I've recently been doing research into BNB Greenfield, a new project by BNB Chain to build decentralized open-source storage. When browsing Twitter, I noticed in a tweet that xLog.app will be integrating with BNB Greenfield, which got me curious.
I was a user of Steemit back in the day and the idea of a decentralized blogging platform has always tickled my fancy. Having not used a decentralized blogging platform for a while now, I decided to check out xLog.app.
What is xLog.app?#
xlog.app, on https://xlog.app/, is a decentralized blogging platform that launched in February of 2023 and offers users more visibility and control over their data.
xlog.app is built on the Crossbell blockchain, an L1 launched in 2022. xLog.app is part of the suite of tools that is being built on top of the Crossbell blockchain, which is an EVM-compatible chain with the goal of building a platform for owning your social activities.
Why is it interesting?#
Decentralized services provide a lot of benefits from an ownership and privacy perspective while incurring additional complexity. xLog.app is no different when providing a decentralized blogging platform.
xlog.app offers a variety of unique features as a decentralized blogging platform, including:
- Decentralization
Data is distributed into the blockchain, meaning it is harder to censor. Since it's not hosted by centralized entities, content cannot be taken down by a centralized authority. - Privacy
Sign-in is done with a wallet. Users can choose to keep their identity anonymous and data is not shared with third parties without their consent. - Security
Data is stored on the blockchain, which the data immutable and cannot be tampered with. - Transparency
All transactions are performed on the blockchain and are fully public.
Decentralized vs. Centralized#
Decentralized blogging platforms and centralized blogging platforms have a number of key differences:
- Decentralized blogging platforms
are built on blockchain technology, which means that they are not controlled by any single entity. As mentioned above, this makes them more resistant to censorship and gives users more control over their data. Decentralized blogging platforms also tend to be more transparent, as all of the data is stored on the blockchain and is accessible to everyone. - Centralized blogging platforms
are owned and operated by a single company. Data is stored in a centralized way via traditional data servers, which could mean that it is more susceptible to censorship and data breaches. Centralized blogging platforms also tend to be less transparent, as the data is not stored on the blockchain and is not publicly visible and accessible to everyone.
Here is a table that summarizes some of the key differences between decentralized and centralized blogging platforms:
| Feature | Decentralized Blogging Platforms | Centralized Blogging Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Not owned by any single entity | Owned and operated by a single company |
| Censorship resistance | More resistant to censorship | More vulnerable to censorship |
| Data ownership | Users own their data | Companies own users' data |
| Transparency | More transparent | Less transparent |
It's important to note though that decentralized blogging platforms are less established, while centralized blogging platforms are already ubiquitous. Due to less implementation complexity for centralized blogging platforms, they can spend the majority of their efforts on the user experience, business model, and marketing.
Competition#
There are two groups of competition worth considering: decentralized and centralized:
Decentralized Competition#
- Steemit
is a blockchain-based social media platform launched in 2016 that rewards users for creating and curating content. Steemit uses a cryptocurrency called Steem to reward users for their contributions. The more Steem you earn, the higher your ranking on the platform. Steemit is a good option for users who are looking to make money from their content. - Mirror.xyz
is a decentralized blogging platform launched in 2020 that allows users to publish and monetize their content using cryptocurrency. It is built on the Ethereum blockchain and uses non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to represent content.
Centralized Competition#
- WordPress
is the most popular blogging platform in the world. It is a free and open-source platform that can be used to create any type of website. WordPress is a good option for users who want to have complete control over their website. WordPress also has a large community of developers and users, which means that there are a lot of resources available to help you get started. - Medium
is a popular blogging platform that allows users to publish articles, essays, and stories. Medium is a good option for users who are looking for a platform with a clean and simple design. Medium also has a large audience, which can help you to reach a wider audience with your content. - Substack
is a subscription-based blogging platform that allows users to create their own independent publications. Substack is a good option for users who want to have complete control over their content. Substack also has a number of features that make it easy to monetize your content, such as paid subscriptions and in-content advertising. - Ghost
is a self-hosted blogging platform that gives users complete control over their content. Ghost is a good option for users who want to have complete control over their website. Ghost is also a good option for users who want to avoid the advertising and tracking that is common on other blogging platforms.
Due Diligence#
There is currently no official information about the team behind the xLog.app and Crossbell blockchain, but the main two languages used in their discord are English and Chinese.
There is also currently no official information on how the project raised its funds.
A clear development roadmap is not currently publicly available.
How does xLog.app use BNB Greenfield?#
xLog.app is a decentralized blogging platform that
BNB Greenfield is a decentralized open-source storage chain that is connected to the BNB Chain. The main benefits it offers over centralized data storage solutions include:
- Security
BNB Greenfield is a decentralized network, which means that it is not controlled by any single entity. This makes it more secure than centralized storage solutions, which are more vulnerable to attack. - Ownership
Users have full ownership of their data on BNB Greenfield. This means that they can access, edit, and delete their data at any time. - Transparency
BNB Greenfield is a transparent network, which means that all transactions are public. This makes it more difficult for censorship or fraud to occur.
The benefits are very similar to what xLog.app offers to allow users to write, own, and earn from their content. xLog.app will use BNB Greenfield to provide users with better data security and ownership by having BNB Greenfield store all of its user data, including blog posts, comments, and metadata. This ensures that users have full control over their data and that it is secure from attack.
Conclusion and Future Application#
The idea of a decentralized blogging platform is powerful, especially for controlling data. Data is becoming more valuable, so the more control users have over their own data, the better.
Additional considerations that need to be considered is data access. Although there can be privacy for who the owner of the data is, there currently isn't enough protection around access to the data. With the growth of AI, controlling what has access to your data will be important.
Additionally, the anti-censorship aspect of decentralized data is also very powerful, especially as we enter an age where nationalism and populism are at an all-time high. With the speed at which technology, the economy, and society is changing, there will be more upheavals that cause government instability across the globe. Access to platforms that have anti-censorship capabilities paired with identity privacy will play a critical role in how voices are heard.
At the end of the day, decentralized blogging platform services are still niche as they cannot replace the ease of use, market access, and features of centralized blogging platform services that are available today. But as the technology continues to improve, there might be a day when the Web3 decentralized services will be just as attractive, if not more attractive, then its Web2 centralized counterpart.
This is part of my Project Notes series, where I research projects that have potential long-term utility as we explore the value and consideration of transitioning from Web2 to Web3.