GM, Web3Daily readers!
🌟 Glance at Today's Edition:
🌱 Lens Protocol Introduction
📜 The Backstory of Lens Protocol
💡 Overview: The Advantages of Lens Protocol
🔒 Taking Control: How to Access Lens Protocol
🌐 Web3 vs. Web2 Social Media
🤝 Lensverse – an ecosystem full of different projects
🛠️ Developer's Paradise: Support and Modules
🔧 Modular Magic - Lens Protocol's Modules
🌟 Advantages and Risks of the Lens Protocol
🤔 Lens Protocol –social media built on top of current blockchains
🌱
Lens Protocol Intro
In part 1 of this mini-series we touched upon a social media Mastodon that even though was decentralized, wasn’t built on top of any blockchain. It’s only natural to explain next how a Web3 social media could look like, if it was built on top of one.
Lens Protocol is a decentralized Web3 social graph on the Polygon blockchain. It empowers users with full ownership, control, and customization of their social interactions. With modularity and interoperability, developers can seamlessly integrate applications. Lens Protocol redefines social media, emphasizing decentralization and user autonomy.
📜 The Backstory of Lens Protocol
The backstory of Lens Protocol is rooted in the growing need for a more user-centric, decentralized, and fair social media platform. It emerged in response to the limitations and concerns associated with traditional Web2 social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
In the early days of social media, these platforms gained massive popularity as they connected people from around the world, allowing them to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences. However, as they grew, concerns about user data privacy, content ownership, and platform control started to surface.
Web2 networks became centralized entities with full control over users' data and connections. Users had little say in how their data was used, and algorithms often prioritized content based on profit-driven motives rather than user interests. Creators, too, faced challenges as their content and followers were tied to the platform, making it difficult to move or monetize their work independently.
As the negative impact of these issues became more apparent, the idea of Web3 and decentralized technologies gained traction. Web3 promised a more open, transparent, and user-owned internet, with blockchain technology at its core.
Enter Lens Protocol—an innovative Web3 social graph built on the Polygon Proof-of-Stake blockchain. Its primary goal was to empower users and creators, giving them full control over their social connections and content. By leveraging the power of blockchain and NFTs (ERC721 tokens), Lens Protocol offered a decentralized and modular approach to social media.
The Lens Protocol team recognized the importance of portability, allowing users to bring their data to any application built on the platform. This addressed the fear of losing one's audience and livelihood due to platform policies or algorithm changes, offering creators greater freedom and independence.
With Lens Protocol, content creators finally had a platform where they could truly own and monetize their content. The introduction of Collect Modules allowed them to define rules for minting NFTs, offering new opportunities for monetization and engagement with their audience.
Moreover, Lens Protocol prioritized inclusivity and collaboration. It welcomed developers to build applications on its platform, fostering a vibrant ecosystem where everyone's contributions mattered. The protocol's governance transitioned into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), enabling the community to actively participate in decision-making processes.
Through a series of tutorials, resources, and community engagement, Lens Protocol sought to guide developers and users in navigating the world of Web3 and blockchain technology. It emphasized the importance of community feedback and contributions, with grants and partnership opportunities available for those who wanted to contribute to its growth.
The backstory of Lens Protocol is one of evolution—a response to the limitations of Web2 networks and an ambitious step towards a more user-centric, open, and fair social media landscape. As the platform continues to develop and adapt, it strives to become a beacon of decentralization, ownership, and customization in the realm of social media.
💡 Overview: The Advantages of Lens Protocol
Lens Protocol brings a new era of user autonomy and control over their social interactions. Let's take a look at its practical advantages:
🔹 Fully Composable Social Graph: With Lens Protocol, users have full ownership of their social graph, meaning no one else has control over their connections and data. It's like having the keys to your social world, free from centralized platforms.
🔹 Blockchain-based and Permissionless: Lens Protocol operates on the Polygon blockchain, an open-source platform that allows anyone to participate without restrictions. No more gatekeepers—everyone is welcome to join the conversation.
