Relation, a builder for Web3 social graph infrastructure in an era of connectivity.
Social networking is increasingly valued in today’s Internet services. The trend has already been seen in Web2 services, such as in the phenomenal online game “Honor of Kings”. Now, with emerging technologies, social networking is gaining a foothold in Web3 with strong momentum.
In this AMA especially held for Chinese community on 8th June, the host Haibo, from PANews, Jessica, founder of Relation, and Santry, CMO of the project, gathered together to discuss Relation’s path for its Web3 social graph infrastructure.
Here is the transcript of the AMA event:
- Host: I would like Jessica and Santry to introduce themselves and their project — Relation.
Santry: Hello everybody, I am Santry, CMO of Relation. I really appreciate the opportunity to host this joint AMA event with PANew. I know the staff from PANews have devoted a lot of time to making this happen, and I’m also seeing friends from the Relation community who are present to show their support. We welcome all kinds of questions.
Allow me to introduce myself. At Relation, I am in charge of the project’s global branding and operations. Back in 2017, I started to work in the blockchain industry, moving between digital asset exchanges, wallet providers, and other services. Before entering the blockchain industry, I also worked in fields relating to Internet services and traditional finance. So that was nine years spent on marketing operations and 5 years on the blockchain industry. Earlier this year, I left Patract Labs, a project in the Polkadot ecosystem, to join Relation. Relation is a project of huge potential and it deserves long-term attention. We appreciate the support from the community.
Now it’s Jessica’s time to introduce herself and her view on the project.
Jessica： Many thanks to the moderator. Hello, friends from PANews, I am Jessica, founder of Relation.
I’m glad to co-host today’s event with PANews and to share our recent efforts in developing social network infrastructure in the Web3 space. We welcome questions and interactions.
I worked in derivatives trading and crypto derivatives strategy. Since the first half of last year, I have been brainstorming with a couple of old friends to devise a Web3 social network infrastructure supporting new forms of financial products, economic activities, and organizations. This was how Relation was conceived.
Founded in October 2021, Relation has now more than 20 full-time staff working in Singapore, North America, and Shanghai. In January this year, it landed a seed round of funding at a 20 million USD valuation, with support from investment institutions including Hashkey Capital, SNZ, Signum Capital, and others. Also acquired is the strategic support from Huobi Incubator.
Relation is focused on exploring the value of the Web3 social graph. Our vision is to provide the most powerful social graph infrastructure for various global blockchain systems. Currently, our solution is built on Dfinity. We have also deployed our social graph database solution on the Pallet layer of Polkadot’s Substrate framework. More public blockchain ecosystems will be supported in the future.
The project has released the Relation One Web App and plugins to help Web3 users quickly establish their native Web3 identity supporting multiple blockchains, with which they can explore a new paradigm of social network and blockchain native community. So far the identity scheme has supported blockchain identities on Ethereum, Polkadot, BSC, and Internet Computer and provided quick access for multiple wallets. We also provide Web3 Dapps and their developers with Relation Link Tool Suite to help them integrate social networking components and access Web3 social graphs so as to enrich their business models, opening up more opportunities for them.
- Host: Why build Relation — a social graph project?
Santry: Core members of our team are professionals with many years working in the blockchain sector, some of them had worked for fortune 500 companies such as Amazon. We realized that data on blockchains are treasures. With more applications generating more data, the potential value will be enormous. Data on blockchains are transparent in nature. It is easy to single out those addresses connected to certain games, YFI mining, Curve mining, NFT transactions, and spending on a blockchain.
However, social graphs on blockchains, namely the first degree, second degree, and potentially more degrees of relationships formed by interactions among individuals, are hard to get. For starters, countless amount of wallet addresses can be created on a blockchain, but data relating to real interactions on a blockchain are scarce; secondly, individual wallet addresses belonging to the same user on different blockchains do not by themselves constitute a unified on-chain identity; lastly, social relations cannot be mapped simply by using on-chain interactions, for the latter does not have enough data to represent a social network.
