The blockchain landscape is ever-evolving, with developers seeking ways to create the next killer app. While the EVM ecosystem offers battle-tested smart contracts and tools, Flow's unique approach introduces powerful new possibilities: full EVM compatibility paired with Cadence, Flow's native smart contract language.
This article will cover the following benefits of incorporating Cadence into your EVM apps:
- Easy User Acquisition: Build simple, one-click experiences that feel natural, helping your app stand out and attract more users.
- Works with EVM: Flow works with your existing EVM contracts and tools, so you can improve your app without starting over.
- Better User Flow: Cadence lets you bundle multiple steps into one, making actions like NFT purchases or DeFi tasks fast and hassle-free.
Reducing In-App Friction
User friction is the bane of experience design and is unfortunately all too common in crypto UX. Traditional EVM platforms force users to execute complex operations as separate transactions, creating friction and potential failure points that render the previous steps useless.
Flow was designed from the ground up as a platform for next-gen apps, games, and digital assets. By running an EVM-equivalent environment within Flow's Cadence runtime, developers can compose multiple EVM operations into a single atomic transaction.
This isn't just a technical optimization: it enables entirely new categories of user experiences that were previously impossible.
Seamless UX with Atomic Operations
Consider a common scenario on today's NFT marketplaces: a user spots an NFT they want to purchase, but they'd need to swap tokens to cover the cost. On traditional EVMs, they're forced through a complex dance: execute the swap and separately attempt the purchase, maybe add an approval in between. Each step requires a separate wallet interaction, introducing delays where market conditions can shift or other buyers can step in.
Using Cadence, this entire sequence becomes a single atomic operation: sign once, and either everything succeeds or nothing happens (since execution of each step is conditional on the success of everything prior). Users no longer have to worry about dangling token approvals or having swapped tokens without the NFT. No wasted gas fees on failed attempts. Your users have a clean, simple experience that "just works."
This ability extends far beyond simple marketplace transactions. Imagine a DeFi protocol that needs to rebalance positions across multiple liquidity pools. Instead of forcing users through a series of individual transactions — each with its own gas fees and potential for failure — the entire rebalancing operation can be composed into a single atomic Cadence transaction. If any step fails (perhaps due to slippage or changed market conditions), the entire operation safely reverts.
Preserving Ecosystem Compatibility
Most importantly, this functionality is purely additive — it does not require abandoning existing EVM contracts or tools, and can be layered on top of contracts you already have. EVM calls from Cadence are compatible with any EVM contract, allowing teams to incrementally enhance their applications while maintaining full compatibility with their existing infrastructure and tooling.
All of your pre-configured components continue to work exactly as they do on any other EVM platform — you're simply adding a powerful new layer of composition and control.
Developers can continue using familiar tools like Hardhat, Foundry, and ethers.js, while gradually introducing Cadence transactions to enhance specific user flows. This incremental approach allows teams to experiment with innovative user experiences without requiring a complete rewrite of their application.
Competitive Advantage Through Superior UX
Flow offers a significant competitive advantage, enabling developers to deliver streamlined pathways that abstract away blockchain complexity. While competitors rely on multi-step processes that may alienate new users, Flow unlocks single-click experiences that handle complex operations under the hood.
Instead of educating users on gas fees or token approvals, you can create simple, intuitive interfaces that map to mainstream user expectations and foster adoption.
This advantage becomes particularly powerful when building for mainstream audiences. Over 45-million people have used a product on Flow, including applications from top tier creators like Dapper Labs (NBA, NFL, Disney) and industry leaders such as Mattel and LiveNation/Ticketmaster
Start Building on Flow
Flow's unique architecture combining Cadence with EVM compatibility lets teams experiment with user-focused features previously impossible on traditional EVM platforms — all without sacrificing compatibility with their EVM tools and contracts.
Ready to supercharge your EVM apps on Flow? Explore our comprehensive guide on batching EVM transactions with Cadence and start building the next generation of Web3 experiences.