🔹 Monetization and Content Ownership: Creators on Lens Protocol can truly own and monetize their content, breaking away from the limitations imposed by traditional Web2 social networks. It's a fair and empowering system for content creators.
🔹 Interoperability with DApps: Lens Protocol goes beyond being a standalone platform. It's designed to seamlessly integrate with various applications, opening up new possibilities and taking the Web3 experience to new heights.
🔹 Built on Polygon for Scalability: Thanks to its foundation on the Polygon blockchain, Lens Protocol ensures smooth and efficient user experiences. No more worries about slow-loading content or congestion of Layer 1 blockchains like Ethereum.
🔹 Profile NFTs and Modularity: Lens Protocol's modularity revolves around follow, collect, and reference modules—all powered by ERC721 NFTs. This allows for seamless customization and expansion, adapting to users' needs.
With Lens Protocol, users can enjoy a social media experience that puts them in control. No more relying on centralized platforms or facing restrictions on content ownership. The platform's openness and integration capabilities make it a promising player in the Web3 landscape.
At the same time, the platform as of today is still locked and not available to everyone at will. The access to the platform is being slowly expanded, but not everyone is able to try it out for themselves yet. Additionally Lens Protocol is a pure Polygon solution and it doesn’t seem like it has plans to expand to any other blockchain, making it a limited choice – users will have to use Polygon no matter what in order to use Lens.
🔒 Taking Control: How to Access Lens Protocol
If you are a lucky fellow with whitelisted access to Lens Protocol you can access the platform in following way:
1. 🔑 Secure a Lens handle: Begin by reserving a unique Lens handle for yourself. This handle will be your identifier on the platform.
2. 📅 Wait for the public launch: Keep an eye out for the timeline when Lens Protocol opens to the public. Once it does, you can proceed further.
3. 🏆 Claim your profile: Once you are eligible, claim your Lens profile and make it truly yours. This step ensures that you have ownership over your profile data and content.
4. 🆕 Reserved handles perks: If you were able to reserve a handle in advance, you can enjoy the benefits of having a sought-after handle.
5. ↔️ Transfer your Lens profile: Lens Protocol allows you the flexibility to transfer your profile as you see fit. Move it to different applications or platforms with ease.
6. 🤝 Explore integrations and partnerships: If you have ideas for integrating Lens Protocol with other applications or seek partnership opportunities, don't hesitate to reach out to Lens for collaboration possibilities.
🌐 Web3 vs. Web2
In the rapidly evolving landscape of the internet, Web3 and Web2 represent two different paradigms that shape our digital experiences. Web2, the traditional model of the internet, is characterized by centralized data storage and control by a few large platforms. On the other hand, Web3 embraces decentralization, putting users in the driver's seat and giving them ownership and control over their data and interactions. Lens is different than our standard options like Facebook in following ways.
🔑 Ownership of Data in Lens Protocol: In the world of Lens Protocol, you are the master of your data. Unlike Web2 platforms where your information is stored on centralized servers, Lens Protocol utilizes the power of blockchain technology to ensure that you have complete ownership of your content, social connections, and interactions.
This ownership extends beyond the Lens Protocol itself. One of the key advantages of Lens is its interoperability, meaning you can take your data and profile with you to any application built on the Lens Protocol. This portable data empowers you to seamlessly move between different services without losing access to your audience and network. No longer bound by the constraints of a single platform, you have the freedom to explore and engage with a diverse range of applications while maintaining control over your online identity.
🚫 Freedom from Algorithmic Uncertainty: In the traditional Web2 landscape, algorithms govern what content is shown to users, and these algorithms can change at any moment. Creators often find themselves at the mercy of platform policies and shifts in algorithms, leading to uncertainty about the visibility of their content and connections.
Lens Protocol breaks free from this uncertainty. Instead of relying on opaque algorithms, Lens empowers creators with direct connections to their audience through a decentralized social graph. With this approach, creators have more visibility and control over who sees their content and how they interact with their audience. No longer confined to the whims of algorithms, creators can build and maintain strong relationships with their followers based on their own terms.
