Decentralised messaging and social media platforms are seeing increased adoption as global unrest and government restrictions disrupt traditional communication channels.
Interest in decentralised social media has risen 145% over the past five years, while peer-to-peer messaging app Bitchat recorded spikes in downloads during protests across countries including Iran, Indonesia and Nepal.
“I think people are starting to trust open protocols more than they trust closed companies,”
Said XMTP Labs CEO Shane Mac.
Mac said growing concerns around censorship and surveillance are pushing users toward decentralised networks that operate without a single point of failure.
Unlike centralised platforms, which rely on company-controlled servers, decentralised systems distribute infrastructure across global networks, making them harder to shut down.
The trend comes as governments impose restrictions on major platforms, including moves to block services such as WhatsApp in certain regions, increasing demand for alternative communication tools.
Despite rising interest, centralised platforms are expected to remain dominant, with decentralised options likely to coexist as privacy-focused alternatives in an evolving digital landscape.