In the fast-paced world of Web3 and decentralized finance (DeFi), developers often face a daunting challenge: navigating the complex, fragmented landscape of blockchains, protocols, and smart contracts. Building a decentralized application (dApp) can involve months of integrations, audits, and maintenance—time that could be better spent creating innovative features for users. Enter Enso, a revolutionary blockchain infrastructure platform that’s changing the game with its Shortcuts, pre-built, reusable modules that streamline onchain development and make launching apps faster and more accessible than ever. In this blog post, we’ll explore what Enso Shortcuts are, how they work, and why they’re transforming the way developers and users interact with Web3.
What is Enso?
Enso is a Tendermint-based Layer 1 blockchain designed to abstract the complexities of onchain interactions, enabling developers to build and launch applications with unprecedented speed and efficiency. It acts as a universal gateway for blockchain interactions, mapping every onchain action to a shared engine that handles the technical heavy lifting. This allows developers to focus on their product, community, and growth rather than getting bogged down in protocol-specific integrations or endless audits.
At the core of Enso’s innovation are two components: Actions and Shortcuts. Actions are standardized, modular representations of individual smart contract interactions, such as token swaps, staking, or lending. Shortcuts, on the other hand, are pre-configured combinations of these Actions, bundling complex, multi-step DeFi processes into a single, seamless transaction. This modular, intent-driven design makes Enso a powerful tool for both seasoned developers and newcomers to Web3.
What Are Enso Shortcuts?
Imagine you’re building a DeFi app that requires users to swap tokens, provide liquidity to a decentralized exchange (DEX), and stake their liquidity provider (LP) tokens—all across different protocols and blockchains. Traditionally, this would involve weeks of coding, protocol-specific integrations, and rigorous testing. Enso Shortcuts eliminate this complexity by offering pre-built workflows that handle these tasks with a single API call or click.
Think of Shortcuts as Web3’s version of macros or “smart actions.” They are reusable, composable workflows that combine multiple onchain actions—such as bridging assets, swapping tokens, or depositing into a yield farm—into a single transaction. Shortcuts are designed with three key principles:
Modularity: Shortcuts are built to handle specific functions, allowing developers to mix and match them to suit their needs.
Intent-Driven Design: Developers specify what they want to achieve (e.g., “swap USDC for ETH and stake it”), and Shortcuts handle the how, interacting with the blockchain on their behalf.
Cross-Chain Compatibility: Shortcuts support EVM-compatible chains, enabling seamless deployment across multiple blockchains without worrying about protocol-specific complexities.
For example, a Shortcut could enable a user to bridge assets from Ethereum to Arbitrum, swap them for a desired token, and deposit into a yield farm—all in one click. This eliminates the need for multiple approvals, network switches, or manual steps, saving time, reducing gas fees, and minimizing errors.
Real-World Impact of Enso Shortcuts
Enso Shortcuts are already powering transformative changes in Web3 development. Here are a few examples of how projects are leveraging Shortcuts to simplify workflows and focus on innovation:
Onplug: Onplug, a Web3 automation platform, initially spent seven months building protocol integrations from scratch. After adopting Enso Shortcuts, they rebuilt their entire integration layer in just 1.5 days. This allowed them to focus on creating user-friendly features, making Web3 automation accessible to everyone.
Glider: Glider, a platform for crypto trading on autopilot, used Enso Shortcuts to bypass months of integration work. They shipped automated trading features with ease, enabling users to execute sophisticated strategies without worrying about the underlying complexity.
Infinex: Infinex, a decentralized alternative to Binance, integrated Enso Shortcuts to power its onchain infrastructure. With Shortcuts, Infinex users can perform complex actions like swapping and bridging assets across 200+ protocols in a single transaction, creating a seamless, fee-free experience.
ZKsync Ignite Initiative: Through Enso’s Shortcuts, the ZKsync Ignite initiative enabled interaction with 17 protocols, turning complex DeFi interactions into automated flows. This allowed teams to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure.
These examples highlight how Shortcuts are not just incremental improvements but transformative tools that redefine how blockchain applications are built. By removing the need for developers to spend hours wiring together disparate tools or maintaining complex integrations, Shortcuts enable faster, cheaper, and more intuitive interactions with DeFi protocols.
Why Shortcuts Matter
Enso Shortcuts are more than just a time-saving tool—they represent a paradigm shift in Web3 development. Here’s why they’re a game-changer:
Accessibility: Shortcuts lower the barrier to entry for Web3 development. Developers don’t need to be experts in every protocol or chain to build powerful applications.
Efficiency: By condensing multi-step processes into a single transaction, Shortcuts save time, reduce gas fees, and minimize the risk of errors.
Social Composability: Shortcuts can be created, shared, and forked within the Enso ecosystem. This means users and developers can build on each other’s strategies, fostering collaboration and innovation.
Scalability: With support for over 160 protocols and 15+ unique primitives across 10+ blockchain ecosystems, Shortcuts enable developers to scale their applications effortlessly.
For users, Shortcuts mean a smoother, more intuitive experience. Instead of juggling multiple dApps, networks, and approvals, they can execute complex strategies with a single click. For example, a trader could set up a Shortcut to “dollar-cost average into ETH every Friday” or “auto-harvest and reinvest yield across multiple protocols,” all without manual intervention.
The Enso Network: Taking Shortcuts to the Next Level
Enso is not stopping at Shortcuts. The platform is evolving into the Enso Network, a decentralized coordination layer that builds on the success of Shortcuts to create a new paradigm for Web3 development. The Enso Network, a Tendermint-based Layer 1 blockchain, standardizes onchain actions across the entire crypto ecosystem, creating a “shared network state” that maps all smart contract interactions. This allows developers to express high-level goals (e.g., “lend 10 ETH at the best yield”) without managing the technical details.
The Enso Network has already processed over $15 billion in transaction volume across 10+ blockchain ecosystems, proving its scalability and reliability. It opens up new possibilities, such as autonomous agents, onchain automation for DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks), LLM-driven smart wallets, and composable game economies.
Get Started with Enso Shortcuts
Ready to experience the power of Enso Shortcuts? Here’s how you can dive in:
Explore Enso’s Platform: Visit enso.finance to start creating or using Shortcuts. Browse templates made by the community or build your own workflows.
Join the Shortcut Speedrun: Enso’s Shortcut Speedrun campaign, hosted on Zealy, invites developers and users to engage with the ecosystem through tasks like joining Discord, completing quizzes, or building apps with Shortcuts. Participants can earn rewards, including a share of the upcoming $ENSO token airdrop on CoinList.
Integrate with Enso: Developers can access Enso’s API to integrate Shortcuts into their dApps. With support for 200+ protocols, Enso makes it easy to add DeFi functionality to any project.
Conclusion
Enso Shortcuts are redefining Web3 development by making it faster, simpler, and more accessible. By abstracting the complexities of blockchain interactions, Shortcuts empower developers to focus on innovation and users to engage with DeFi effortlessly. Whether you’re building the next big dApp, automating trading strategies, or exploring the Web3 ecosystem, Enso Shortcuts provide the tools to “just ship it.”
As the Enso Network continues to evolve, it’s clear that Shortcuts are just the beginning. With a growing community, backing from investors like Polychain and Spartan, and integrations with major ecosystems like BNB Chain, Sonic Labs, and Unichain, Enso is paving the way for the next billion users to join Web3. Join the movement today, explore Shortcuts, and discover a smarter, faster way to build onchain.