By embracing the advantages of Web3 and Lens Protocol, users can experience a new level of ownership and control over their digital lives. Whether you're a content creator, a social media enthusiast, or an entrepreneur, Lens Protocol offers a fresh perspective on social interactions, where users and creators are at the center of the experience.
🤝
Lensverse – an ecosystem full of different projects
The Lens ecosystem is an expanding landscape of projects built on top of the Lens Protocol, each offering unique functionalities and services to cater to different user needs and interests. Let's explore some of these projects and how they fit into the broader Lens picture:
1. Dumpling for Streams: Dumpling is a project that leverages the Lens Protocol to provide a platform for live streams. Content creators can use Dumpling to host real-time interactive streams, engaging with their audience through live chats, Q&A sessions, and more. By integrating with Lens, Dumpling benefits from the user-owned social graph, enabling creators to maintain ownership of their content and connections, ensuring better transparency and control.
2. Riff for Music: Riff is a music-oriented project built on top of Lens. It caters to musicians, bands, and music enthusiasts, offering a dedicated space for sharing and discovering music content. Riff's integration with Lens allows artists to monetize their music through collectibles and NFTs, empowering them with full ownership of their creations.
3. Lenstube for Videos: Lenstube is a video-centric project that capitalizes on the Lens Protocol's capabilities to create a decentralized video-sharing platform. Content creators can upload and share videos with their followers, and through Lens' modularity, they can customize features such as monetization options and collectibles for their video content.
4. Buttrfly or Orb for Mobile Communities: Buttrfly and Orb are examples of projects within the Lens ecosystem that focus on mobile community building. These platforms provide a space for users to form and engage in niche communities based on shared interests or topics. By integrating with Lens, these mobile communities can access the benefits of a user-owned social graph, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration among community members.
5. Lenster for Posting: Lenster is a posting-focused project designed to enhance the posting experience on Lens. Through Lenster, users can have a more streamlined and user-friendly interface for creating and publishing content on the Lens Protocol. This project aims to simplify content creation and empower users to fully utilize the features offered by Lens.
In the broader Lens picture, these projects complement and enrich the overall ecosystem. They expand the possibilities and use cases of Lens Protocol by catering to specific interests and communities, making the platform more versatile and appealing to a diverse range of users. As these projects continue to evolve, Lens benefits from a collaborative ecosystem where each project contributes to the growth and sustainability of the user-owned social graph. By embracing the Lens Protocol's modular approach, these projects can interconnect and share functionalities while retaining their unique identities. This interconnectivity fosters a collaborative environment where users can seamlessly explore and engage with various projects, fostering a vibrant and dynamic social media experience.
However, simultaneously, the need to access various websites, download different apps, and engage with different communities on distinct user interfaces creates a highly fragmented experience. This outcome doesn't align precisely with my initial understanding of the interoperability concept within Web3. The current scenario involves transitioning between different platforms, reminiscent of Web2 practices, and I find this approach less appealing. I would prefer a more streamlined approach where all these distinct projects are accessible directly from Lens itself, providing a seamless way to view and interact with content spanning the entire ecosystem, rather than necessitating app-switching to attain this comprehensive experience.
🛠️ Developer's Paradise: Support and Modules
Lens Protocol has a strong focus on the developer community, prioritizing their engagement more than that of the average user. Their primary strategy revolves around collaborating with independent developers to build numerous new projects, thereby expanding the appeal of the entire ecosystem and attracting more users. While this approach is reasonable, it can make navigation challenging for average users, especially those who are "crypto curious" and interested in Web3 but not yet familiar with all the intricacies of handling and utilizing blockchain networks.
In fact, the developer focus of Lens is so significant that a substantial portion of this article will be dedicated to showcasing the capabilities of Lens for developers, rather than focusing on the possibilities for the average user. If you are not interested in these technical aspects, feel free to skip ahead to the conclusion section. Lens provides a developer-friendly environment with robust support and modular functionality:
👨 💻 Lens React Hooks SDK
As a developer, you'll find the Lens React Hooks SDK to be a powerful tool for building applications on the Lens Protocol. It offers an array of functionalities, such as user profiles, following features, and recommendations, streamlining the development process.
