Catalyze, built on the Internet Computer, is a social-fi application designed to empower Web3 communities with a suite of tools for collaboration and seamless value exchange. Established in 2021, Catalyze functions as both a community organisation tool and a social platform, enabling users to create groups, manage events, and conduct transactions using their Web3 identity and wallet.
The launch of the CTZ token on ICP in September 2023 underscores Catalyze’s commitment to rewarding community participation. The project’s ambition stretches to onboarding leading voices of the new internet, positioning itself as the go-to hub for Web3 learning, community development, events, and streamlined token transactions.
Forget the noise and the hype; something practical is brewing in the Web3 space. Think of Catalyze as a digital toolbox, offering everything from group creation and management to event scheduling and instant value transfer, all designed to empower users within the decentralised world.
The core idea is simple: to bring people together using accessible tools and seamless value exchange. Social media has undeniably transformed how we connect, organise, and share, but the established platforms wield considerable control over user data and experiences. As a user, you’re often at the mercy of platform policies, with limited control over what you see, and how your data is used.
Decentralised social media aims to address these issues by leveraging Web3 technologies like tokens and NFTs. These tools allow platforms to create built-in mechanisms for sharing value and, crucially, offer better data protection for users. The challenge is clear: how do you shift the narrative away from the existing social media giants? Catalyze’s approach is not to directly compete but to construct tools specifically tailored for Web3 users, fostering the expansion of Web3 communities.
Catalyze is focused on key elements facilitated by Web3 and the Internet Computer stack, including enhanced user privacy and ownership. Centralised platforms have the power to control content, which can lead to bias and censorship. In contrast, decentralised platforms distribute control among users, employing consensus mechanisms for content moderation. This empowers users to participate in content policies and reduces the risk of manipulation.
Moreover, decentralised social media platforms foster innovation and competition by creating a more diverse ecosystem. With the emergence of new platforms and applications, users will find unique features and experiences catered to their specific needs. This environment pushes improvements in user experience and functionality.
Web3 tech enables decentralised social media platforms to introduce new revenue models, such as token-based incentives and microtransactions. This means value can be shared directly with content creators and users, rather than being concentrated in the hands of platform owners. Users are rewarded for their contributions, fostering a fairer online environment.
The ultimate ambition is to drive the Internet of Value. While it will take time, Catalyze believes it’s a worthwhile goal and that it’s ideally positioned on the Internet Computer to deliver on these principles.
The Catalyze team combines skills and experience from various sectors, including tech and mathematics. They share a passion for community empowerment and the development of decentralised governance models.
Ray Laracuenta, CEO and Founder, brings over 20 years of experience from Gartner Inc., where he led research teams and managed a substantial product portfolio. Johann Hartmann, COO and Founder, specialises in operations and alternate governance, with a focus on sustainability, impact, and community growth. Ben Everard, Engineering Director and Founder, leads both Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 development initiatives, with expertise in various technologies. Remco Sprenkles, Senior Engineer, brings extensive experience in both React and .Net development platforms, as well as Rust and Motoko. Viroshan Naicker, Ph.D., Tokenomics Advisor, is a mathematician and tokenomics architect who advises various blockchain/Web3 start-ups.
Catalyze offers a suite of organisation tools, including event planning, tasks, chat, and community groups. Users can log in using their Web3 internet identity or Web2 credentials.
The application and its data reside on-chain, while the chat function uses the Matrix protocol, an open network for secure decentralised communication. Matrix integrates with Web2 applications like Discord and Telegram, serving as a bridge for users until chat can move fully on-chain. On-chain chat development is planned to begin in Q3.
As of Q2 2023, Catalyze has 6000 users, who are on average members of five groups, with approximately 275 communities on the platform. There are also connected Catalyze communities to Discord, providing access to Catalyze via a Discord client. Catalyze has managed to grow its user base organically, avoiding excessive giveaways or airdrop promotions, to avoid bot overruns. As Catalyze transitions to a tokenomics-based system, the aim is to scale the user base to tens of thousands of users, providing protection against bots.
Catalyze is structured to support SNS, enabling Catalyze neuron holders to participate in SNS proposal management and governance from within the application. SNS-based groups can also create neuron-gated communities to discuss proposals before submission. Polling and voting tools have been added to the chat client, allowing neuron holders to gauge community sentiment before voting. This aims to improve proposals and give a wider range of neuron holders the opportunity to discuss future plans in an open and transparent environment.
The main feature of Catalyze is the creation of a feedback loop between founders, community managers, and members. Community managers can keep abreast of the community’s pulse through data and dashboards, while members can build reputations through their Web3 identity via contribution and participation in governance.
The tools for achieving this are data-driven, using metrics. These metrics help build collaborative communities, where users can improve their reputation scores based on their engagement and impact, and community managers can see who contributes the most value.
Catalyze will transition to an open-source model using the GNU GPL V2 license as part of the move to SNS and a DAO. The code is currently being audited by Beosin, and once completed and any issues addressed, the code base will be made public. In the meantime, components of the application not currently under audit will be made available for public review and input.
Catalyze aims to leverage the advantages of Web3 and the Internet Computer to create a collaborative approach to community development that users can trust. Code for community code proposals has already been implemented and a proposal will be put forth to offer community code-based proposals as part of the SNS governance process of Catalyze at a later date.
The SNS (Service-Nervous-System) is a crucial element for creating DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organisations) on the Internet Computer, modelled on the NNS (Network Nervous System). The SNS enables a dAPP (Decentralized Application) to be run through a decentralised community, benefiting community-based fundraising, censorship resistance, tokenization, and distributed governance.
Neurons are token staking mechanisms where users stake dAPP tokens for governance rights, and the right to govern is correlated with the user’s staking level. Proposals are suggestions on the dAPPs development and evolution, coming from either the founding team or the community, with the community voting to move the application forward.
This approach allows for apps to adopt a decentralisation standard, moving beyond the initial coin offering frenzy. DFINITY’s goals are decentralised ecosystems on decentralised infrastructure that is massively distributed, secure, and redundant, making the SNS a natural fit for Catalyze. It also supports a community evolution of the dAPP.
Catalyze aims to assist communities to grow and provide a structured place for decision-making, making community governance part of the vision for the application. The first task is to integrate a proposal and voting system into the application commensurate with SNS, using wallets and neurons to assess voting power and creating an organised space where proposals can be made, tested, improved, and approved by the community.
