From individuality to data, Zion’s CEO explains however they envision the app expanding going forward.

The caller instauration of the decentralized societal media protocol Nostr took the distributed exertion satellite by storm. Even Block CEO Jack Dorsey has espoused his fondness for the protocol, encouraging its usage, backing improvement and utilizing it himself exceedingly often. In the meantime, Zion, a decentralized societal media app, has watched arsenic Nostr grew. I asked Justin Rezvani, CEO and laminitis of Zion, astir whether the 2 are successful competition. But helium clarified that Zion and himself sees its benefits, and confirmed that helium believes Zion volition beryllium intimately intertwined with Nostr going forward.
“As acold arsenic Nostr goes, Zion is an exertion and Nostr is simply a protocol, truthful we don’t presumption it arsenic competitive, but complimentary,” Rezvani explained. “Zion volition apt usage Nostr successful the future. What we’re gathering centers astir innovations successful messaging, ID and payments. Zion is the archetypal app for this technology. What we’ve built connected decentralized individuality (DID) and decentralized web nodes (DWNs) are complementary to what Nostr is doing and I americium precise excited to spot however adding Nostr volition summation the interaction of the idiosyncratic acquisition for creators connected Zion. That’s portion of our extremity and what guides us, a amended acquisition for creators.”
One facet of the decentralized contented rolodex that Nostr is missing is information storage, Rezvani believes, but helium says that Zion addresses this well: “The thought that you volition station a video and Nostr relays crossed the satellite volition conscionable store that contented for escaped is nonsense. You request a reliable information retention mechanics and I judge the operation of DID, DWNS and Nostr could beryllium an unthinkable combination.”
In summation to this, is the thought of empowering contented creators truthful that they tin monetize themselves directly. Zion was really 1 of the archetypal to prehend this opportunity, beating Nostr, which has precocious witnessed an explosion successful micropayment activity.
“Zion has had ‘zaps’ successful our exertion since August of 2021 erstwhile we launched and had 120k ‘zaps’ successful the archetypal six months of being live,” Rezvani explained. “In a satellite wherever the outgo of contented is going to zero, you request thing to awesome the astir impactful pieces of content. If idiosyncratic is creating thing meaningful that is resonating with their audience, it should beryllium recognized and rewarded.”
There person been cautions raised successful regards to Nostr’s cardinal absorption and privacy. While the protocol is comparatively tiny now, these issues could contiguous ample challenges aboriginal on. In regards to however Zion volition code these issues, Rezvani said, “We usage DIDs anchored to Bitcoin arsenic your individuality connected Zion; When creating an relationship we springiness you a 12 connection effect phrase, we don’t exposure a backstage key,” citing a video posted further down connected the antecedently linked Twitter thread.
Taking the crown arsenic the world’s prime societal media level won’t travel easy, however. Bitcoiners particularly recognize the powerfulness of web effects, and Twitter is by acold and distant the most-used level successful the world. But that’s not deterring Zion.
“Legacy networks person existent problems that request to beryllium solved now, and that’s what we’re executing connected mundane done the lens of decentralization. That starts empowering the creator system to instrumentality ownership of their content, their information and their communities and physique thing that is genuinely their own,” Rezvani said.
And helium won’t beryllium alone. Meta is reportedly opening enactment connected its ain decentralized Twitter alternative, seemingly realizing the benefits that specified a level brings. With Meta’s entrance, fierce competition, steadfast for the decentralized societal media market, is opening to brew.