📚 API Documentation and Quickstart Tutorials
Lens got your back with comprehensive API documentation and quickstart tutorials. These guides walk you through implementing essential features like user authentication and rendering social media feeds, ensuring you can get started with ease.
🤝 Join the Community
Lens Protocol thrives on community contributions, and they value new ideas and feedback. In their community they have "Inspiration for Builders" section, where developers can share their insights and collaborate with others to enhance the platform.
💎 Exploring Profile NFTs
Uncover the exciting world of Profile NFTs, Content History, Follow Modules, Whitelisting, and Application Development within Lens Protocol. These elements provide a deep and engaging experience for both developers and users, enabling unique and customizable social interactions.
📚 Publications
Ownership and Content: In Lens Protocol, creators have a range of publication types at their disposal, providing them with complete ownership and control over their content. These publications can be attached to various modules, adding extra layers of functionality and customization.
💬 Engaging with Comments
Interacting with comments on Lens Protocol offers functionalities that prioritize ownership, reference modules, and other essential aspects, making the comment section an engaging and valuable part of the user experience.
✨ Mirror Your Creativity
The versatility of Mirrors in Lens Protocol is pretty vast. These features are designed with a focus on reference module conditions, content URI, and collect modules. Mirroring allows creators to amplify their content and reach a wider audience while maintaining their vision and control.
💰 Monetizing with Collects
Monetization opportunities take the spotlight with Collects in Lens Protocol. Creators can set up their collect module to unlock customizable features for their creations. Whether it's defining rules for minting NFTs or configuring open collecting duration, Collects provide a flexible and effective way to monetize content within the platform.
👥 Uniquely Yours: The Follow Feature
Lens Protocol's follow feature is designed to give you a sense of ownership and control over your social connections. Unlike traditional social platforms, where following is often a one-way street, Lens Protocol introduces the concept of the follow module. This module allows you to create and issue your unique Follow NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) to your followers. By doing so, you determine who can be part of your community, establishing a more personal and engaging experience.
With each Follow NFT ID serving as a digital token of your connection, you can track and manage your followers securely on the blockchain. Moreover, these Follow NFTs come with built-in governance capabilities, including vote delegation. This feature enables your community to actively participate in decision-making processes and collectively shape the direction of your social interactions.
🔐 A Community Multisig System
At Lens Protocol, community safety and empowerment are paramount. That's why they've implemented the Community Multisig System. This system serves as a collective governance mechanism, where key actions related to protocol development, treasury management, and other essential functions are performed through a multisignature process.
The Community Multisig System is carefully designed to ensure that it cannot affect user funds or take actions on other deployments of the Lens Protocol. This approach offers an extra layer of security and prevents potential misuse of power, fostering a transparent and community-driven environment.
🎛️ Integrating Lens Protocol: Widgets and Encrypted DMs
Lens Protocol is not an isolated island; it's a platform that thrives on integration with other applications. Lens Widgets, available for both React and Svelte, make integration effortless. These widgets allow developers to seamlessly incorporate Lens Protocol's features into their own web applications, expanding the reach of their content and connecting with a wider audience.
Moreover, they understand the importance of privacy and secure communication. That's why they've integrated encrypted direct messages (DMs) using the XMTP Protocol. With this feature, you can enjoy private and secure conversations with other users, knowing that your messages are protected on the blockchain.
🔍 APIs and Recommendation Algorithms
Behind the scenes of Lens Protocol's seamless functionality lie powerful APIs that drive the user experience. Karma3, an innovative protocol for ranking and recommendation systems, ensures that you receive personalized content suggestions based on your interests and engagement.
The Profile APIs and Content APIs offer in-depth insights and ranking of profiles, enabling you to discover and connect with like-minded individuals. In addition, tools like MadFi, Airstack, and Universal Resolver further enhance the social experience by recommending profiles to follow and providing valuable resources for developers.