That is why we must go further to develop Relation One, a social network product encouraging users to bring in their social relations in Web2 services (email, mobile phone, Twitter). In this model, users can group their wallet addresses scattered on multiple blockchains into a unified Web3 identity by verifying their cryptographic signature. When a user follows other people, the social and on-chain interactions between them and the subsequent first-degree and second-degree contacts illustrate many webs of social connections, thus presenting a user-centric Web3 social relations network for native crypto users — social graphs. With Relation One, we are looking at a new paradigm of on-chain social relations network, a new space for Web3 users to generate more genuine interactions, to follow their friends, and to explore like-minded contacts recommended by the system. Social relations data from this platform have so much untapped value.
Data provided by the social graphs is significant for the blockchain industry. We would like the users’ identity and data on-chain to be portable. Addresses, tags, on-chain behaviors, all can be moved between any Dapps, giving data ownership back to the users and ending monopoly posed by Internet hegemons. Web3 is an era in which the value of data is being reshaped. This is why our project matters.
- Host: As a Web3 social graph infrastructure, what features do Relation provide?
Jessica: We provide a Relation One Web App and a social network plugin as a point of entry for users. They also serve as a demonstration for a social network application powered by DApps.
Relation One is a social network application for Web3 users to manage their homepage and social relations data. Users can discover contacts, find like-minded communities, and join NFT clubs on-chain. Its one-stop social network features include: Profile management, on-chain identity management, address book, instant messaging and group chats, DAO, NFT avatar, and game invitation and score ranking. Recently, we launched Bazaar and Web3 homepage. With these encompassing tools, users can view network information relating to more than several millions of social relations graphs and locate their friends on-chain. The platform also provides information like recommended users, NFT Club, Dapps, Global Social Graph, and others. Based on these social relations data, we have provided a myriad of social network services.
When users link their address from multiple blockchains on Relation One, a Web3 personality tag is assigned. The system will locate and match like-minded contacts on-chain based on this analysis. Soon, a visualized, user-centric Web3 social graph will be available — a social relations network in Web3.
Our Relation Link Tool Suite allows Dapps and their developers from different blockchain systems to tap into the power of Web3 social graph data. They can implement social network components of Relation One according to their needs — like LEGO. With its social network infrastructure, Relation aims to enable Dapps by offering them new avenues to business. This is an excellent opportunity for user growth.
We also provide a set of solutions, such as APIs for querying Relation Graph and accessing Relation Dashboard, modular social network components, among other things. Relation also has a scaffolding tool for developers to streamline development, testing, and deployment, without them having to dive into the underlying protocol. They can just efficiently deploy smart contracts using our front-end template, achieving low-code development.
We are exploring other Web3 avenues and potential use cases. Relation Graph can provide valuable user data for DID digital identity projects to develop their Web3 reputation system; blockchain games can integrate chat, invitation, game ranking features by implementing our social network components, so as to attract new users while keeping old ones. With our open-source Relation One toolkit, Web3 social network projects can bootstrap their business with minimum cost.
- Host: Web3 gives data ownership back to the users. But how can they capture data value using Relation?
Santry: Our vision has always been “One person, One key, One data space, and Unified data ownership, All in one”. That is why we choose to build on Internet Computer — its unique Canister design can be used to store a user’s identity and social relations data while preserving privacy on-chain. Data are stored in a personal data space truly owned by the user in question. The data include contacts, address book, profile, DAO memberships, asset data, and Dapp authorization records.
In the future, we will provide users with a set of data permission management tools. Users can fully decide which Dapps will have access to their social relations data. Users can set authorization relating to specific contents, scope, and duration — a real time authorization scheme with extensive granularity on control. We also plan to launch a data market fully controlled by users to monetize their data (social relations and behaviors on-chain), trading this valuable resource with those who can make use of it with proper authorization from its rightful owner — the users! This is how we aim to capture the value of data for users — the best definition of data-sovereignty in Web3.
- Host: Compared to Web2, currently Web3 applications are difficult to attract users at a massive scale. What are the shortcomings of Web3 infrastructure? How can Relation help?
