Lens Protocol ushers in a new era of Web3 social networks, acting as an open, composable, permissionless, and user-owned social graph. This transformative protocol was meticulously designed to evolve despite its immutable nature, turning what used to be a zero-sum game in Web2 into a collaborative, exciting experience for all participants in its ecosystem.
Our digital identities are now an integral part of how we define ourselves. With the advent of Web3, users regain ownership of their published content, held assets, and shared data. The concept of a decentralized social network that would restore power to users was conceived by Stani Kulechov, the founder of Aave, a prominent decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol. This idea materialized as the Lens Protocol, which he unveiled to the crypto community at LisCon in October 2021.
Lens Protocol, a decentralized social graph, leverages NFT technology and particularly the ERC-721 standard to tokenize social activity. This infrastructure enables everyone to take control over their personal data and online relationships. Content creators are free from concerns about potential censorship due to arbitrary changes to a platform's algorithm or policy. Instead, they can migrate their social capital to another application at any time.
The Lens Protocol is a versatile toolkit, providing a technology stack for developers to build their applications and set their content curation rules and behavior moderation. With the API, developers can focus on creating experiences rather than worrying about growing their user base. Consequently, the challenge lies in designing appropriate integrations, systems, tools, and interfaces that address the novel problems raised by the decentralized nature of such infrastructure.
The Lens Protocol comprises various modules, including the Lens Profile (LPP), a dynamic NFT containing a user's history of posts, comments, shares, and other content. It also includes functionalities like the "Follow" function, publications, and a collection module. The "Follow" function allows you to receive a creator's NFT in your portfolio when you follow them, establishing a one-way relationship between your profiles.
The Lens Protocol's ecosystem, known as "Lensverse," has seen the growth of more than a hundred applications, tools, and initiatives since its launch in May 2022. Notable applications include Lenster, a browser-based application, Orb, Lens' flagship mobile app, and Lens Port, a marketplace for collecting and selling publications. Lens Search, a decentralized search engine, Lens Frens, a portal to connect with key ecosystem creators, and CultivatorDAO, the first social DAO for open and decentralized content moderation, are other notable developments.
However, Lens Protocol is not without its technical challenges, such as the configuration of a wallet with a seed phrase, deposit of funds in the network's native corner to pay gas costs, and the wallet window opening with every operation. Despite these, Lens Protocol continues to improve the user experience, striving to facilitate ease of use in the decentralized Web3 landscape.
