A social graph is a digital map of the relationships and interactions between entities, typically users, within a network. In a blockchain context, it represents the connections—such as follows, likes, subscriptions, and attestations—as on-chain or cryptographically verifiable data. This moves the social graph from being a proprietary asset of centralized platforms like Meta or X to a user-owned, portable, and interoperable public good. The structure is composed of nodes (users/accounts) and edges (the relationships between them), forming a powerful dataset for reputation, discovery, and decentralized applications (dApps).
LABS
Glossary
Social Graph
A social graph is a data structure that maps the relationships and interactions between entities, such as users, content, and interests, within a social network.
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definition
BLOCKCHAIN GLOSSARY
What is a Social Graph?
A foundational data structure for decentralized social networks and identity systems.
On blockchains, social graphs are often implemented using smart contracts or specialized protocols like Lens Protocol or Farcaster. These systems record social actions as transactions or non-transferable tokens (e.g., follow NFTs), ensuring the graph is permissionless and composable. This allows any developer to build applications atop the same underlying social data, fostering innovation without platform lock-in. Key technical components include decentralized identifiers (DIDs), verifiable credentials, and graph databases optimized for querying complex relationship chains.
The shift to decentralized social graphs enables several core use cases: portable reputation where a user's social capital moves with them across apps, algorithmic choice where users can select curation mechanisms, and enhanced privacy through cryptographic proofs instead of exposing raw data. For developers, it provides open access to a rich social layer, reducing the cold-start problem for new dApps. Analysts can study on-chain graphs to map community influence, token-weighted governance, and the viral spread of information in Web3 ecosystems.
Challenges in this domain include scaling data storage for high-volume social interactions, managing privacy preferences in a public data environment, and establishing sustainable economic models for network maintenance. Protocols address these through layer-2 solutions for cheaper transactions, zero-knowledge proofs for private connections, and fee mechanisms for graph writing. The evolution of the social graph is central to the vision of DeSo (Decentralized Social), aiming to realign incentives between users, creators, and platform operators.
how-it-works
NETWORK MECHANICS
How a Social Graph Works
A technical breakdown of the data structure that maps relationships and interactions between entities, forming the foundation for social networks and decentralized applications.
A social graph is a data structure, often represented as a graph database, that models the relationships (edges) and attributes between entities (nodes) within a network. In web2, entities are typically users, with edges representing connections like "friends with" or "follows." In web3 and decentralized social (DeSo) protocols, the graph expands to include interactions with smart contracts, token holdings, DAO memberships, and on-chain activity, creating a richer, user-owned map of digital identity and community.
The core mechanics involve node creation (adding a new user or entity), edge formation (recording a follow, like, or financial transaction), and graph traversal (querying paths between nodes, e.g., "friends of friends"). Centralized platforms like Facebook maintain proprietary, siloed graphs they control. In contrast, decentralized protocols such as Lens Protocol or Farcaster build portable, open social graphs stored on public blockchains or decentralized storage networks like IPFS, allowing users to own their social connections and data.
For developers, building on a social graph enables features like contextual discovery (finding relevant content or people), reputation systems (weighting interactions based on graph proximity), and targeted governance (e.g., airdrops to specific community clusters). A key technical challenge is graph synchronization—ensuring all network participants have a consistent view of the graph's state—which decentralized networks solve through consensus mechanisms and cryptographic verifiability of each connection.
key-features
ARCHITECTURE
Key Features of a Decentralized Social Graph
A decentralized social graph is a user-owned network of social connections and data, built on open protocols rather than controlled by a single platform. Its core features enable user sovereignty, interoperability, and censorship resistance.
01
User Ownership & Portability
Users own their social identity, connections, and content via self-custodied credentials (e.g., cryptographic keys). This data is portable, allowing users to move their social graph between compatible applications without losing their network or history, breaking platform lock-in.
02
Protocol-Based Interoperability
Social data is structured and stored according to open standards like W3C Verifiable Credentials or specific blockchain protocols (e.g., Lens Protocol, Farcaster). This allows different applications (clients) to read from and write to the same underlying social graph, creating a composable ecosystem.
