# Farcaster is a decentralized social network

By [coupe](https://paragraph.com/@coupe) · 2024-10-13

---

Farcaster is a decentralized social network protocol built on Ethereum, part of the SocialFi ecosystem. It allows users to interact with familiar social media features like posting, reacting, and commenting, similar to Web2 platforms. However, Farcaster leverages blockchain technology to give users full control over their social relationships (social graph) in a decentralized, transparent way, ensuring data privacy.

Farcaster also provides a toolkit and programming framework for developers to easily build decentralized applications (dApps) without needing third-party permissions. Additionally, users can run public nodes to contribute to the platform’s growth.

Launched in 2021, Farcaster has attracted over 30 projects. Notable dApps include:

*   **Warpcast**: A social media platform for Web3 users, similar in design to X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. It is currently the most complete app in the ecosystem and has support from Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum's founder.
    
*   **Paragraph**: A decentralized publishing platform, akin to Substack, that integrates AI and customizable data storage. It also enables crypto users to earn through NFT memberships, wallet newsletters, and more.
    
*   **Unlonely**: A livestreaming platform with features like betting, token bridging, and donations. Users can earn through the platform's tokens, distributed based on creators' performance, such as streaming duration and viewer count.

---

*Originally published on [coupe](https://paragraph.com/@coupe/farcaster-is-a-decentralized-social-network)*