Why We’d Use React Native to Build a Web3 Platform Today
In 2023, we collaborated with Magnetiq, a New York-based Web3 startup, to bring an ambitious vision to life. The platform aimed to empower brands with NFT-based memberships, digital collectibles, and token-driven experiences for their communities.
But it wasn’t just about rewards. It was about fostering new types of relationships between brands and users—built on transparency, participation, and ownership.
We created the entire system from the ground up: a custom web platform, a secure backend, smart contract integrations for minting NFTs, and adaptable features like reward drops and polls. All of this was delivered within a tight six-month MVP timeline.
That project showed us what’s achievable when the vision is clear and deadlines are pressing. But if we were to build a mobile-first version of that platform today?
We’d go with React Native.
What Is React Native?
React Native is an open-source mobile app framework developed by Meta. It allows developers to build mobile apps for both iOS and Android using JavaScript and React, while still delivering performance that feels native.
Unlike hybrid frameworks that render everything inside a webview, React Native compiles into real, platform-specific UI components. The result is a faster, more fluid experience for users—without requiring two separate codebases.
It’s trusted by companies like Instagram, Coinbase, Discord, and Shopify. For teams already using React and TypeScript, the learning curve is minimal, and the development efficiency is significant.
For Web3 consumer platforms, this matters. You need polish, speed, and flexibility. React Native delivers all three.
Why React Native Makes Sense Now
When creating quickly evolving token-based platforms, rapid iteration and feedback are imperative. React Native enables us to do that by providing a single codebase for iOS and Android. We can release updates at the same time, minimize duplication, and streamline QA workflows.
With out-of-the-box UI building blocks, the user gets a high-performance experience. And with CodePush-like capabilities, we can push app logic and features at runtime—without app store curation.
React Native also gets along well with our existing backend stacks: TypeScript, GraphQL, headless CMSs, and Web3 tooling. Velocity is added with no added complexity.
Compared with traditional mobile development, which often requires separate teams for iOS and Android, or with hybrid approaches that compromise performance, React Native strikes a reasonable middle ground—common development with the natural feel of the native world.
Bridging React Native and Web3
React Native is now a legitimate foundation for full-fledged decentralized applications. The toolkit now includes products allowing for direct connections between blockchain and mobile experience.
WalletConnect allows seamless wallet connections within the app with support for deep linking, QR code scanning, and multi-chain sessions. With no redirection needed, users can connect MetaMask or Trust Wallet wallets.
Ethers.js allows apps to interact directly with smart contracts—reading token ownership, executing mints, claiming rewards, and subscribing to on-chain events.
Moralis facilitates backend logic simplification. It allows for wallet authentication, NFT syncing, monitoring of events, and off-chain workflow triggering.
For non-crypto-native customers, products such as Dapper facilitate the process for fiat onboarding. Familiar payment flows enable users to create a wallet, buy tokens, and interact within Web3 ecosystems.
These connections enable developers to create mobile applications that deliver seamless Web3 experiences—fast and dependable.
Back to Magnetiq: What React Native Would Unlock Today
When we built Magnetiq, we started with the web. A responsive, React.js-based application gave us the speed and flexibility needed to validate the product and launch within six months. That choice made sense — for testing features, handling fast-changing requirements, and delivering a polished desktop experience.
But loyalty isn’t just earned online. It’s lived on mobile — through daily interactions, quick reward claims, and real-time brand engagement.
We validated the concept fast with a responsive web app.
But for sustained engagement and loyalty behaviors—mobile is where it lives.
That’s where React Native comes in. Not as a replacement, but as a foundation for deeper, more native interactions.
With the mobile and Web3 ecosystem maturing, a mobile-first build using React Native would unlock new capabilities. From smoother wallet integrations to offline access and faster updates, the experience becomes more seamless — and more scalable.
Here’s what React Native would unlock now:
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Mobile-Native UX
Responsive design helped us reach users across devices, but React Native would allow us to build for mobile from the ground up. That means gesture-based navigation, smoother animations, and a user experience that feels fully native — ideal for loyalty journeys happening on-the-go.
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In-App Web3 Interactions
Where the original product redirected users to external wallets, a React Native version could handle wallet logins, NFT views, reward claims, and token-gated access directly in the app — using WalletConnect, ethers.js, and secure deep linking. It’s a smoother, more trusted experience for users.
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Faster Iterations with OTA Updates
We moved quickly on the web, but mobile typically introduces friction with app store approvals. React Native changes that. With tools like CodePush, we could push feature updates or UI changes instantly — which is especially powerful for loyalty platforms that run frequent campaigns, drops, or seasonal content.
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Offline Access
For loyalty use cases tied to retail or field environments, intermittent connectivity is a reality. React Native supports local caching and offline workflows, ensuring reward checks and interactions continue smoothly — and sync back when online.
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Unified Mobile Development
Building separate native apps for iOS and Android often means more engineering effort and longer timelines. With React Native, we’d maintain a single codebase across both platforms, while still delivering native performance. That means faster delivery, easier testing, and consistent UX.
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Access to Device Features
From QR scanning to biometrics to push notifications — React Native offers full integration with mobile hardware, opening up new loyalty mechanics and security features that go beyond what’s possible in a web-only experience.
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Streamlined Onboarding
React Native also makes it easier to support non-crypto-native users. Tools like Dapper can be integrated for fiat-based wallet creation and onboarding, making the Web3 layer invisible while keeping the benefits of ownership intact.
Together, these capabilities would help us deliver a loyalty experience that’s fast, deeply integrated, and built for the way users interact with brands today—on mobile, in real time.
And with offline support and a modular architecture, we’d be ready to scale—across geographies, campaigns, and devices.
The result? A faster, more fluid, and fully mobile-native user experience.
HCode’s View: Why This Stack, Why Now
We’re not promoting React Native because it’s popular. We’re outlining what we’ve seen succeed—particularly within startup-style environments where speed, iteration, and user experience are all a factor.
In several projects, we’ve invariably discovered that React Native assists us with:
- Making haste without compromising quality
- Maintaining a unified UI across platforms
- Minimizing redundant engineering work
- Reliably shipping with small teams
When combined with blockchain infrastructure, it forms a healthy equilibrium:
- A familiar mobile UX + actual asset ownership
- Fast release cycles + strong security controls
- Brand-centric design + provable transparency
We’ve taken Web3 platforms from scratch to market in fewer than six months. We’ve navigated changing priorities, evolving features, and compressed go-to-market timelines.
If we were recreating the same platforms for today’s mobile-first users, our strategy would remain focused on rapid iteration, shared codebases, and seamless Web3 integration—which is precisely what React Native allows.
Final Takeaway
The mobile era of Web3 is here.
Consumers demand wallet access, gated content, and token rewards—delivered instantly, securely, and natively. React Native isn’t just a cost-effective alternative. It’s a strategic alignment for product teams focused on UX, speed, and long-term scalability.
We’ve learned what works: rapid MVPs, responsive UIs, and seamless blockchain integrations. And when it comes to mobile, React Native consistently finds the sweet spot between speed and quality.
For teams facing early-stage chaos or scaling to enterprise levels—this is the stack to bet on.
Because fantastic Web3 platforms aren’t just created. They’re felt.