Butterfly
Butterfly is a decentralized Web3 social application and messaging protocol designed to operate on an offline Bluetooth Mesh network. [1] [2] The project aims to facilitate and create value from real-world human interactions through a consensus mechanism it calls Proof of Connection (PoC). [3]
Overview
Butterfly positions itself as a solution to what its creators describe as a "broken" and isolating digital social landscape dominated by algorithmic control and user data exploitation. [2] The project's core mission is to re-emphasize the value of in-person, serendipitous connections over virtual engagement, a philosophy encapsulated by its mantra, "1 Real Handshake > 1,000 Virtual Likes." [1] It seeks to build a new social layer for the internet that is anchored to physical presence, aiming to return the ownership and value of social capital back to the users. [3]
The platform operates as a permissionless, decentralized social network designed to function independently of traditional internet infrastructure or cellular service. To achieve this, Butterfly is built as a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN), where the network's hardware layer is composed entirely of its users' smartphones. [2] By transforming each phone into a node, the project aims to create a resilient, user-powered, and censorship-resistant communication system "governed by physics, not censors." [1] The model also falls under the category of SocialFi (Social Finance), as it integrates a token-based economy to incentivize users for participating in the network, both by meeting others and by relaying data. The project began its public-facing activities around November 2025, when its official social media channels were established. [2]
Architecture
Butterfly's architecture is a multi-layered system designed to support its decentralized, offline-first approach by leveraging edge computing on mobile devices rather than centralized servers. [3]
Physical Infrastructure Layer
The foundational layer of the project is the Bluetooth Mesh network created by users' smartphones. Each device with the Butterfly application installed acts as a node capable of discovering, connecting, and relaying encrypted data to and from other nearby nodes. This peer-to-peer structure forms the DePIN, where the physical infrastructure is crowdsourced from its participant base. This is intended to create a resilient network that grows in strength and coverage as more users join. [1] [3]
Protocol Layer
The core of the technical design is the Proof of Connection (PoC) protocol. PoC is a consensus mechanism intended to cryptographically verify that two or more devices were in close physical proximity for a certain duration. This process serves to validate a real-world interaction, creating a trustworthy and immutable on-chain record of the connection. The project refers to this process as "minting the moment," effectively turning a real-world social encounter into a verifiable digital asset. [2] The protocol layer also includes dedicated systems for privacy and data encryption to ensure user data remains sovereign and secure. [3]
Application Layer
This layer consists of the user-facing mobile social application. The app provides the interface for users to discover nearby participants, initiate and manage connections, send messages, and manage the digital assets generated from their PoC interactions. It serves as the gateway for users to access the network and its features. [1]
Economic Layer
Integrated into the architecture is an economic layer powered by the project's native tokens. This layer governs the incentive mechanisms that encourage network participation. It includes the "Connect-to-Earn" model, which rewards users for successful PoC events, and a "Relay-to-Earn" model, which rewards users for contributing their device's resources to transfer data across the mesh network. This layer is designed to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where value is generated and distributed among the network's active participants. [1] [3]
Products
Butterfly's primary product is a permissionless Web3 social application and messaging protocol for mobile devices. The application serves as the user's entry point into the network. Upon installation, it transforms the user's smartphone into a functional node within the Butterfly Bluetooth Mesh network. This allows the device to participate in peer-to-peer communication, discover other users, and verify real-world interactions without needing to connect to a central server or the wider internet. [1] [3]
Features
The Butterfly platform is built around several key technological features designed to support its vision of a presence-focused social network.
