The decentralised social media ‘super app’…

The decentralised social media ‘super app’ of Elon Musk’s dreams already exists, with growing interest in China

* The Nostr social media protocol has elicited such enthusiasm in users that there are dedicated podcasts, newsletters and conferences, including in Hong Kong

* The protocol’s lack of any central authority has attracted interest from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and whistle-blower Edward Snowden

An enthusiastic group of pro bono programmers strewn across the globe, including in Hong Kong, are building the open source, crypto-focused super app of Elon Musk’s dreams – but without the app.

For the past year, a dedicated group of developers have been working on a decentralised social media protocol, with new features rolling out at a pace that makes it hard to keep track. Updates made this year to the protocol, which was started in late 2020, and to related apps encompass everything from a marketplace with cryptocurrency payments to a TikTok-like short video feed.

The Nostr protocol has kindled such enthusiasm in a core group of users that they have taken to putting on conferences around the world, including an upcoming dual-city event called Nostrasia in Tokyo and Hong Kong from November 1 to 3.

While Musk has touted the free-speech bona fides of his new Twitter, which he renamed X, the crypto enthusiasts behind Nostr have built a platform that is censorship resistant and already allows for the instant transfer of bitcoin. It also has the backing of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and has attracted users like US intelligence whistle-blower Edward Snowden and Chinese-Malaysian singer Michael Wong. Interest has grown in mainland China, as well.

“I think the most amazing thing about Nostr is you have one identity on all platforms,” said Sherry, a programmer and data analyst from the mainland who organises Hong Kong Nostr meet-ups. She asked to go only by her English first name, which is not associated with her day job.

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