YouTube, Tron and the Dream of Decentralization

After YouTube (temporarily) removes crypto content and DLive moves to Tron, many are asking: Are decentralized social media alternatives possible?

Jan 3, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. UTC

Updated Sep 13, 2021 at 11:54 a.m. UTC

The past few weeks have seen multiple instances of large, centralized tech giants censoring crypto-related content and activity. Noticed in the context of the Coinbase Wallet, Apple is pushing back against anything having to do with decentralized applications (dapps).

YouTube caused even more of a stir when it took down hundreds of crypto-related videos from prominent influencers without any warning. It later reversed the action, claiming an error, but it was enough to get many to ask: Are decentralized alternatives possible?

As if on cue, Justin Sun popped up to announce that Tron had struck a deal through which decentralized Twitch competitor and streaming service DLive would be moving to the Tron Blockchain and integrating with BitTorrent’s BLive streaming service. For many, however, Tron’s involvement makes DLive more likely to end up a centralized tool than a disruptive decentralized social network alternative.

Show notes and links for Jan. 3, 2020:

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