Block.one launches new social media platform "VOICE"

VOICE is a blockchain-based social media platform that aims to differentiate itself from mainstream social media platforms by returning rewards and control to its users.

According to the official press release from Block.one, the blockchain developer behind EOS, Block.one announced on 6/01 the launch of a blockchain-based social media application called Voice. Block.one claims that Voice is a more transparent social media platform that eliminates bots and fake users, focusing on cultivating high-quality content creation, sharing, and promotion through real users on the platform. Users will directly benefit from their posts and engagement on the platform.

Empowering Social Mining

Brendan Blumer, CEO of Block.one, stated at the company's event in Washington, D.C. on 6/01:

Look at the business model of Voice. Our content, data, and what we pay attention to. These are very valuable things. But currently, it is the social platforms, not the users, that profit. They profit by auctioning off user information to advertisers. Ad placement is simply for the highest bidder, and our feeds are filled with ads. The fact is that current social platforms are exploiting their users, and Voice will change all of that.

Block.one will launch the Voice platform on the EOS Public Blockchain, built on the EOS public blockchain, running on the EOSIO protocol. The platform is currently open for early access sign-up.

It is understood that on the Voice platform, when a user's post receives more clicks and comments, they will receive higher exposure and Voice tokens; when User A comments using Voice tokens to boost their comment, and User B uses more tokens to boost their comment, User A will receive back the Voice tokens they used to boost their comment initially, plus additional rewards.

The event attracted numerous attendees, including blockchain celebrities, developers, investors, media, and community members. Click to watch the full event video

Early Social Mining Platforms

Steemit was launched in March 2016, founded by Dan Larimer, the CTO of Block.one. Steemit aims to provide users with a platform to write high-quality articles, with its token being STEEM. The higher the quality of the article and the more clicks it receives, the higher the rewards. Supporting high-quality articles early with likes or comments also earns additional rewards. Currently, the token is ranked 63 in terms of market value.

Mithril was launched in early 2018 by Huang Lecheng, the founder of 17 Media. Its social platform, Lit APP, converts users' posts and community interactions into corresponding tokens, MITH, within the Mithril ecosystem. The platform is ranked 178 in terms of market value. Lit APP has since been rebranded as PiePie, and another anonymous social platform Yeemos is still in operation.

Coil released its public beta in May 2019, founded by Stefan Thomas, former CTO of Ripple. The Coil platform aggregates content creators' original content from social platforms like Wikipedia, YouTube, and Twitch onto Coil. Subscribers pay $5 per month to access specific content, and creators are rewarded in XRP. Currently, approximately 1,000 test users are paying $5 per month for subscribed content.

Cent went live in 2018, founded by Max Brody. Cent is a blogging platform designed to help creators through tipping. For example, if a reader tips $1 in Ether to a specific post, 25% goes to the creator, and the rest is distributed to early supporters of the post. This model encourages fans to share and promote articles while motivating authors to create more high-quality content. Cent also offers an integrated secure wallet, similar to the payment feature in Facebook Messenger, with synchronization capabilities with MetaMask, allowing users to send cryptocurrencies to each other through chat. Cameron Hejazi, CTO of Cent, stated:

Before enabling this messaging feature, Cent had gained attention in the Ethereum community. In the past 30 days, up to 3,000 users have transacted through Cent, with a transaction volume of nearly $31,000 in Ether sent on the platform.

Back in October 2014, a new social platform called "Tsu" emerged, which closed in 2016. The platform distributed 90% of its ad revenue back to users, rewarding users with more clicks on their posts. Platforms like these aim for token economics, profit sharing with users, and combatting poor content, creating a positive cycle. While it sounds great, it is difficult to sustain due to the not-so-great business model of "paying users to post and inviting friends to register," along with the dominance of mainstream social media giants. In recent years, through trial and error in these decentralized community platforms, we may see significant success in the near future, truly achieving "empowering the people."

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