🏗️ Building with Lens Protocol: SDK and API
Lens SDK offers a collection of powerful React Hooks that streamline application development on Lens Protocol. From fetching recommended users to accessing user profiles and managing the follow feature, the SDK provides the essential building blocks for creating anyone’s dream web3 applications.
They also offer a comprehensive API documentation that serves as your gateway to Lens Protocol's capabilities. This GraphQL API documentation follows a schema-first approach, making it intuitive and user-friendly for developers to interact with and integrate into their projects.
🛠️ Deploying Lens Protocol Locally
Developers can learn how to deploy Lens Protocol locally on the Hardhat network. This allows them to experiment and explore the functionalities in a controlled environment. By setting up the protocol locally, developers can test different configurations and code changes without affecting the live network. This helps ensure a smooth deployment and enhances the development process.
🔧 Modular Magic - Lens Protocol's Modules
Modules form the core foundation of Lens Protocol, serving as essential building blocks for its functionalities. They are like plug-ins that can be attached to users' profiles, enabling customized features and interactions. The modular design of Lens Protocol ensures flexibility and scalability, allowing developers to add new modules and features seamlessly. By exploring follow, collect, and reference modules, developers can understand how each module empowers users and facilitates unique interactions within the social graph.
🔀 Advantages and Risks of the Lens Protocol
👍 Advantages of Lens Protocol:
1. Censorship Resistance: Lens Protocol's decentralized nature ensures that content and social interactions are resistant to censorship and external control. Users have ownership of their data, reducing the risk of arbitrary content removal or de-platforming.
2. Content Ownership: Creators on Lens Protocol truly own their content and have the ability to monetize it directly within the platform. This breaks free from the limitations imposed by traditional Web2 social networks, where content ownership and monetization are often subject to platform policies and algorithms.
3. Interoperability: Lens Protocol is designed to seamlessly integrate with various decentralized applications (DApps). This interoperability expands the possibilities for users to interact with their social graph across different platforms and enhances the overall web3 experience.
4. Inclusivity: Operating on the Polygon blockchain as an open-source platform, Lens Protocol offers a permissionless and inclusive social media environment. Users can join the network without the need for gatekeepers or centralized control.
⚠️ Risks of Lens Protocol:
1. On-Chain Storage Challenges: While the on-chain storage of data provides ownership and security benefits, it may also lead to challenges related to scalability and storage costs. As the network grows, addressing these challenges becomes vital to ensure a smooth user experience.
2. Security Vulnerabilities: Like any blockchain-based system, Lens Protocol is not immune to security risks. Developers must be vigilant in identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities to safeguard user data and maintain the platform's integrity.
3. Developer Focus Heavy: At the current stage Lens heavily prioritizes developers in both the way that their products are used and in their external communication. This makes sense from the development strategy’s standpoint, but makes it difficult for non-developers to get into the Lens ecosystem and start using it. You don’t hear about different Lens projects yet – you hear about the Lens Protocol itself and as such it is not easy to join.
4. Locked Access: As of today it’s still not as easy to become whitelisted for the project. This means that if you wanted to try it out for yourself today, you might not be able to.
5. Polygon Exclusive: If you are a fan of BNB network or any other for that fact you will be disappointed to hear that Lens operates strictly on Polygon network. So far I was not able to get any information on expansion plans to other blockchains, but it seems unlikely knowing that every projects in their ecosystem would need to adapt to these changes as well.
6. Lens Protocol unfortunately fragments its user base between different project that are built on top of it. It’s not intentional, rather a necessity, because of the way how Lens Protocol foundation had been set up. They want their whole ecosystem to grow, but users with different needs will use only certain projects on Lens and disregard others. This make it so it’s hard for the users to access all of those different use cases and even if they do, they are not really incentivized to try other projects besides their own curiosity. This makes the big Lens community not able to use its full strength.
