How does blockchain messaging work

To send message via the blockchain today, the sender sends a transaction (with zero value) to the receiver’s wallet address. The message is written on the “input data” field of the transaction. This method is permissionless, immutable and verifiable on-chain, and is how we communicate with hackers.

How is dIRC different

We are building on top of the existing method.

Using the User/Follower Token relationship, we are able to direct the sender’s message only to those who want to receive the message. This means no spam, scams and distractions - re-creating the way Twitter or Discord should work in the web3 world.

But wait. Everyone can read my messages since they are all on the blockchain

That is true. While there are methods that allow for encrypted messages on the blockchain, we are still figuring out the best solution that is censorship-resistant. (We hear that zkEVM could be helpful). Let us know if you have a good solution.

But fully transparent messages has their place in this world. For example, if you think about it, isn’t that exactly what Twitter is? People on Twitter want their message to be heard. The more people hear their message, the more followers they will gain, which increases their legitimacy. This in turn attracts more people to hear their message, which increases their followers…

OK so this is web3 Twitter

Yes and No.

Yes, because it kind of is.

No, because it is more than that. By using User/Follower Tokens to first establish relationships (at the blockchain level), we are flipping the equation, putting the peer-to-peer relationships before the platform features:

Unlike web2 platforms where communities live and die on separate platforms, what web3/blockchain allow us to do is to establish the relationship first. Every user own their connections/followers/network. The platforms then offer just a service for you to interact with your network.

So what are you trying to be

Like how composable everything in crypto is, we are laying down the building blocks for other use cases to be built on it.

So far, we managed to build out a web3 version of:

1. Twitter - using the User/Follower Token relationship

2. Discord - using Channel Tokens

3. WhatsApp/Telegram - using the direct message feature (coming soon)

There could be more. Messaging is just the first step. We envision new and different web3-enabled relationships to be built on top of dIRC. Speak to us if you have cool ideas.

So you are recreating existing web2 platforms? But this time, you have to pay to send messages? Why would anyone use it

We are living in a transitional period, where people’s idea of what is worth paying for is changing over time:

• With Pirate Bay, people didn’t think it’s worth it to pay for music, until Spotify came along. Same thing with Netflix.

• With social media, people thought everything should be free, until they realize their information is being traded to marketers.

• With blockchain, people couldn’t understand why they had to pay to get their transaction included in a block, until they realize the immutability nature of the transaction.

With dIRC, people will likely reject the idea of paying to send messages at first, until they see some of the benefits of doing so:

1. Thoughtful discussions: Since each message is a transaction and entails paying a small fee, this should significantly reduce the amount of spam a user would receive when trying to have a public discussion. Perhaps now, Vitalik can finally have a thoughtful discussion with the online world.

2. Community management: For once, Web3 project owners can actually set token-gated channels that checks for members’ validity before and after entry

3. Anti-phishing: Community/DAO members of a project have more confidence in whom they are speaking to, since messages are sent from a wallet address.

   The trust assumption of a private key is arguably higher than web2 logins - unless the hacker managed to get hold of private keys, it is unlikely that you are getting phished.

There’s more. As the product continues to evolve, we think future use cases could include:

1. Pay-to-speak: Channels could be created where members actually have to pay a fee (on top of gas fee) to speak. The paid fee can go towards a pre-determined wallet address, be it the channel admin, or a DAO, or a charitable cause.

2. Pay-to-read: Today, marketers/advertisers pay platforms like Facebook or Google to find their target audience. With the User/Follower Token relationship firmed established and users have full control over what they choose to read, marketers got to go directly to users, incentivizing them to read their marketing message.

3. Smart contracts verification: Wallet addresses are already the online identity in the blockchain world. Users can interact directly with wallet addresses that are deployer address of a certain smart contract, increasing users’ confidence that they are dealing with the right owners of a project.

This still feels like a solution looking for a problem

Maybe it is.

Our objective is not to build the best product in terms of features and benefits, but to build the best decentralized product. We do not jump the gun. We focus first on decentralizing the core attributes, before adding more features later on.

We work with what we have, and we welcome all to contribute to the solution. After all, who knows which decentralized product the world would value next. This cycle was NFTs. Next cycle could be GameFi. Or Metaverse. Or messaging.