Blockchain social is no longer just a thought experiment. Farcaster anchors identity on Optimism while keeping posts off-chain on “Hubs”; Lens scaled with Momoka and is migrating to Lens Chain; Nostr is a Bitcoin-adjacent, key-pair protocol with Lightning “Zaps”; Bluesky’s AT Protocol goes decentralized without a blockchain. Fees fell with Ethereum’s EIP-4844, and DA layers like Celestia plus storage nets (IPFS/Arweave) make large-scale social more plausible. The big remaining questions are moderation, privacy, and incentive design.
What “blockchain social” actually means (and what it doesn’t)
Not every decentralized network uses a blockchain. Bluesky’s AT Protocol is federated (PDS/BGS/App Views) and explicitly not a blockchain. In contrast, Farcaster and Lens use blockchains for identity/state while pushing heavy content off-chain to specialized layers for speed and cost. Nostr is a minimal protocol using keys and relays; value transfer rides Lightning.
Reference architectures you can build on today
Farcaster: on-chain identity, off-chain content
Farcaster keeps account creation and permissions on Optimism via three core contracts (ID, Storage, Key registries). Posts and reactions live on a distributed network of Hubs; developers and clients replicate from these Hubs. Frames (interactive cards) add in-feed actions. This hybrid model gives portability with consumer-grade performance.
Lens: scaled social with Momoka → Lens Chain
Lens introduced Momoka, an optimistic L3 that writes social data to a DA/storage layer (Arweave via Bundlr) instead of clogging an EVM. In 2025 the team began migrating profiles/content from Lens v2 (Polygon/Momoka) to Lens Chain (ZKsync stack + Avail), keeping user ownership intact. Open Actions let posts trigger external smart-contract actions.
Nostr: protocol + Lightning tips
Nostr clients connect to relays with public keys; “Zaps” are Lightning micropayments baked into the social flow (NIP-57). It shows how payments can be native without any platform escrow.
Storage & data availability: IPFS, Arweave, Celestia
IPFS provides content addressing (CIDs) so the same file is retrievable from anywhere. Arweave’s “permaweb” aims for one-time-fee, durable storage and is used by Lens/Momoka via Bundlr. DA layers like Celestia provide scalable data availability with sampling, useful when apps split execution from data.
Why 2025 looks different: costs and performance
Ethereum’s EIP-4844 (Dencun) added blob space for rollups on Mar 13, 2024, materially reducing L2 fees and improving the economics of high-volume social writes. Combined with DA layers, this makes “on-chain where it matters, off-chain where it’s heavy” a workable pattern.
Identity: from wallets to verifiable credentials
Sign-In with Ethereum (EIP-4361) gives passwordless auth, while W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials 2.0 standardize portable attestations (e.g., “age-over-18”) that can be shown to apps without handing over raw PII. Expect social clients to use VCs for age gates or community access, verified on-chain or off.
Moderation: who decides?
Open social moves moderation from a single company to a network of labelers, feeds, and client policies. AT Protocol formalizes independent labelers and custom feeds; Farcaster’s channels and client-side moderation shift power to apps/communities. The challenge is giving users control without offloading all moderation labor onto them.
Incentives & SocialFi: lessons learned
Tokenized engagement can backfire if whales or sybils capture rewards. Early experiments like Steem → Hive showed how governance and token concentration can trigger forks; newer SocialFi apps (e.g., friend.tech) use bonding-curve mechanics for “keys,” but volatility and policy risk remain. If you add tokens, design for long-term behavior, not short-term hype.
Practical blueprint: launching a blockchain-based social app
1) Choose the control plane
Use on-chain for identity/permissions; keep feeds and media off-chain (Hubs/relays/DA). Farcaster/Lens show robust patterns here.
2) Pick your data rails
- Messages/graph pointers → DA + immutable storage (e.g., Celestia/Avail + Arweave/IPFS).
- Media → IPFS gateways or Arweave; pin frequently accessed assets.
3) Identity & access
- Wallet login via EIP-4361; add DIDs + VC 2.0 for KYC-free attestations (age/community membership) to reduce data collection risks.
4) Monetization
- Native tips/micropayments: Lightning-style “Zaps” or stablecoin tips.
- Tokenization only if there’s utility beyond speculation; beware bonding-curve side effects.
5) Moderation & safety by design
- Adopt multi-party labeling, blocklists, and per-user filters (AT Protocol model).
- Align with regional rules (e.g., EU DSA transparency/minor-protection guidance) if your front-end serves those markets.
6) Client UX
- In-feed actions (Frames/Open Actions) reduce context switching.
- Consider Solana Actions/Blinks style “transaction links” when you need cross-app execute buttons.
Key trade-offs
- Cost vs. permanence: Arweave is durable but not free; IPFS needs pinning. DA layers are cheap for writes but don’t equal full on-chain storage.
- Openness vs. safety: User-controlled feeds and labelers empower communities but don’t eliminate abuse; plan for transparent appeals and cross-client blocklists.
- Identity vs. privacy: Biometric proof-of-personhood (e.g., Worldcoin) faces scrutiny—VC/DID-based attestations are less invasive while still enabling abuse limits.
FAQs
Is a blockchain strictly required for decentralized social?
No. AT Protocol is decentralized and federated but not blockchain-based. Blockchains help with portable identity, payments, and tamper-resistant logs; they’re one piece of the puzzle.
How do we keep fees manageable?
Anchor identity and critical state on L2s that benefited from EIP-4844 and move posts/media to DA/storage layers. This splits cost while keeping portability.
Which projects show real traction?
Farcaster (OP Mainnet identity + Hubs) and Lens (Momoka → Lens Chain; Open Actions) are actively used by builders; Nostr demonstrates key-pair social with Lightning tips; Bluesky shows federated moderation/feeds at scale.
What about permanent storage?
Use IPFS for content addressing (CIDs) and Arweave for long-term durability; Lens/Momoka integrates via Bundlr.
