Messaging
dm3 is a decentralized, open, and secure web3 messaging protocol leveraging ENS and IPFS with end-to-end encryption.
Overview
dm3 is a decentralized messaging protocol designed for web3 applications, enabling secure, open, and permissionless communication. It leverages established decentralized services such as the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) for identity and IPFS for storage, ensuring messages are stored and transmitted in a decentralized manner. The protocol emphasizes end-to-end encryption, with encryption keys controlled solely by users, enhancing privacy and security in messaging. dm3 is composed of modular packages including UI components (dm3-react), a web app (dm3-web), backend delivery and storage services (dm3-backend), and core functionality libraries (dm3-lib), facilitating easy integration into dApps.
The protocol defines a decentralized registry system based on ENS text records to map Ethereum accounts to user profiles and delivery services. Users create and publish profiles containing public signing and encryption keys along with delivery service references. Messages are encrypted, signed, and sent through delivery services that buffer and forward messages to recipients. The protocol supports direct message delivery as well as message proxies for flexible routing. Developers can subscribe to message events via WebSocket or fetch messages through REST APIs. dm3’s open-source nature and permissionless design allow anyone to build compatible clients or delivery services.
What sets dm3 apart is its full decentralization approach combined with secure end-to-end encryption and integration with widely adopted web3 standards like ENS. Unlike centralized messaging solutions, dm3 ensures users retain control over their keys and data, while enabling interoperability across different dApps and services. The protocol’s modular architecture and comprehensive integration guides simplify adoption for developers. Although still emerging, dm3 has deployed contracts on Ethereum testnets like Sepolia and provides executable integration examples to accelerate developer onboarding. Teams looking to build decentralized social or communication features can leverage dm3’s protocol and libraries to implement secure, user-controlled messaging within their applications.
The Problem
Web3 applications lack a standardized, decentralized messaging protocol that ensures secure, end-to-end encrypted communication while maintaining user control over keys and data. Existing solutions often rely on centralized servers or proprietary systems, limiting interoperability and privacy.
The Solution
Key Features
Modular Package Architecture
Includes UI components, web app, backend delivery/storage, and core libraries for flexible integration.
Delivery Service and Message Proxy Support
Supports direct message delivery and proxy-based forwarding for flexible routing.
Integration with ENS and IPFS
Leverages ENS for identity and IPFS for decentralized storage of profiles and messages.
Key Strengths
How Developers Use Messaging
Decentralized Social Messaging
Developers can build decentralized social platforms with secure, user-controlled messaging using dm3’s protocol and libraries.
DAO Communication Tools
DAO tooling developers can integrate dm3 to enable encrypted, decentralized communication among members.
Identity-Linked Messaging in dApps
Identity and social developers can use dm3 to add messaging features linked to Ethereum accounts and ENS names.
Works Well WithAlgorandAptosArbitrum OneAvalanche
Berachain
Base
Blast
BNB Smart Chain
Celestia
Celo
Cosmos
Ethereum
Evmos
Fantom
Gnosis
Injective Protocol
Linea
Mantle
Moonbeam
NEAR
Oasis
Optimism
Osmosis
Polygon PoS
Provenance
Rootstock
Scroll
SEI
Solana
Sui
Terra
Acala
Dymension
Karura
Klaytn
Neon
Neutron
Pythnet
Seda
Stargaze
Xpla
X Layer
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Messaging Alternatives
Explore web3 competitors and apps like Messaging.
Pricing
Open Source | |
|---|---|
| Price (Monthly) | Free |
| Price (Annual) | Free |
| Messaging | N/A |
| Support | Community support via GitHub |
| Analytics |
Resources
The dm3 project provides comprehensive documentation, integration examples, and modular packages to help developers build decentralized messaging into their dApps. The GitHub repositories include UI components, backend services, and libraries, along with detailed guides on profile creation, message encryption, and delivery service setup.