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- Becoming Web3 Native Pt 8: Web3 Social
Becoming Web3 Native Pt 8: Web3 Social
Owning Your Online Identity, Content & Community
Scott Kasten
March 26, 2025
For years, we’ve been renting our digital lives from big tech platforms. We build audiences on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube—but we don’t actually own them.
Twitter bans accounts without explanation.
Facebook throttles your reach unless you pay for ads.
YouTube takes 45% of creator revenue.
Web3 Social is changing that.
Imagine a world where:
✔️ You own your content—no platform can take it away.
✔️ Your followers belong to you—not Instagram’s algorithm.
✔️ You earn directly from your audience—without giving Big Tech a cut.
That’s the promise of Web3 Social—a new internet where creators, communities, and users actually own their digital presence.
Web3 Social is the decentralized version of social media, built on blockchains instead of corporate servers.
Unlike Web2 platforms (Twitter, Facebook, TikTok), Web3 Social:
Gives you full ownership of your content.
Is censorship-resistant.
Lets you take your followers with you.
Uses blockchain-based usernames & profiles.
Instead of relying on ads and engagement farming, Web3 Social rewards participation with tokens, NFTs, and real ownership.
Think of it like this: If Web2 is renting a community center, Web3 is owning the land your community is built on.
Feature | Web2 Social (Twitter, Instagram) | Web3 Social (Lens, Farcaster) |
Content Ownership | Platform owns everything | You own everything (NFTs, on-chain posts) |
Censorship | Centralized, bans without appeal | Permissionless, user-controlled moderation |
Follower Portability | Locked to one platform | Take followers anywhere (your audience moves with you) |
Monetization | Ad-based, platform takes big cuts | Direct payments, NFTs, token rewards |
🟢 Lens Protocol (The Decentralized Twitter)
Think of Lens as Twitter, but you own your profile and posts as NFTs.
You can monetize content natively—people can collect, mirror (retweet), or pay for your posts.
No shadowbans, no deplatforming—you take your account wherever you go.
Try it: https://www.lens.xyz (Currently invite-only)
A decentralized, open social network that feels like Twitter, but you own your handle & posts.
No blockchain complexity—super user-friendly.
Dev-friendly: Open API allows anyone to build new apps on top of it.
Try it: https://warpcast.com
Mastodon: Open-source Twitter alternative with community-hosted servers.
Nostr: A decentralized protocol funded by Jack Dorsey for fully censorship-resistant social media.
Not fully Web3 (no blockchain profiles), but aligned with decentralization values.
🟢 Mirror (The Web3 Substack)
A decentralized publishing platform—each post is an NFT that can be collected, sold, or shared.
Writers & bloggers can fund projects through tokenized crowdfunding.
Think of it like Medium/Substack, but you fully control your content.
Try it: https://mirror.xyz
1. You Own Your Digital Identity
Instead of "@username123" on Twitter, you have yourname.eth or yourname.lens.
No one can steal your handle, ban your account, or change the rules.
➡️ Web2 = rented identity. Web3 = permanent identity.
2. Monetization Without Platforms Taking a Cut
Instead of YouTube/Instagram keeping 40-50% of revenue, Web3 lets creators earn directly from fans.
Examples:
Lens Protocol: Followers can "collect" posts as NFTs.
Mirror.xyz: Writers can get funded via tokenized subscriptions.
Farcaster: People can build social apps that reward users, not corporations.
➡️ Web2 = platform gets rich. Web3 = creators and communities share the upside.
3. No Platform Lock-In (Your Audience Moves With You)
In Web2, if Twitter dies, your followers are gone.
In Web3, your audience follows you, not the platform—because your profile is on-chain.
➡️ Your Web3 identity is portable across apps. No more starting from scratch.
📌 Step 1: Get a Web3 Social Profile
Lens: Sign up (if you have an invite).
Farcaster: Download Warpcast and claim a username.
Mirror: Connect your wallet and start writing.
📌 Step 2: Follow Some Web3 Social Creators
@punk6529 (Web3 culture)
@balajis (Decentralized networks)
@lensprotocol (Web3 social updates)
@farcaster_xyz (Open social innovation)
📌 Step 3: Post & Engage (Try Collecting or Minting Content)
Post something on Farcaster or Lens.
Try collecting an NFT post on Mirror.
Join a tokenized community on Discord.
✔️ Own your content, identity, and followers—not Big Tech.
✔️ Monetize directly—no more unfair ad revenue splits.
✔️ Censorship-resistant & portable—take your audience with you.
✔️ Web3 social is here now—you can start exploring today.
Ready to stop renting your social media life? Try out Web3 social platforms and take back ownership.
✅ Claim a Lens or Farcaster profile (or sign up for Mirror).
✅ Join a tokenized Discord or Web3 community.
✅ Post something on a decentralized social platform.
💬 What’s Your Take?
Tried Web3 Social? Love it? Hate it? Reply and tell us—we’ll feature the best takes next week.
Other parts of this edition:
Case Study: How Sarah Went from Web3 Newbie to Web3 Native (and Why It Changed Her Life)
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