilled to launch our first passwordless authentication solution for Web3—Log in with Ethereum. Log in with Ethereum makes crypto wallet authentication seamless, for both engineers and end users, and supports passwordless authentication for all Ethereum-based wallets (Metamask, Coinbase Wallet, etc.).

What we’re solving for

One of the major developments that has occurred over the past two years has been the meteoric rise of cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum (ETH), and decentralized Web3 applications. To use price as a proxy for this growth, in March 2020, the price of 1 ETH was worth roughly $112.35. Two years later, the price of 1 ETH is now worth $2,574.75, a staggering increase of nearly 23x. And that’s with ETH’s drop from its all-time high of nearly $5K back in November 2021.

In March 2020, the price of 1 ETH was worth roughly $112.35. Two years later, the price of 1 ETH is now worth $2,574.75, a staggering increase of nearly 23x.

Ethereum today remains the market leader in Web3 and has the greatest share in the fast-growing non-fungible token (NFT) and decentralized finance (DeFi) markets. But despite the rapid growth of cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications, crypto wallets—the tools that house digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs—remain inaccessible and complicated for end users and developers alike.

For end users, just figuring out how to create and fund a crypto wallet is daunting, and can feel as confusing and punishing as trying to decipher poorly thought out street parking signs. There are too many steps involved in sign up and it is common for people to lose access to their credentials when using private keys to determine wallet ownership.

For developers, the proliferation of different wallets has led to generic and bloated user authentication experiences. And once a user logs in, developers are still faced with challenges like managing sessions for their users. Connecting a wallet is just the beginning of managing your users in Web3 applications.

Our solution: Log in with Ethereum

We’re introducing Log in with Ethereum to help solve for this friction. With just two calls to our API, you can allow users to log in to your app via any Ethereum-based crypto wallet. MetaMask, Coinbase, Rainbow, and any other Ethereum-based wallet can now be linked via our API in a single, smooth authentication flow alongside your existing Web2-based options. Email magic links and crypto wallets? You got it. Crypto with SMS based OTP as a second factor? No problem.

Our documentation shows you, step-by-step, how to build a Log in with Ethereum flow and how to deal with the authentication logic. Via our direct API, we clearly outline what steps are necessary on the client side. Our integration guide is a one-stop shop for how to get the Log in with Ethereum flow working, end-to-end.

Using Log in with Ethereum

Although Log in with Ethereum can be used in a standalone fashion for connecting crypto wallets, it becomes much more powerful when you combine it with the other features and ergonomics of the Stytch platform:

For session management: when you authenticate a crypto wallet, you can start a session to securely keep the user logged in. Both session tokens and JWTs are fully supported for session management.
For user management: similarly, you can use the Stytch API to easily manage your users.
With additional authentication factors: beyond crypto wallet auth, Stytch offers a full suite of authentication methods such as email magic links, OAuth, biometrics, SMS passcodes, and WhatsApp passcodes.

With Stytch, you can build secure, low-friction authentication flows for both Web2 and Web3 users with a single authentication provider. Whether a user wants to log in with Apple, Google, their FaceID, or a MetaMask account, you can fully support all users with a single integration.

What’s coming next

Log in with Ethereum marks Stytch’s first foray into the Web3 space, and there is plenty more to come. Web3 is increasingly going multi-chain, with compelling new projects being built on blockchains outside of Ethereum, and so are we. We’re excited to continue to build out support for other popular blockchains like Solana so that more Web3 use cases can use Stytch for their authentication needs.

At Stytch, we pride ourselves on both providing great developer experiences but also great end user experiences. We’ll be launching SDK support for our crypto wallet log in products so that we can continue to do more of the heavy lifting when it comes to building delightful user experiences, and you can focus on building your core product.

Web3 user authentication is a multifaceted issue, and we’re also excited to unveil something for end consumers in the near future. Stay tuned!

Getting Started

Are you building a Web3 application, or are interested in enabling your users to authenticate via their Ethereum wallets? You can check out our documentation and sign up for a developer account here to get started! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at support@stytch.com.