Offline Network
The application operates on a Bluetooth Mesh network, enabling peer-to-peer communication and data transfer directly between phones. This core feature is intended to allow the network to function independently of internet access or cellular service, providing a resilient communication channel in various offline scenarios. [1]
Proof of Connection (PoC)
Proof of Connection is the proprietary protocol used to verify and record real-world, in-person interactions. This system is designed to turn moments of "serendipity" into verifiable on-chain assets. When users meet and connect via the app, the PoC mechanism generates a cryptographic proof of the event, allowing users to "mint the moment" as a permanent record on the blockchain. [2]
Incentive Models
Butterfly incorporates two primary incentive models to encourage network growth and maintenance:
- Connect-to-Earn: This is a SocialFi model that rewards users with tokens for meeting other users in real life. These verified meetings, authenticated by the PoC protocol, are designed to generate tangible value within the ecosystem. [1]
- Relay-to-Earn: To support the DePIN infrastructure, users are also incentivized for contributing their device's resources. By acting as network "relayers," their phones help transfer data across the mesh network, earning them rewards for maintaining the network's health and reach. [3]
Data Sovereignty
The project emphasizes that users retain full ownership and control of their personal and social data. This model contrasts with traditional social media platforms that often rely on harvesting user data for advertising. In the Butterfly ecosystem, the social graph and associated data are designed to belong entirely to the user. [2]
Hyper-local Discovery
Leveraging Bluetooth technology, the protocol is designed to allow users to discover other network participants who are in their immediate physical proximity. This feature is intended to encourage spontaneous, real-world social opportunities and local community building. [1]
Ecosystem
The Butterfly ecosystem is a user-powered DePIN composed of individual participants whose mobile devices collectively form the network's infrastructure. [1] Participants within this ecosystem can fulfill several roles simultaneously. They are social users who connect with others, "minters" who create on-chain records of their interactions via PoC, and network "relayers" who contribute their device's bandwidth and battery to transfer data for other users across the mesh. The permissionless design of the protocol suggests a potential for third-party developers to build new applications or services on top of the Butterfly social layer in the future. The entire system is structured to sustain and expand itself through tokenized incentives, creating a network that becomes more robust as its user base grows. [2]
Use Cases
The technology behind Butterfly is designed for a variety of applications, particularly in environments where traditional internet is unavailable, unreliable, or undesirable.
- Resilient Communication: Providing a communication channel during internet outages caused by natural disasters, in areas with poor infrastructure, or during government-imposed shutdowns.
- Offline Social Networking: Enabling users to connect and message with others at crowded events like music festivals, conferences, or stadiums where cellular networks are often congested.
- Verifiable Real-World Interactions: Allowing attendees at conferences, professional meetups, or community gatherings to create on-chain proof of their attendance and the connections they make.
- Hyper-local Community Building: Facilitating the formation of secure, private communication groups for residents in a neighborhood or attendees of a local event.
- Minting Social Collectibles: Turning unique real-world meetings and shared experiences into verifiable digital assets or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain.
- Privacy-Focused Social Graph: Allowing users to build a social network based on verified interactions without surrendering their personal data to a centralized corporate entity.
These use cases are supported by the platform's core architecture, including its offline capabilities and Proof of Connection mechanism. [1] [3]
Tokenomics
The Butterfly economic model is structured around a dual-token system designed to separate network utility and governance functions. The model is built on "Connect-to-Earn" and "Relay-to-Earn" principles to incentivize participation. [2] [3]
Allocation
According to project documentation, the two tokens have distinct allocation and vesting schedules.
- $Butterfly ICM Token: An allocation and vesting schedule is outlined for this token, which serves as the primary incentive and mining token within the ecosystem.
- $Butterfly Governance Token: A separate allocation and vesting schedule is detailed for the token dedicated to protocol governance.
Further specifics regarding the token supply or distribution percentages were not publicly available as of late 2025. [3]
Token Utilities
The project's tokens are designed with several functions to power the network and its economy.
- Interaction Rewards: Awarded to users for successfully establishing and verifying real-world connections via the Proof of Connection protocol.
- Network Relaying Incentives: Distributed to users whose devices act as nodes to relay data, rewarding their contribution to the mesh network's health and reach.
- Staking: The project's documentation and promotional materials mention staking as a utility. This may involve locking up tokens or assets related to social activity to earn further rewards or gain influence in the network.
- Value Transfer: The tokens are intended to serve as the primary medium for value capture and transfer within the Butterfly ecosystem.
These utilities are central to the project's goal of creating a self-sustaining, user-driven network. [2] [3]
Governance
The project plans to implement a decentralized governance model using its dedicated governance token. Holders of this token are expected to have the ability to participate in key decisions regarding the protocol's development, operational parameters, and treasury management. This framework is intended to steer the project's future in a manner directed by its community of stakeholders. [3]