New York, New York, October 15th, 2024,
Chainwire
Powered by the River Protocol, Towns
addresses the growing concerns of traditional social platforms,
introducing a new decentralized, encrypted, and user-owned
communication app.
Today Towns, founded by the founder of breakout
experiences Houseparty and Meerkat, announced the public debut of
an onchain messaging platform designed for digital communities to
connect in secure and decentralized spaces. Built on the River Protocol, Towns enables permissionless group
chats where anyone can create, own, and manage their communities,
offering features like decentralized ownership, end-to-end
encryption (E2EE), and a reputation system that prioritizes user
privacy. The platform is backed by lead web3 investors like a16z,
Benchmark and Framework, raising $25.5M in their Series
A.
As traditional messaging platforms face growing criticism over
privacy violations and censorship, there’s a clear call to action
for improved communication alternatives. The Towns platform unlocks
a new solution by giving users full ownership and control of their
data, creating community-owned digital spaces where conversations
are secure, transparent, and free from outside interference. The
platform brings the features of speed and familiarity of web2
messaging platforms onchain, empowering communities to thrive in a
space that protects both privacy and autonomy.
“When I built Meerkat and Houseparty, it was clear that
online communities are the backbone of the internet and a key part
of our culture,” said Ben Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO of Towns. “As
traditional social platforms grow, so do their shortcomings,
creating friction for users. Today, the current tools designed for
web3 communication are not optimized to provide intuitive and
user-friendly experiences. With Towns, our goal is to make the
internet more intimate without making it smaller, fostering a sense
of trust and connection between users by offering a decentralized
platform where privacy and open communication are at the
core.”
Towns offers a range of innovative features that set it apart
from traditional communication platforms. Features include:
- Each "Town" exists as a decentralized entity, with membership
and ownership minted onchain, giving users ownership and control
over their communities, including the ability to transfer value
across the ecosystem.
- All conversations within Towns exist as permissionless group
chats and ensure all communications within the platform are secure
and private.
- Users can create programmable groups with specific pricing,
gating, and rewards enabling new ways to engage with members.
- A new look at web3 incentives. Towns combines the familiarity
of web2 messaging with web3 incentives like reputation systems and
composability with the broader web3 ecosystem.
With trust and community building at the forefront of Towns,
early adopters include RefractionDAO, a web3 artist-owned community
at the forefront of digital art, music, and culture.
For more information on Towns and to learn how to build a
community, users can visit towns.com.
About Towns
Founded by Ben Rubin, former founder of viral app sensations,
Houseparty and Meerkat, Towns is an onchain
messaging platform built on open-source protocol, River. Towns offers new communication models that
empower online communities with programmable, self-governed and
ownable spaces, fostering authentic and meaningful interactions.
With a commitment to shaping the future of digital connectivity,
Towns is supported by significant investment, including a $25.5
million Series A funding from notable firms like a16z crypto,
Benchmark, and Framework.
Contact
Publicist
Ryleigh
Ebron
Serotonin
ryleigh@serotonin.co