Jessica: Infrastructures play an important role in developing an industry. Cross-chain support, distributed storage, privacy-preserving computing are critical for Web3 infrastructures. Cross-chain technology speaks to the incompatible nature of various public blockchains in the current stage, and it is essential for an interconnected Web3 ecosystem. There is much to improve on this, including addressing cross-chain security and devising future roadmaps. Privacy is needed more than ever in a decentralized world in which many data are transparent on-chain. We need to enhance privacy for user data to protect their footprints throughout the life-cycle of using Dapps. This issue involves many subjects, such as the privacy protection for blockchain platforms, privacy for storage (distributed storage), private key management, and protocols of anonymity.
As a social graph infrastructure, Relation’s goal is not about inventing new technologies relating to cross-chain, privacy, and storage from the ground up. It aims to develop a unified identity scheme linking multiple identities on different blockchains, thus paving the way for a Web3-based social network effort. Compared with the Web2-based identity scheme, the new paradigm enables data-sovereignty, open-access, security, and privacy, freeing users from the hands of any single organization. With their new unified identity, they can port their data to other Dapps — without permission.
Using Internet Computer’s technology stack, Relation provides each user with a dedicated and private data space to store personal identity and on-chain data. Nobody can access private data on-chain without proper authorization, thus ensuring privacy and data sovereignty.
Relation is a social graph infrastructure supporting multiple blockchains. That means we will continue to integrate with major blockchain systems to form a global social graph of significance. While cross-chain technologies are still in their early stage, we have made strides on multiple blockchains; we have built on Internet Computer; we have also deployed a graph database solution on the Pallet layer of Substrate — similar deployment will be seen in other blockchains in the future — as with login schemes supporting those blockchains.
Currently, Web3 applications still rely on promotion on Web2 social media. In the future, we will make use of Relation Graph and social relations data generated on the platform to further analyze user data for Web3 applications. With multiple degrees of contact explored and content subscription implemented, we will continue to develop data services such as behavior analysis, business intelligence, and artificial intelligence. With Web3-native user tags and social relations data, this approach may lessen our reliance on the Web2 social network tools and stimulate business growth leveraging the power of decentralization.
- Host: How does Relation connect users’ data on different blockchains?
Santry: It is no secret that data on blockchains are transparent. This is the foundation of on-chain data analysis — such as service providers like Glassnode and Nansen. Using our social graph infrastructure, users can login to Relation One with the different blockchain identity schemes and wallets it supports, such as Metamask, Internet Identity, Plug, Polkadot, BSC Wallet and Wallet Connect. This can be done simplifying by verifying a cryptographic signature — all the private keys and assets are off-limits to us. Your asset is still secured.
The data generated by our platform are based on various degrees of social connections. Powered by the data from real users who are leaving their own on-chain footprints, we can easily assign personality tags and match friends and like-minded contracts for them.
It is obvious that many social graphs can be generated from user interactions in various Web3 Dapps. This is why we hope to further develop Relation to unleash the full potential of data value, ultimately empowering Web3 development.
- Host: Relation has been admitted into Huobi Incubator’s program. What kind of support does Relation acquire from investment institutions?
Jessica: In March this year, Relation joined an incubation program in Huobi Incubator. Since then, Huobi Incubator has been helping Relation by accelerating its development in social relations graph. The effort includes tutor sections, marketing and PR resources, ecosystem cooperation, legal and financing consulting, professional guidance on business model design, and grants. The support is expected to continue in the next few months. Through the Demo Day hosted by Huobi Incubator, Relation aims to showcase Relation and its potential to developers and tutors, opening up more opportunities for future partnership.
In addition, Relation received early funding from institutions such as Hashkey Capital, SNZ, and Signum Capital this January. They will also provide resources and network support to help develop Relation.
- Host: What is Relation doing to bootstrap the ecosystem? How is it working with other projects?
Santry: To accelerate the development of Relation’s ecosystem, the project has multiple plans in place. There is funding for media, communities, or KOLs who can contribute to Relation’s branding; incentives, branding and marketing support will be given to those DApps and developers who wish to integrate Relation LinkTool Suite and offer valuable feedback; incubation programs and developer courses will also be rolled out. Once approved, these support will be available to those who apply on our website. We will provide proper funding and technical support based on our assessment of their business plans.
Relation is an open, inclusive, and diversified social network ecosystem. It can connect with any communities or projects. Our goal is to empower social networks and human connections. We are eager to foster global connectivity in the Web3 space and to unlock the potential values hidden in different communities.
