What is decentralized social media?
Decentralized social media refers to platforms built with blockchain technology, where no single entity holds total control of the network. Instead, power is distributed among users, and content resides on the blockchain or in decentralized storage systems.
These platforms are:
Open source and transparent
Community governed
Interoperable between applications
Facilitated monetization — without intermediaries.
They also feature SocialFi, a model where creators earn directly through tokens, NFTs, and microtransactions.
Major decentralized social media platforms you need to know.
1. Frequently misunderstood as "the decentralized Twitter," Mastodon is an open-source platform where anyone can create a server (or "instance") with their own rules and community.
Key features:
Federated model (without a central server)
No ads, no tracking
Users can transfer their identity between servers.
Although it does not use blockchain, Mastodon is an excellent initial example of a decentralized digital network and community-led governance.