While popularity and importance of social networks is rising, most popular of them, like Facebook and Twitter, are closed centralized platforms with many fundamental issues.
Web3 based alternatives could provide more decentralized solutions and here are some of them:
- Lens
- Farcaster
- Yup
The first thing to know is the basic difference, that instead of platforms, web3 based alternatives are protocols. It means they aim to be decentralized, uncensorable, open and let developers build customizable apps on top of them.
From users perspective the main difference by using them is, that you have to login with your Ethereum wallet first.
1. Lens
Lens is a decentralized social media protocol built on Polygon by the founder of the DeFi lending protocol Aave — Stani Kulechov.
Main features:
- user pay small gas fees by posting
- all data are stored on Polygon (Ethereum sidechain)
Featured apps:
Lenster – Facebook-like app
Phaver – Twitter-like app
Lenstube – Youtube-like app
Learn more: 1
2. Farcaster
Farcaster is a permissionless protocol with minimalistic approach of storing data on-chain, founded by ex-Coinbase founders Dan Romero and Varun Srinivasan.
Main features:
- user pay small gas fee just once by creating an account
- sufficiently decentralized – only identity is stored on Ethereum
Featured apps:
Warpcast – Twitter-like app
How to make an Farcaster account?
Learn more: 1
3. Yup
Yup is a social network that aggregate content from many platforms to one app and allow cross-posting.
Main features:
- provide content from Lens, Farcaster, Mirror, Twitter, NFTs, POAPs and more in one endless feed
- provide you to post to all mentioned apps with one click
Learn more: 1
Alternative using Bitcoin:
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Not financial or tax advice. This post is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions This post is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.