Planetary

Planetary was a pioneering decentralized social media platform built on the Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB) protocol. Launched in October 2020 with funding from Bloomberg Beta, it represented one of the first serious attempts to create a user-friendly interface for peer-to-peer social networking.

The core innovation of Planetary was making decentralized technology accessible to everyday users. While the underlying SSB protocol was complex, we created an intuitive iOS app that felt familiar to anyone who had used social media, while providing revolutionary features like offline-first functionality and cryptographically verified identity.

Unlike traditional social networks, Planetary operated without servers. Each user's device stored their own data and synced directly with friends' devices. This meant users could post, like, and comment even without internet access, with changes syncing when reconnected. It was social media that worked on planes, in remote areas, or during internet outages.

The project addressed fundamental problems with centralized social media: surveillance capitalism, censorship, and platform lock-in. Users owned their data, could export it at any time, and weren't subject to algorithmic manipulation or advertising.

Planetary's influence extended far beyond its direct impact. The lessons learned and code developed helped inspire subsequent protocols like Bluesky, Farcaster, and Nostr. We proved that decentralized social media could be beautiful, functional, and user-friendly – paving the way for the current wave of innovation in this space.