The Idea Of The "Hook Store"
XAH fans have been eagerly anticipating a version of the future for Xahau, integrated with crypto wallets.
The Concept
The problem with installing a smart contract - known as 'a hook' in the Xahau network - on your account, is that you don't really know what the code contains. And that's a potential security risk for most people; if we don't have to, most of us will opt not to add a black box to our bank account, especially if that black box could potentially contain malicious code that would send our money elsewhere.
However, the concept of smart contract transparency has been addressed in the Xahau network using a technique that relies on a digital 'fingerprint' for known programs.
How Hook Digital Fingerprints Work
Each program on the Xahau network that's known as a 'hook' must be compiled at some point prior to being used. And each time a program is compiled, it results in a deterministic 'hash' value. That's a fancy way of saying 'digital fingerprint', which is unique to each program.
And it's this digital fingerprint that allows stakeholders such as XRPLWin - a popular and highly-advanced XRP and XAH account explorer. - to determine which programs are installed on an account.
So, in that way, unique identification is now addressed using that approach.
Audits
In addition to being able to trace a hook smart contract back to its original code, it's also necessary to provide a way for users to rely on audited code.
Why?
Because most users do not know how to read C code .... or any code, for that matter. Due to this, it's preferable to have a list of smart contracts whose code has been audited by a third party, and then certified in some way for public use. This requires an investment of money, of course, because without an incentive, even the most proficient coders will not willingly sign their name to another's code.
But once this occurs ... it paves the way for a public listing of 'audited hooks', much like 'audited smart contracts' on Ethereum.
Why A Hook Store Is Important
A hook store doesn't have to be limited to one wallet provider; it could, in theory, be a universal list of audited hooks, housed by a non-profit third party for anybody to use as they see fit.
Xahau Badger In The Hook Store
There could, in theory, also be multiple, other 'hook stores' with audited hooks related to a specific company that handles the list, and the installation procedures.
There could be one or multiple 'hook stores.'
Hook stores are important for the reasons I've already elaborated; the average user does not possess the requisite skill to audit the code that they are installing on their accounts. Some level of trust is implied in all circumstances.
It Would Ease Adoption ... By All Stakeholders
The same target group that XRP adoption seeks, mirrors the group that XAH seeks; a savvy-but-not-technical early business adopter. And that group relies on their judgement of the technology that they use, and how far they can trust it.
Badger Business Man Evaluating Hooks
They evaluate trust based on their own criteria; having a set of audited hooks - a.k.a., a 'hook store' - to choose from simplifies this process.
Once the code for each hook is published, they could even use an A.I. assistant to help them determine the level of safety and trust that they should rely on, in the smart contract(s) that they choose to install on their XAH account.
The Vision
While the idea of the hook store is agnostic to a specific wallet, I envision a future where I can use my favorite self-custody wallet; Xaman. And in Xaman, I'd expect to see, possibly, an xApp where I can filter through a long list of smart contracts to install on my XAH account. Maybe the xApp could be called 'Hook Store'.
If it existed, I would use it.
Steve Jobs successfully envisioned a structure of installations on the iPhone that was far ahead of its time, and it put the user experience first, to massive success. Now visualize the same concept; only with Xaman, and with installing a smart contract on your own XAH account.
A hook store is the fulfillment of the 'be your own bank' vision.
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Sources
https://xahau.network/docs/hooks/
https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/smart-contracts/verifying
