In this week’s episode of the Untangling Web3 podcast, the spotlight is on Alec’s latest venture Restify, a Web3 dApp designed to help users reduce their screen time and improve mental health through microincentives and rewards.
Built on blockchain, Restify transforms digital wellness into a game of positive reinforcement, paying users small amounts of crypto for simply staying off their phones. We dive deep into the story behind the app, how it works, and why it could represent a new era of purpose-driven dApps.
Key Points Discussed:
- The Problem: Screen Time and Mental Health in the Digital Age Alec explains how screen addiction and overuse of social media have become major contributors to the global mental health crisis, costing over a trillion dollars annually in lost productivity. Restify’s mission is to flip the script—using blockchain incentives to encourage healthier habits. Instead of punishing overuse, the app rewards users for time spent offline, proving that positive reinforcement can drive long-term behavioral change.
- How Restify Works and What Makes It Unique: The dApp integrates with a user’s phone to track downtime sessions—periods when the phone isn’t used—and automatically issues microrewards in the VeBetter token. Users can earn small payouts for every minute they stay off-screen, with verified data stored transparently on-chain. Unlike other apps or “digital detox” gadgets, Restify doesn’t block access—it builds self-control through motivation, gamification, and the psychology of reward.
- Building a Decentralized Wellness Ecosystem: Restify has grown to over 15,000 users and saved more than 160 years of verified screen time. The app’s success comes from Web3’s ability to coordinate global communities quickly, without traditional startup bureaucracy. Beyond screen time, the long-term goal is to evolve into a full mental health dApp—tracking mood logs, integrating an AI wellness assistant, and even partnering with insurers or wellness providers to incentivize healthy behavior at scale.
Restify showcases the potential of Web3 beyond speculation—using decentralized apps to create measurable social impact. By aligning financial incentives with wellness goals, it demonstrates how crypto can be used for good, not just profit.
tThe future of mental health technology may depend less on new gadgets and more on how we use incentives to encourage balance in a hyperconnected world.
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This episode is sponsored by the VeChain foundation. Learn more about VeBetterDAO here:
https://vebetterdao.org/
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Learn more about Web3 at:
https://untanglingweb3.com/
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Untangling Web3 is brought to you by hosts Jack Davies and Alec Burns, with music by Daniel Paigge. Got a question or topic suggestion? Send us an email at theuntanglingweb3podcast@gmail.com.
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The views we express here are our own, and do not represent the views of our employers. Nothing discussed or stated in the show should be considered advice.