🌟
Conclusion
Lens is a project that has garnered significant attention in the Web3 space and exhibits great potential for the next wave of social media platforms. However, it still faces several challenges before becoming accessible to mainstream users for real-life use cases. Currently, becoming a content creator on Lens is not straightforward, and without an existing following, gaining attention from the network can be challenging.
Despite these obstacles, the future looks promising, and projects like Lens Protocol demonstrate that we have only scratched the surface of what is possible with blockchain technology and social media. The potential for innovation in this space is vast, and I can’t wait for new projects to start exploring new possibilities and reshaping the landscape of social networking.
🔍 Action Items and Next Steps
1️⃣ Stay Curious: Keep an eye on Lens Protocol's developments. As the platform matures, it aims to bring more users into the fold. Stay curious and informed about how Lens Protocol is transforming social media.
2️⃣ Engage with Lensverse: Explore the diverse projects within the Lens ecosystem. Engage with Dumpling, Riff, Lenstube, Buttrfly, Orb, and Lenster. Experience the versatility and creative energy of the Lensverse.
3️⃣ Support Developers: If you're a developer, Lens Protocol offers a wealth of tools and resources. Dive into the Lens React Hooks SDK, explore APIs, and engage with the Lens community. Your contributions can shape the future of Web3 social media.
4️⃣ Prepare for Launch: As Lens Protocol expands access, position yourself to claim your Lens handle, secure your profile, and explore the platform's features. Be ready to immerse yourself in the Lens experience.
5️⃣ Advocate for Ownership: Spread the word about the power of true ownership and control that Lens Protocol brings. Encourage friends, fellow creators, and Web3 enthusiasts to explore the Lens movement and embrace a new era of social media.
🗣️ Join the Conversation!
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See you on the other side of the blockchain!
Wiktor Grzyb
Founder & Editor, Web3Daily
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Wiktor GrzybWiktor GrzybWiktor GrzybHiring | Fundraising | Changing the game with Social Finance | 3vo | Web3Daily | Web3 | Blockchain | CryptocurrencyHiring | Fundraising | Changing the game with Social Finance | 3vo | Web3Daily | Web3 | Blockchain | CryptocurrencyPublished • 6mo37 articlesFollow🌱 Continuing new Mini-Series on decentralized social media! Part 2 about Lens Protocol! ---#14 edition of Web3Daily is out now! ---🗣️ Let's engage in conversation!🌐 Lens Protocol's Vision: What aspects of Lens Protocol's vision resonate with you the most? Are there any specific advantages mentioned that you find particularly compelling?🚀 Web3 vs. Web2: How do you perceive the differences between the traditional Web2 social platforms like Facebook and the new paradigm that Web3 platforms like Lens Protocol are introducing? What are your expectations for the future of social media?💡 Exploring the Lens Ecosystem: Among the various Lens ecosystem projects mentioned, which one do you find most intriguing and why? Do you think these projects enhance the overall Lens experience?👨💻 Developer's Paradise: As a non-developer, do you feel that the Lens Protocol's emphasis on developers impacts your understanding and interest in the platform? What are your thoughts on balancing developer focus with user accessibility?💬 Community Engagement: How do you envision the Lens Protocol community? Are you excited about the idea of participatory governance and the ability to shape the platform's direction?🔒 Challenges and Opportunities: What are your thoughts on the risks and benefits associated with Lens Protocol, especially its exclusivity to the Polygon blockchain? Do these factors affect your enthusiasm for the platform?🌟 The Future of Lens: Given the current challenges and limitations, what changes or developments would you like to see from Lens Protocol to make it more accessible and appealing to a wider audience?hashtag#Web3hashtag#Blockchainhashtag#Cryptocurrencyhashtag#Financehashtag#Bankinghashtag#BlockchainRevolutionhashtag#CryptoAdoptionhashtag#Web3Innovationhashtag#DigitalAssetshashtag#CryptoInsightshashtag#FinancialInnovationhashtag#CryptoMarkethashtag#socialmediahashtag#lenshashtag#JoinTheConversationSign-up for the newsletter if you want to explore these topics in more detail:)https://bit.ly/web3daily