03
Censorship Resistance
The graph's data and logic are often anchored on decentralized networks (blockchains, IPFS, peer-to-peer protocols). This makes it difficult for any single entity to unilaterally deplatform a user, delete content, or alter social connections, as control is distributed across the network.
04
Composable Social Data
Social primitives—like profiles, follows, and posts—are publicly accessible data structures. Developers can permissionlessly build new applications that compose this data in novel ways (e.g., a recommendation engine that uses follow graphs from multiple apps), fostering innovation.
05
Verifiable Reputation & Attestations
Relationships and achievements can be cryptographically verified. On-chain attestations (e.g., POAPs, Soulbound Tokens) or off-chain signatures can prove membership, endorsements, or credentials within the graph, creating a trust layer not reliant on a central authority.
06
Economic Alignment
Value accrual is redirected to users and creators. Features like native social tokens, creator monetization rails, and protocol-level revenue sharing are built directly into the graph's economics, unlike traditional platforms where value is captured by the corporation.
examples
ARCHITECTURE
Social Graph Protocols & Examples
A social graph is a decentralized data structure that maps relationships and interactions between entities, such as users, wallets, and smart contracts, on a blockchain. These protocols enable applications to query and build upon user-centric data without relying on centralized platforms.
05
Data Composability
A core principle of decentralized social graphs where user data and social connections are portable, open, and interoperable. Unlike siloed Web2 platforms, any application can read from and write to a user's social graph with permission. This enables:
- Network Effects: New apps bootstrap users and their existing relationships instantly.
- Innovation: Developers can build novel experiences on top of a shared social layer.
- User Sovereignty: Users can switch front-end applications without losing their social history.
06
On-Chain vs. Off-Chain Data
Social graph protocols strategically split data storage to balance cost, speed, and decentralization.
- On-Chain Data (Immutable & Verifiable): Core identity (e.g., Lens Profile NFT, Farcaster ID) and critical relationship attestations (e.g., follows). Stored directly on a blockchain.
- Off-Chain/Decentralized Storage (Scalable): High-volume, mutable content like posts, comments, and media. Often stored on networks like IPFS, Arweave, or protocol-specific hubs.
This hybrid model ensures sovereign ownership of identity while maintaining practical scalability for social interactions.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPARISON
Web2 vs. Web3 Social Graph
A comparison of the core architectural and economic models governing user identity, data, and network effects in centralized and decentralized social systems.
| Architectural Feature | Web2 Social Graph | Web3 Social Graph |
|---|---|---|
Data Ownership & Portability | Data is owned and siloed by the platform; user cannot migrate their graph. | User-owned, portable social graphs stored on decentralized protocols (e.g., Lens, Farcaster). |
Identity Foundation | Platform-specific account (e.g., Twitter handle). | Cryptographic key pair or decentralized identifier (DID) linked to a wallet address. |
Monetization Model | Platform captures value via advertising; users are the product. | Creators capture value directly via tokens, NFTs, and microtransactions; users are stakeholders. |
Composability & Interoperability | Closed APIs; limited integration between platforms. | Open, permissionless APIs; social actions (follows, likes) are composable assets. |
Censorship Resistance | Centralized moderation; platform can de-platform users. | Algorithmic or community-driven moderation; user identity and content persist on-chain. |
Network Effects | Vendor-locked; effects are captured by the corporate entity. | Protocol-native; effects accrue to the open network and its participants. |
Governance & Upgrades | Corporate product team decides all changes. | Governed by token holders or decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). |
ecosystem-usage
SOCIAL GRAPH
Ecosystem Usage & Applications
A blockchain-based social graph maps relationships and interactions between users and entities, enabling decentralized applications to build on portable identity and reputation.
01
Decentralized Social Networking
Platforms like Farcaster and Lens Protocol use on-chain social graphs to power censorship-resistant social media. User profiles, connections, and content are stored on public blockchains, allowing users to own their social identity and migrate it between different client applications.
- Key Feature: Portable Identity - Your followers and social data are not locked to a single platform.
- Example: A user's Lens Protocol profile NFT holds their followers and posts, usable across any app built on the protocol.
