What Is CyberConnect?

CyberConnect is a web3 social network. With its decentralized and composable protocol, it enables developers to build social applications that empower users with ownership over their digital identity, content, connections and monetization.

This deep dive analyzes:

• The current Decentralized Social (DeSoc) landscape
• What CyberConnect is and how it works
• CyberConnect V1, V2 and V3
• The CyberConnect ecosystem
• CYBER token and future roadmap

Join us in showcasing the cryptocurrency revolution, one newsletter at a time. Subscribe now to get daily news and market updates right to your inbox, along with our millions of other subscribers (that’s right, millions love us!) — what are you waiting for?

The Current Decentralized Social (DeSoc) Network Landscape

Decentralized social media is on the rise, thanks to improvements in blockchain scalability and the gradual adoption of web3 tech. A wide variety of decentralized social media protocols and applications have launched, covering different verticals such as front-ends, application infrastructure, social graph and base layers.

Source: Messari

Some of the value propositions that the DeSoc sector offer includes:

• Preventing Censorship: Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter make decisions based on optimizing profits rather than principles of free speech. Controversial voices or opinions that do not align with platforms’ moderation policies often get banned or “shadowbanned” with little transparency or recourse. With decentralized platforms, censorship resistance is built into the architecture. Content creation and moderation is distributed across the network rather than subject to centralized authority.

• Empowering Creators: On Twitter or Instagram, creators are compensated with only a tiny share of the revenue they generate. Decentralized social networks allow creators to monetize their content and community with greater flexibility. Value accrues directly to those producing compelling social experiences rather than mostly enriching centralized intermediaries.

Challenges for DeSoc

However, some of the challenges that players in the DeSoc space face include:

What Is CyberConnect?

CyberConnect’s Vision

For creators, CyberConnect unlocks flexibility to monetize content and build communities on their own terms. Without relying on the flawed incentives of centralized platforms, influencers and artists can leverage features like digital collectibles to engage fans.

Users regain ownership over their social connections as portable profiles they can take anywhere, reducing friction and lock-in effects. Open standards free users from starting their online identities from scratch when switching platforms.

By placing users back at the center of social media, CyberConnect aims to solve the following problems:

CyberConnect Key Metrics

CyberConnect already boasts impressive statistics, with over 1.25M user profiles since July 2022, indicating an early wave of adoption:

CyberConnect V1 and V2

CyberConnect was first launched in Q3 2021 as a decentralized social graph protocol. The V1 version enabled developers to build social apps that leveraged a shared data layer of user connections and content.

This solved major problems for developers like cold start issues in having to rebuild social graphs from scratch. Apps could tap into V1’s open graph to kickstart network effects. For users, V1 introduced the idea of owning social connections as portable identities not locked into platforms. However, V1 was limited to the Ethereum Mainnet.

In August 2022, CyberConnect released V2 incorporating a hybrid scaling architecture using both EVM blockchains and off-chain storage via Arweave. This enabled supporting multiple chains like Ethereum, BNB Chain and Polygon.

V2 expanded the options for creator monetization by introducing EssenceNFT and SubscribeNFT smart contracts. These allowed new token-based models like content collectibles and subscriptions.

Despite limitations, V2 represented a major step forward in taking CyberConnect cross-chain and expanding monetization capabilities for over 1.6 million users.

CyberConnect V3

How Does CyberConnect Work

The CyberConnect workflow centers around creating a decentralized, portable digital identity via CyberAccount. This is the identity layer that provides each user a self-sovereign web3 account. CyberAccount issues unique handles like username.cyber. Soon, CyberAccount will power web2-like user onboarding by allowing users to set up their web3 identity by signing up with their social logins or email.

With their identity set up, users can begin interacting within the CyberConnect social graph. They can post content which generates a link between their account and the content’s storage location. Creators can make content collectible into NFTs using EssenceNFT smart contracts. This records engagement data on-chain. For social connections, SubscribeNFTs represent following other users and profiles. CyberAccounts can configure subscription rules like paid or gated.

CyberGraph records all this activity using on-chain smart contracts and off-chain storage. Middleware lets developers customize behaviors like access conditions.

The workflow ties together identity, content, connections, and activities into one portable social graph powered by a combination of blockchain and off-chain systems. CyberAccount is the core enabler of this user-controlled ecosystem.

With ERC-4337 account abstraction, CyberConnect can expand across multiple chains while still providing a unified experience. Users pay gas in one token which is used across chains behind the scenes.

This key innovation solves the identity fragmentation and high network switching costs faced when supporting multiple chains. This innovation also unlocks a key bottleneck faced by web3 developers in onboarding previously unexplored user bases who were resistant to try out decentralized applications because of the complex user experiences of crypto wallets.

Since recording all social data on-chain is expensive, CyberNetwork offers a low-cost settlement layer based on payment channels and sidechains. This retains user ownership while scaling transaction throughput.

The CyberConnect Ecosystem

CyberConnect already boasts a flourishing ecosystem consisting of different verticals:

Here are some of the most interesting applications on CyberConnect:

Roadmap and Future Outlook for CyberConnect

CYBER will facilitate governance, payments for premium names and gas fees within CyberConnect’s social applications. It aims to build a sustainable ecosystem driven by CyberDAO.

Upcoming roadmap plans for CyberConnect include continuing multi-chain expansion to Optimism, Arbitrum and BNB Chain. Into 2023 and 2024, further plans guided by the DAO involve shipping the CyberWallet mobile app, “Login with CyberConnect” SDK for developers, and grant programs to enrich the ecosystem.

On July 26, CyberConnect also announced the launch of CyberTrek, a 2-month voyage with 6 partner blockchains for users to experiment with the CyberConnect ecosystem. Users can earn rewards totalling $1.8 million.