# Another Alpha? 🤔 Towns - overview 👀

**Published by:** [一川drive](https://paragraph.com/@yichuandrive/)
**Published on:** 2023-03-13
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@yichuandrive/another-alpha-towns-overview

## Content

1. What is Towns?Towns is a near real-time group chat protocol and app designed for online communities to build better hometowns on the internet, or in other words Towns is a decentralized group chat protocol and app. Towns founded by Ben Rubin (Former CEO and co-founder of Houseparty and Meerkat) and Brian Meek (former CTO of STRIVR Labs and former GM of Engineering at Skype).Towns are backed by a16z.2. Working principeTowns has 3 key components:1. Towns protocol:Composable Smart-Contracts: Towns is a platform built on Ethereum's smart contracts that empowers you to manage your virtual space. These contracts are adaptable, combinable, and can be improved, allowing groups to create their own regulations for content moderation, user access, and revenue generation.Decentralized Network: The Towns smart contract controls a decentralized, distributed proof-of-stake network of nodes that powers an end-to-end encrypted communication system in near real-time.2. appTowns:The Towns application provides users with an open-source, end-to-end encrypted chat experience that incorporates all the technical features of the protocol. This experience is enhanced by the integration of user identity and Town ownership through smart contracts that govern access, moderation, privacy, and reputation. By integrating with the web3 ecosystem directly in the app, users can engage with their communities in ways that were not previously possible, including participating in DAO governance, on-chain game interactions, and NFT trading. The Towns app is the first of many that will be built using the Towns protocol, allowing users to customize their experience to fit their unique needs.3. daoTowns:Towns will be governed and stewarded by the Towns DAO, a group dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the protocol. The DAO makes important decisions for the platform, such as voting on the core development roadmap, technical upgrades, and managing the treasury. The DAO will represent key stakeholder groups in the Towns ecosystem, like users, node operators, space owners, and core contributors.3. Why Towns?Towns provides the necessary components to construct your desired community. Each Town's ownership is stored on a blockchain, enabling them to be transferred, sold, or managed by other smart contracts, such as a DAO or multi-sig. This grants you full authority to delegate responsibilities that are in the best interests of your community. Towns is a platform that stimulates inventiveness. It has programmable smart contracts that enable you to control features such as governance, reputation, confidentiality, and responsibilities. The Towns Protocol also enables any community to create new customers or APIs while retaining complete control and customization. Towns unleashes brand-new support models for your community. The community owners can create unique experiences such as selling access keys to specific channels, rewarding members for their contributions, or allowing users to trade NFTs directly in the chat. The possibilities are limitless.4. Main IdeaThe emergence of walled gardens in digital town squares has resulted in a loss of ownership and sense of belonging among users. However, the creation of Towns offers a solution to this problem by providing a platform that prioritizes freedom, self-ownership, privacy, and equitable business models, enabling users to express themselves without censorship and organize without centralized control. Through collective moderation and self-governing communities, Towns empowers users to own their hometowns on the internet, creating a world where they define the borders and set the rules. Twitter | dApp | Mirror | Docs

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