The Mini Apps moment
How Farcaster Frames evolved into full apps inside the feed — and why Base benefits most.
Frames first
In January 2024, Farcaster launched Frames — a standard that lets any URL embedded in a cast become interactive: buttons, polls, mini checkouts, mini games. It became a viral developer moment, with hundreds of Frame apps launching in weeks.
Then Mini Apps
Mini Apps extend the Frame model into full apps that run inside Farcaster clients. They support deep linking to wallet transactions — including Base transactions — and feel more like native iOS apps inside a feed than embedded widgets.
Why Base benefits
Mini Apps are a distribution unlock: a Base app can publish a Mini App, drop into millions of users' feeds, and get one-tap onboarding via Coinbase Smart Wallet. The friction collapses to nearly zero.
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