02
On-Chain Reputation & Credentials
Social graphs aggregate verifiable actions—like governance participation, NFT holdings, or attestations—to create a reputation score. This is used for:
- Sybil Resistance: Differentiating real users from bots in airdrops or voting.
- Under-collateralized Lending: Assessing creditworthiness based on transaction history and community standing.
- Proof-of-Personhood: Projects like Worldcoin or BrightID provide graph-based verification of unique human identity.
03
Curated Discovery & Recommendations
Applications leverage the social graph to surface relevant content, communities, or assets based on the connections and actions of trusted peers. This moves away from opaque, ad-driven algorithms.
- Content Curation: Seeing what NFTs or articles your followed addresses have collected.
- DAO Discovery: Finding active governance communities based on the participation of respected delegates.
- Protocols: CyberConnect and RSS3 index and provide APIs for querying these decentralized social relationships.
04
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
Social graphs are critical for understanding influence and contribution networks within DAOs. They help map:
- Voting Power & Delegation: Visualizing how voting weight flows through delegate relationships.
- Contributor Networks: Identifying key contributors and collaboration patterns based on on-chain proposal submissions and approvals.
- Tools: Platforms like Boardroom and Snapshot use graph data to provide governance insights and analytics.
05
Data Portability & Interoperability
A core promise of decentralized social graphs is breaking data silos. Standards like ERC-6551 (Token Bound Accounts) or EIP-7007 (ZK EdDSA Verifiable Credentials) allow social data to be composed across different applications and chains.
- Composability: A gaming achievement NFT can become a verifiable credential in your social graph profile.
- Interoperability: Graphs built on Ceramic Network or Lens Protocol aim to be application-agnostic, serving as a shared data layer.
06
Underlying Data Structures & Protocols
The technical foundation for these applications relies on specific data models and indexing protocols.
- Graph Databases: The Graph Protocol indexes blockchain data into queryable subgraphs, crucial for building social feeds.
- Data Models: Verifiable Credentials (VCs) and Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) are token standards used to represent attestations and non-transferable traits within a graph.
- Storage: Social data is often stored on decentralized storage networks like IPFS or Arweave, with pointers on-chain.
SOCIAL GRAPH
Common Misconceptions
Clarifying frequent misunderstandings about social graphs, their implementation, and their role in decentralized systems.
No, a social graph is a comprehensive data structure that models relationships and interactions between entities, far beyond a simple friend list. It is a directed or undirected graph where nodes represent entities (users, wallets, smart contracts) and edges represent the relationships or interactions between them (follows, likes, transactions, governance votes). This structure enables complex network analysis, such as identifying influencers, mapping communities, and detecting sybil attacks. In web3, social graphs are often decentralized and user-owned, stored on protocols like Lens Protocol or CyberConnect, allowing portability across applications.
SOCIAL GRAPH
Technical Details
A social graph is a data structure that maps the relationships and interactions between entities in a network. In web3, it is a decentralized, user-owned representation of connections, reputations, and activity, enabling new models for identity, discovery, and application interoperability.
A social graph in web3 is a decentralized, user-owned data structure that maps relationships, interactions, and reputations between entities (like wallets, users, or DAOs) on a blockchain. Unlike traditional social networks where the platform owns the graph, web3 social graphs are built on open protocols, allowing users to port their connections and social capital across different applications. This is achieved by recording social actions—such as follows, likes, and attestations—as on-chain or cryptographically signed transactions. Key protocols building this infrastructure include Lens Protocol, Farcaster, and CyberConnect.
SOCIAL GRAPH
Frequently Asked Questions
A social graph is a digital map of relationships and interactions. In web3, it represents the decentralized network of connections between users, wallets, and on-chain activities. This section answers common questions about its function, technology, and importance.
A social graph is a data structure that maps the relationships and interactions between entities, such as users, wallets, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (dApps). It works by analyzing on-chain and off-chain data to create a network of connections based on transactions, token holdings, governance votes, and social attestations. In web3, this graph is often decentralized, meaning the data and its control are distributed across a network rather than owned by a single corporation. Protocols like Lens Protocol and Farcaster build social graphs where user profiles and connections are stored on-chain or in decentralized networks, enabling portable social identities and reputation across different applications.
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