Nostr, a blockchain-based competitor to Twitter, finally releases on Apple’s App Store
The decentralized social networking protocol Nostr is now available on Apple’s App Store with its most popular app, Damus.
Nostr – The Twitter killer?
The launch of Nostr, which aims to replace centralized social networks like Twitter, was boosted by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s endorsement and by a generous donation of 14 Bitcoins.
The surge in interest led to Damus hitting its beta testing limit of 10,000 users, resulting in its developers applying for a formal listing on the Apple App Store. Damus has now been approved and is available for download on the App Store.
Elated by the recent development of Nostr, Jack Dorsey expressed his sentiments in a recent tweet, stating that the launch was “a milestone for open protocols.”
Explaining Nosr and the inner workings of decentralized social media
Nostr, which stands for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays, operates by users generating a public and private key pair through a client application. The public key acts as the user’s “ID” on the protocol, while the private key serves as the password.
Users can broadcast a message by connecting to a relay and signing it with their private key. The protocol uses asymmetric cryptography to allow private messaging by encrypting messages with the recipient’s public key. This concept is similar to the way Bitcoin transactions use encryption to ensure only the rightful recipient can spend the funds.
While Nostr is still a niche project and in its early stages, it offers a promising, open, censorship-resistant, and permissionless communication protocol. With Damus’ listing on the App Store, Nostr now has the potential to reach a wider audience and help the web3 space gain even more traction.
Twitter adopting a new payment system
Twitter has undergone several changes since the Elon Musk takeover. The billionaire entrepreneur has generated controversy by changing the blue verified badge, making it available only through a subscription payment. This decision has benefited bad actors, who have exploited the blue ticker to deceive and scam users of their NFTs and crypto holdings.
Another change that was recently announced was the introduction of a payment system. Twitter Inc has begun applying for regulatory licenses with the aim of allowing peer-to-peer payments and e-commerce shopping. Only fiat payments will be available initially, but Musk has already stated that cryptocurrencies will follow.
Surging competitors to Twitter – Mastodon and BlueSky
Although Twitter is still one of the most prominent social media platforms, especially for the crypto community, it faces growing competition from web3 protocols. Mastodon, an open-source social media platform, is a direct competitor to Twitter. The platform offers users a place to meet where central authority can’t interfere, built around the motto of “safe, fun, and no bullies”.
Another project rivaling Twitter is BlueSky, an upcoming app that shares some similarities with Nostr. Bluesky was funded by Twitter and is being developed by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter
The protocol operates on a decentralized, open-source framework where users have control over their data and algorithms. This means there is no central authority, and each member has equal rights, much like the blockchain. Although this has some benefits, such as immunity from bankruptcy or sale, it also opens the possibility for malicious activity due to the anonymity of the platform.
BlueSky has a 500-character limit on posts and allows for account portability, where users own their content and can publish it on different social platforms. Despite being funded by Twitter, BlueSky is a wholly independent organization with no CEO and no obligation to Twitter. A Beta test version was made available late last year, with thousands of users flocking to join the waiting list.
