Dan Romero
@dwr.eth
Where is Farcaster still centralized? June 2025 edition Important to call out: our top priority remains user growth. Prematurely solving any of these potential issues below doesn’t help user growth in the near-term. So not a top a priority. May change in the future. 1. Most users use the Farcaster app. A nerf on Farcaster app is de facto censorship from the protocol today. This will change as Coinbase Wallet, Zapper, Uno and other clients come to market. 2. Snapchain write nodes are run by the Farcaster team and Neynar. In theory we can collude to censor additional writes to the protocol. Low likelihood, but possible. Way to solve this is increase number of write nodes. But again, not an issue today. 3. Farcaster “channels” — metadata and creation are centralized. Content has always been decentralized via FIP-2. Creation is not available via API but metadata is. Making some progress on a plan to move channels into FIP-2 without having reliance on the Farcaster app. 1/2
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Samuel ツ
@samuellhuber.eth
re 3) channels creating API and everyone can keep focusing on growth. Honestly channels is more a UX thing then a primitive thing in how I think about iterating form here E.g. @cura is fully differentiated in UX not in the primitive With today's channels being FIP2 + rest via APIs one can already build all one wants to experiment. Hard part is getting users outside of Farcaster app, but if you do and show early traction say few hundred daily active retentive users imo you have a case potentially especially if >30% are net new FIP2 also allows permission less channel creation, just they don't show up in Farcaster app as they aren't part of the backend infra :D (to highlight FIP2 being permission less)
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Dan Romero
@dwr.eth
I think the challenge is we want to simplify the UI that’s focused on channels in the Farcaster app if we make the change. So need to get buy in, move slowly, have a clear transition plan for channel focused UX like Cura. Channels are extremely confusing / frustrating to new users.
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Samuel ツ
@samuellhuber.eth
>Channels are extremely confusing / frustrating to new users. Why do you think that is? what is the feedback they give and how do they act? from what I experienced if it's not shown prominently no one will notice them😅 and once one goes to them memberships / non membership become confusing
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Dan Romero
@dwr.eth
Why should I post them? Why can’t I post in them? Why does this person get to decide who can post in this topic? Challenge is channels are trying to be topics and communities. They work as communities but not as topics. Communities are not something you push on a brand new user. They are something you mature into.
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Pichi
@pichi
I’m going to keep pushing for channels to be default open and let hosts close them. Too many folks have bounced or are not paying attention.
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