Decentralization is the buzzword of the century. I've written about it before, sometimes positively and sometimes skeptically. It seems that almost every blockchain project is using the buzzword as a means of attracting an audience. As if decentralization enough was a benefit.
I admit, I do like the idea of a decentralized Internet. But some projects, Decenternet and Substratum come to mind, approached the idea too ambitiously. In trying to achieve a good thing, they went overboard and tried to be all things to all people. That's quite unlike simpler projects like Brave and Status.
From Status.IM's website
It's true, Brave is nothing more than a browser. However, its lightweight Chromium-based architecture is perfect for a guy like me. I value high-speed browsing. In fact, as editor of multiple online publications, I require it. Speed is my currency. And that's all a browser needs to be to me for me to accomplish the tasks I must accomplish efficiently and effectively. BAT, I can take it or leave it, but I allow the ads in the Brave browser because, why not? I might as well earn a little something since I'm using it anyway.
Status is very little like Brave, but it does have one thing in common with my now-favorite browser. It is a simple project with a simple focus.
In the most simple language possible, Status is an instant messaging app with a web browser and a crypto wallet. It's these three features that make it simple enough to move the Internet forward toward practical decentralization without killing itself with ambition.
I downloaded Status for the desktop, but the desktop app--available for Windows, Mac, and Linux--isn't as developed as the mobile app (that doesn't mean it won't get there), so I downloaded the mobile app for Android so I'd have something to play with. There's one for iOS too.
When you open the app, you are able to join or start public chats as well as group chats. The latter is useful if you have friends who are using it too, which Status makes easy since the first thing you're asked to do is invite your friends. In this regard, chat is something akin to Telegram, but not quite as developed. It is in alpha stage, after all.
The second feature is the web browser. Not as robust as any average browser, it is useful enough. While there is no typical search feature or dedicated search engine, the top text bar allows you to enter a web address, which is then rendered in the mobile browser window. As a nice add-on feature, you can also search for your favorite ETH-based apps with WYSIWYG icons on dap.ps.
Thirdly, there is the crypto wallet that allows you to send and receive Ethereum and any ETH-based tokens.
Status is based on the Ethereum blockchain, which means it has a built-in ecosystem that makes it useful right away.
Like any useful blockchain project, Status has its own cryptocurrency. As well it should. If Status is going to compete with Kik and WhatsApp, it will have to have a token to combat kin and Libra, Facebook's soon-to-launch cryptocurrency. Status's token is SNT.
The value of SNT isn't nearly what it was at its peak in January 2018. At that time, the token maxed out at just over 60 cents per token. It now sits at nearly 3 cents. But if the bulls are right and we're on the cusp of another FOMO rally, you could see SNT (Status Network Token) appreciate along with most other cryptocurrencies on the market today.
More realistic, if you believe IM apps like Status have a future and that Status could be a contender, then you can buy and HODL. I wouldn't hold that against you.
The built-in Dapps marketplace contains some of Ethereum's finest dapps. Easily organized into categories, Status makes it visually appealing and easy to find the dapp you're looking for. From decentralized exchanges like Airdrop and Kyber to hotel booking, you'll find plenty of dapps to enjoy.
Dapp categories include:
By now, you should have a pretty good picture of what Status is aiming for. But how are they going to decentralize the Internet?
My generation ushered in the Internet age. We brought you the first Web browsers, the first Web directories, and the first search engines. In its first iteration, the Internet was decentralized. Then corporations took over. Now, browsers, directories, and search engines are all centralized entities seeking to capture your personal information and use it for their own purposes and profit. Projects like Status aim to quell that practice.
Status's mission is stated clearly on its home page: "Status strives to be a secure communication tool that upholds human rights." Among those rights is the intrinsic right to privacy. My generation gave it up; the millennial generation seeks to reclaim it. I say "Bravo!" if they succeed.
I believe that success will be achieved one small step at a time. The world isn't ready for Decenternet. It may be ready for Status.
Beyond privacy, however, is the idea that no one owns the Internet and certainly not its growing universe of data. The world is moving away from desktops to dapps, and Status is one project that is focused on building community through decentralization, and its dapps marketplace is an excellent example of that. As the Ethereum blockchain grows, along with its dapps ecosystem, Status will become more useful. I'm sure the development team is working on more useful features, and as the project grows in popularity and usefulness, there is plenty of room for more features that will continue to decentralize the Internet without breaking it. And when it happens, I'd like to be alive to see it.
This is not financial advice, nor a guarantee or promise in regards to any result that may be obtained from using the above content. The information provided here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered as financial and/or investment advice. No person should make any kind of financial decision without first consulting their own financial adviser and/or conducting their own research and due diligence.
