BlockTalk

Blocktalk, a Chrome extension, heralds a new era of Web3-powered social chat forums that are censorship-resistant and sybil-resistant. It's a response to the limitations of traditional chat rooms, where free expression is often hampered by arbitrary censorship. Unlike its predecessors like AOL Instant Messenger or Yahoo! Chat, Blocktalk offers a decentralized solution for the billions of messenger and chatroom users, especially relevant in regions with rampant text censorship.

This extension stands out with its simplicity and ease of use. Users mint NFTs to join, which curbs spam and promotes quality interactions within a fully decentralized framework. Blocktalk is not just a tool for communication; it's a step towards reclaiming the internet's original spirit of free, open conversation, ensuring every voice can be heard without fear of suppression.

We deployed a smart contract on Scroll and Arbitrum for minting NFTs, which signify membership in chat groups. This approach takes advantage of the security and scalability of Ethereum Layer 2 solutions. The chat content is stored on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), providing decentralized and persistent storage. This combination of blockchain and decentralized file storage is central to achieving secure and scalable chat forums.