Nostr’s Social Networking App Damus Finally Listed on Apple’s App Store

Damus, an upcoming decentralized social networking app developed by Nostr, just got listed on Apple’s App Store.  

The startup, aimed at creating a censorship-free global social network, has been dubbed by several media commentators to be an alternative to Twitter. Its parent company Nostr is also popular among the bitcoin community because many of its features support payments over Lightning Network. 

Part of the startup’s growth can also be attributed to former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who last year donated an estimated 14 BTC (or $245,000 at its time) to fund the web development companies of Nostr. In a tweet, Dorsey praised the Damus App Store debut, calling it a “milestone for open protocols.” 

Damus is one of the many apps emerging to rival Twitter following Elon Musk’s takeover. Former Twitter users have resorted to apps such as Tumblr and other decentralized social platforms like Mastodon.  

Unlike these apps, Damus is not venture-backed but instead an experimental open platform without a central authority to overlook policies. Upon entering the app, the text reads: “You are in control...there is no platform that can ban or censor you. You are in control of your data.” 

The site also takes pride in its end-to-end encrypted messaging, a feature Twitter does not offer. The app also does not require its users to use their number, email, or name to sign up.  

Damus is just one of many projects Nostr is pursuing. Other projects include the Telegram-like chat program Anigma, the mobile client Nostros and the chess app Jester which can be found on the company website.