• Damus, a decentralized social networking platform powered by Nostr, has been launched on the Apple App Store.
• Nostr markets Damus as the „social network you control“ and plans to build it into a platform with uncensored content.
• Damus allows for censorship-resistant and permissionless communications, as well as built-in payments through the Bitcoin Layer-2 Lightning Network.

On February 1, 2023, a milestone was achieved for decentralized protocols as Nostr launched its most popular mobile app Damus on the Apple App Store. Damus, a decentralized social networking platform powered by Nostr, promises to replace centrally-controlled social networks, and has the support of Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter. Dorsey tweeted his excitement at the news, celebrating the launch of Damus on the App Store.

Nostr markets Damus as the „social network you control,“ and are determined to build it into a social media platform with uncensored content. To accomplish this, Damus allows for censorship-resistant and permissionless communications. This is achieved through cryptographic keypairs, with users sending private encrypted messages with the destination user’s public key, that are decrypted only by the private key corresponding to that public key. Damus also utilizes decentralized relays to distribute messages sent on the platform.

In addition to its censorship-resistant qualities, Damus also has built-in payments through the Bitcoin Layer-2 Lightning Network. This allows users to send payments to other users without relying on centralized payment processors. The launch of Damus therefore adds to the competition that Twitter is facing, as it recently announced the launch of its own payment system, which could include cryptocurrency.

The launch of Damus on the Apple App Store marks a significant milestone for decentralized social media networks, and provides users with a platform that they can control. With its censorship-resistant communications and its built-in payments, Damus promises to be a powerful alternative to centrally-controlled social networks.