The Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) network has enormous potential, but it faces a significant gap in addressing one of the most critical elements of the internet: Ecommerce.
The Problem
I joined the ICP network in August as both a user and an ICP holder—not a whale, not a fish just an average participant. I was drawn by the promise of an unhackable, fully on-chain system. My goal was to transition my online business to this innovative network. However, after months of exploring the ICP ecosystem through its official page and Kinic, I discovered a glaring issue: there isn’t a single dApp that allows a common merchant to build a straightforward online store for selling products.
Examples of Missed Opportunities
I tried dApps like Gate23, only to find that after importing products, the process shifted to the Ethereum network with confusing smart contract requirements. Similarly, ICME, which markets itself as a website builder for everyday users, is limited to NFT functionality. Worse, I struggled to reach any form of customer support to resolve my concerns with ICME. Extensive searching for them social media networks and when I found it, they didn’t respond back. So, spending $100 on ICME felt like a wasted investment.
On the positive side, I found Bitshop, a simple marketplace that aligns with the vision of what ICP could offer. Yet, my attempts to engage with its creators on social media were met with silence. This pattern of unresponsiveness is frustrating and emblematic of a larger issue.
A Broader Ecosystem Problem
I’ve used and tested every dApp listed on the ICP ecosystem page—games, social apps, DeFi platforms, and more. I’ve used Kinic to find ones that weren’t. The one standout is Open Chat, which enables peer-to-peer transactions in user-created communities. I use it every day. It hints at ecommerce potential but lacks a critical feature: integration with a true web3 online store. This missing functionality is a significant obstacle.
Why Ecommerce Matters
Ecommerce is not a recent innovation—it dates back to the 1970s and 1980s and became transformative in the 1990s. By 2025, ecommerce is a cornerstone of the global internet economy. Giants like Shopify, Wix, and Block generate billions annually because they empower everyday people to sell their goods and services.
In 2023, Wix generated approximately $1.56 billion in revenue and Shopify’s revenue reached around $7.06 billion, while Block reported revenue of about $4.57 billion. This is a total of $13.19 billion dollars. Global ecommerce revenue has exceeded $6.8 trillion and is projected to reach $8 trillion by 2027. Over 33% of the world’s population shops online. Ignoring this massive sector on ICP is a missed opportunity for growth and relevance.
Misaligned Priorities
Instead of addressing these foundational gaps, ICP appears focused on speculative trends like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Developers and advocates like James Allen (CityXcape on YouTube) have expressed frustration with this direction. Months before James started going down this rabbit hole, I was also on Open Chat trying to have discussion about this and was cast out as a FUDDER instead of being adhered to or given the usual downplayed advice to wait or DIY. Allen, a skilled developer and engineer, recently announced his departure from ICP due to the network’s misplaced priorities. When respected contributors and investors feel disillusioned, it signals deeper problems. When users can’t function, they throw their hands up and walk away this is normal human behavior.
Similarly, Jerry Banfield, another major ICP advocate, has invested significant resources into the network but remains dissatisfied with the lack of progress in addressing core user needs. He has walked away from ICP many of times and he also has recently expressed his opinions as well in response to James. Suggest you watch that video as well. This sentiment has nothing to do with price action and everything to do with growth. I am sure Jerry has used Trax, so that kind of experience sits with a user. If you don’t know what I mean, go use Trax. DApps like DSocial are another example of why isn’t this working. It’s YouTube on ICP are you kidding me right now? Seers…this is just weird. RealEstateDao etc, etc the list goes on and on.
So, when someone like James (a developer and engineer) is absolutely frustrated with the process of building on the ICP and feels that the direction of DFinity chasing a speculative and well-known crypto bubble (Artificial Intelligence) as a priority over just simple common user interface and development. It is a red flag. This is someone who is in the 8-year Gang and with not a small amount of money; they have what some people make in a year invested into this platform. Same goes for Jerry Banfield he has thousands of dollars tied up into this network for 8 years and they’re stuck, not happy and it is because the direction and priorities of DFinity and the ICP network has been lackluster at best. 8-year gang, 8-year pain.
