A New Way for Damus to go: METAVERTU's Decentralized App Store

Table of Contents

• Introducing the Next Big Thing in Web3 - Decentralized Social Media
• Decentralized Social Media? Not So Fast.
• dApps Need a Decentralized App Store
• Damus, Meet METAVERTU

The newly released decentralized social media platform, Damus, backed by Jack Dorsey, has been banned in China for its decentralized nature. Designed to be a decentralized alternative to Twitter, Damus, built atop Nostr, has even been removed by the Apple App Store in certain regions. Damus's fate may not be sealed: enter METASPACE – METAVERTU's fully decentralized app store.

Introducing the Next Big Thing in Web3 - Decentralized Social Media

The newly-launched decentralized social media platform, Damus, backed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, has already been banned by the Chinese government and removed from the Apple App Store in certain regions. Dorsey became involved in the project in 2022 when he donated 14 BTC to support the development of Nostr. The Twitter founder welcomed Damus and Nostr to Twitter earlier this week with a straightforward yet profound statement: "a milestone for open protocols…."

a milestone for open protocols...#nostr is now officially on the Apple App Store with @damusapp:https://t.co/GQmvPE5nfX

— jack (@jack) January 31, 2023

Damus' claim to fame is that it is "The Social network your control," claiming to be fully decentralized. According to the Damus website, the social media platform boasts a variety of decentralized features:

First of all, Damus is built on Nostr – an open-source internet protocol based on cryptographic keypairs, which renders it censorship resistant by design. Damus claims that the user is in control and no platform can ban or censor its users.

Secondly, Damus is encrypted, meaning users can expect end-to-end encrypted private messaging. Further, the platform does not require any registration. Users don't have to provide a phone number, email address, or even a name to create an account. Damus also operates without servers, meaning messages are distributed via decentralized relays.

Damus is somewhat revolutionary, given that there is no need to run any infrastructure and there are no single points of failure. Damus is also programmable, meaning users can easily integrate bots and automate a user's platform. Users are also immediately notified should their servers go down and will relay that information to a user's team in real-time. One of Damus' final perks is that users can earn money on the platform. Users can tip friends' posts with the internet's currency – Bitcoin. Damus appears to be every proponent of decentralization's dream.

Decentralized Social Media? Not So Fast.

The concept of a decentralized social media platform may seem a "no-brainer," but unfortunately, this sentiment is not shared across the board. Apple's App Store in China banned the app less than 48 hours after its launch. Authorities in the People's Republic of China demanded that the app be removed, citing a violation of national speech laws. Although it claims otherwise, China, a mainly authoritarian state, is against decentralization and is known for censoring activists, journalists, and critics of its government's policies. The state's strict policies mean that not even Damus, built atop Nostr, is immune to state censorship. Given China's authoritarian stance, state policy dictates how social media platforms are used and accessed throughout the country.

Apple is known for being a defender of centralization and beneficiary. As such, the company has maintained a rather unfriendly attitude toward decentralization and cryptocurrencies. Apple rejected the Damus multiple times because it requires apps to have a mechanism for reporting and blocking "objectionable users and content." Reports have indicated that Apple removed the app due to its lack of content moderation.

dApps Need a Decentralized App Store

It should not be surprising that Apple removed the app, and China banned its use entirely. Society must acknowledge that the internet and technology have developed to such an extent that current infrastructure cannot support it. Centralization is still a part of the Web 2.0 ecosystem, and we cannot expect decentralized apps (dApps) to be accommodated in such an ecosystem. For dApps to develop to our liking, they need the support of a decentralized app store based on the Web 3.0 ecosystem.

Damus, Meet METAVERTU

Recognizing the need for decentralization, METAVERTU has stepped in to offer a solution for dApps that could ensure their future. METAVERTU is the world's first actual Web 3.0 phone, explicitly built for encryption, and boasts pre-installed software to help users navigate and explore the metaverse.

Naturally, a Web 3.0 phone needs a decentralized app store, so METASPACE came to be. METAVERTU recently tweeted to announce METASPACE, a completely decentralized app store, and invited Damus to join their project. The announcement reads:

Let's break Apple's centralized hegemony! @damusapp

Welcome to METASPACE, the totally decentralized appstore!

METAVERTU, created by British the luxury phone brand VERTU, claims that METASPACE is "totally decentralized, digitally sovereign, super secure and free and open." METASPACE may be the answer to all Damus' problems - a fully decentralized app store for a fully decentralized social media platform. 

We'll refrain from naming any specific social media conglomerate(s), but if Damus is all it claims to be, the days of servers crashing and access denied to your apps seem to be over. Beyond that, those somewhat controversial figures on social media that are often banned for sharing opinions or content, not to everybody's liking appear to be something of the past. With the help of METAVERU and METASPACE, we can take the next step into the world of Web 3.0. 

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.