Hashkey Me is partnering with us to integrate some of our features, including unified identity scheme, chats, and address book. Soon, users can exchange tokens on Hashkey Me wallet while connecting with like-minded token holders by group chats. This is a Web3 based social network ecosystem with privacy preservation by design.
Recently, we have partnered with PNS (Polkadot Name Service) and .bit (formerly known as DAS) to improve our integrated identity system, a new way for users to manage on-chain addresses. Other Web3 related partnerships include CCC Protocol, HashMix, MetaOasis, Dmail and 4everland. We are also connecting with Huobi Wallet, EverPay and 5 Degrees. In the future, users can access Relation’s services on Huobi Wallet. It may thus support features like asset transactions and red packets, enriching our social network experience.
We are more than happy to support DeFi, GameFi, and SocialFi with our social network solutions. That way, they can tap into a new space for innovation and growth at a really low cost. This is what Web3’s composability is all about.
- Host: Social network is a trending topic in Web3. What scale do you think the market will reach?
Jessica: Web3 is still in its early stage, which means there is still a lot to do. As Packy McCormick, founder of Not Boring Capital said, “If Web3 is going to be as big as the internet, which has 4.66 billion users, it’s only penetrated less than 1% of the market.”
We want to build a more decentralized social graph infrastructure in Web3. Now, we are in the early days of the Web3 social network. We want to move beyond the constraints posed by Web2 social media and by big technology firms; we want to free users’ data from the hands of a few people; we want to put data ownership back to its owners and foster new connections by portable identity and chain-native communities. Our goal is to build a fairer and more sustainable society for all.
As with each iteration of the Internet, the promise of Web3 is centered on people — the things that we can do together. The opportunity for innovation lies in human connections, as those defined by Relation. We want to reimagine relationships between people, between innovation and businesses, between companies, assets, and users, and between people and communities in the Web3 era. With this new approach, we can leverage decentralized and trustless technologies to create new assets, communities, and platforms, turning users and consumers into stakeholders and owners. The Web should be owned by communities, not by centralized organizations. That also means the governance, rules, and operations should be controlled by users — the same goes for the majority of potential profit.
That heralds the future of a decentralized Web3 economy — a person’s value and their activities on a decentralized network will increasingly contribute to their identity and the value they will receive from the platform. We believe the potential for such a social network market will be as powerful as that of the Web2 version.
- Host: Tell us about Relation’s recent developments and plans for the future.
Santry: Relation One launched its Web App, Bazaar, and Web3 homepage, and other features recently. With NFT Club, smart-contract enabled groups to use a certain NFT as a means of entry requirement. We welcome NFT holders on the Ethereum blockchain to come here and set your NFTs as avatars on our platform, bringing the NFT culture and brands they like into our community. It’s a good way to promote their projects and gain more attention.
This Friday we will launch additional features such as referrals and group chat support. It is safe to say that Relation’s product line is ready. With 1.4 million social network graphs generated and a global social graph data view, our project is fulfilling its promise. Currently each user is connected with 500 crypto contacts via a social graph extending from a point of origin — the user in question. We will continue to improve the user experience of our product, and more efforts are on the way — mobile apps, support for login with more blockchains (such as Solana).
According to our roadmap, we will release the official economic model and whitepaper, and develop a data market, in the next six months. With this new feature, users can authorize on-chain identity-related data to be traded on an open data market while data users or developers can pay certain fees to use this data. The more data a user trades, the more potential value can be realized. Those holding Relation tokens can also participate in community governance and vote on issues such as upgrade plans and community development. We estimate that by 2023 the project will grow into a powerful Global Social Graph with high-level AI (artificial intelligence) support, forming a native and unified social relations data and identity solution for our Metaverse vision. Our ultimate goal is to be the next-generation Web3 social graph infrastructure.
About Relation
Relation aims to explore the value of social graph data on Web3. Our vision is to provide the most powerful and rich social graph data for multiple global blockchain systems and to explore new paradigms connecting people, organizations, relationships, and behaviors — serving as the next generation social networking infrastructure in the Web3 era.
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