In our digital age, online communities have emerged as the new social hubs. They are vibrant spheres of interaction brimming with creative energy that unite us across shared interests. Yet the power these communities wield is leased, not owned, as a result of the boundaries set by the platforms they live on. This disconnect has created a narrative that we’re now all used to where companies permit and revoke access according to their own agenda. With the advent of web3 and onchain ownership, the ability to mend this disconnect is finally possible. 

As the transition from online to onchain continues to unfold, communities deserve true ownership and influence over their digital spaces. Arriving here hinges on moving beyond the shift from online to onchain communities, and towards the concept of onchain towns.

The Pillars of onchain towns

Onchain towns represent the next evolution of internet communities. They move beyond the notion of an online community oriented around an onchain asset. Up until now, a community built around an NFT that’s organized and runs on Discord might—in some sense—be onchain, but it falls far short of what’s possible. Onchain towns realize the full potential of an onchain future.

There are five defining pillars of onchain towns:

Decentralized Membership: Onchain towns are provably owned and governed by their members. Each representation of membership lives onchain which allows for an opt-in/out experience where ownership can be transferred, sold, or even held by another smart contract like a DAO or a multi-sig, giving everyone more control. This is a distinct departure from traditional online communities where access and control are constrained by the centralized platforms they run on.

Composability: Traditional online communities are platform prisoners. Onchain towns open up the possibility to permissionlessly build and exist on completely neutral platforms. This opens up a world of opportunity for engagement and interaction. Towns can integrate other onchain assets directly into their permissioning systems, customize their own onchain governance, and even build markets around memberships. As more of the world moves onchain, from games to finance, having an onchain primitive to interact with will be essential for coordinating within communities.

Programmability: Onchain towns are programmable, letting groups set their own rules for moderation, access, and monetization. Onchain towns have the power to shape their digital spaces according to their needs and desires.

Reputation: Onchain towns go beyond "likes" and "followers”. Reputation becomes a living, onchain record of an individual's contributions, transactions, and participation that can evolve according to community-specific rules. Reputation in an onchain town is both persistent and portable, allowing an individual's reputation earned in one town to influence their standing in another. 

Transparency: Onchain towns are inherently transparent. Every action, from ownership transfers to governance decisions, is visible onchain. Onchain towns are traceable and verifiable, fostering trust and openness. Transparency allows members to more easily measure whether onchain towns remain true to their core principles. 

Why Onchain Towns

Why do onchain towns matter? Why should online communities care about control and ownership?

When communities own their digital spaces, they can realize their full potential. They can build unique experiences, reward members for contributions, and establish support models that previously weren’t possible. These communities aren't just groups; they're networks of relationships, shared experiences, and collective identity. They fuel the web with creativity, engagement, and innovation. By creating towns onchain, we ensure that all of this activity is fully owned and captured by the community itself and is never at risk of being shutdown by an external party.

The Future of Onchain Towns 

As we look to the future, onchain towns hold promise to reshape the landscape of the internet. They’re a new model for online communities, one that is more democratic, more composable, and more secure.

Onchain towns are more than the next chapter of online communities. They are a new layer of social infrastructure—native to the web and evolving alongside it. Onchain towns are more than hubs for conversation and connection; they are platforms for innovation and catalysts for change in the future of group organization.

This shift won’t happen overnight. It will require all of us who spend time online to rethink our assumptions about online communities. We’ll need to embrace new ways of interacting and engaging online. It will require new tools in the pursuit of creating novel forms of value. And most critically, it will require coordination across an increasingly composable web3 ecosystem. 

There is an opportunity to create online communities that are more democratic, inclusive, and vibrant. We can redefine the way we interact online and shape a better digital future for everyone.Let's reclaim our online communities and build the digital hometowns of the future, onchain. 

Towns is currently in alpha testing with a small pool of friends and relevant community members. We are targeting protocol launch in Q1/24—if you think you can help us shape the product, please reach out