The Path Forward
There have been over 100 developers here developing and not one of them has questioned the fact that, “Hey? How come ICP doesn’t have a Shopify or Wix dApp on its network?” is kind of alarming and a sign that things might be a little out of touch between its users and its developers. Ecommerce is not optional—it is essential. Ignoring this foundational element disrespects the history and evolution of the internet. Rather than chasing AI dominance (a sector already saturated by giants like OpenAI), ICP should focus on becoming a leader in decentralized ecommerce.
To sit there and chase a tech that is at the least 20 years still to go into development and to sit there and disregard the ecommerce marketplace and keep telling users that want to implement ICP into this type of business model, to wait and or it can be done if you just get a developer to do it. The reason I bring James Allen into this. James is struggling with building, that means that the developer that you hire to build for you will go through the same process. We saw this with Yral as well. Highly skilled developers more than you or I probably have issues building on ICP shilling out thousands upon thousands of dollars to maintain.
And the worst response ever to hear…“Just wait for caffeine AI and all of your problems will be solved.” is so toxic it’s not even funny. Time is money and money is time. This mentality is taught from the kitchen to the military. It condescending as well hearing it month after month; year after year.
ICP has the potential to disrupt the ecommerce space as a first mover in web3. Building tools for small businesses—such as marketplace creators akin to Shopify or Wix—can drive adoption, build trust, and secure the network’s relevance. Your best bet is to get OpenAI to start using your network to run their product. You will also bring up Utopia now, to add argument and my only response to that is this. If ICP cannot handle small business, how the heck are they going to handle a corporation that is 100X that? You don’t harvest the corn before you plant the seeds.
Same with Caffeine AI, if it exists and Dom is out there demonstrating it to other people first and not the users, then if it really works, then tell him to just go ahead and use it to make one or two marketplace builder sites for the ecosystem page. If it’s that ready to go and that ready to do what it does, then what’s the problem in doing this?
If ICP cannot handle small business use cases, it cannot expect to attract larger enterprises. Start with the basics before attempting to dominate more complex markets.
A Call to Action
If DFinity and the entire ICP network that includes its users, does not stop and adhere this message then we are lost. If DFINITY and the ICP community continue to prioritize speculative ventures (tokens & defi) over practical tools (office suite, cloud storage), they risk being seen as just another token-driven network. If ICP does not stop putting 100% priority into Artificial Intelligence. Trying to compete with OpenAI, Copilot, Gemini & Elon Musk for a market sector (when every AI model on ICP is obsolete), instead of changing direction into the ecommerce sector (that has no competitors) and dominate the space now as a first mover; than don’t expect much from this network. Current direction is a betrayal of the network’s mission, and the new implied direction had the overall potential to become top used blockchain network ever.
ICP is bigger than the crypto hype cycle (global market bubble), but only if it focuses on real-world applications like ecommerce. You’ve disrespected the history of the computer. You went from the internet to machine learning. You skipped completely over ecommerce entirely. Maybe it’s so common now you didn’t even notice you were doing it. It is so implemented in our every day to day it just washed over you this whole time.
We all know there are bull and bear markets and every one of them someone gets wiped out, gone pun intended, history. Regardless of tech or not. The choice is clear: adapt and lead, or risk irrelevance. Let’s ensure that ICP fulfills its promise as a usable, adaptable, and safe network for everyone—not just speculators. There is no comparable growth in the AI sector as there is in the ecommerce sector. Growth happens in the marketplace. Liquidity comes from the marketplace. When you make a movie you want it to be on 4 quadrants then that way you know it is a blockbuster movie.
So, my question and task to everyone who has made it this far. Please push and advocate for more ecommerce driven platforms on the ICP network. Please if you are a developer, implement a marketplace builder dApp that is user friendly. It should be a mix of ICME, Gate23 and BitShop all together without the issues mentioned above. Trust me if I could do it, I would and would have made a million dollars already? Or would I have been like James and threw my hands up walked away instead?
Thank you for your time and reading this. I feel that I speak for all retail users in this network right now. If I am wrong about this, please let me know. If you know how I can move forward in my endeavor to move my business to an online ICP store, please let me know. Thanks.