Open. Decentralised. Federated.
One identity,
every app, always yours.
polyproto is an open protocol that lets you use one account across many independent apps and services. No company owns your identity: cryptography proves it's you, and you can move to another home server whenever you like, taking your data with you.
So, what is polyproto?
polyproto is a family of open protocols for representing you online. Think of how "login with ..." gets you into all sorts of different apps and websites. polyproto does that across the whole internet and defines how data (messages, posts, likes) flow across a decentralized and open network of interoperable apps. No single company is in charge. You own your identity, and it is yours to take wherever you go.
Your account lives on a home server of your choice. From there you can talk to any other polyproto app or service, and everything you send is signed, so others can check it really came from you and was not changed along the way. Change your mind about your home server? Migrate to a new one, keeping your past data.
How it works
Four plain steps, explained in plain english.
- 1
Get an identity
Pick a home server or have polyproto make that choice for you. What you get is a Federation ID like conway@polyproto.org. That's your name across the whole network; until you feel like changing it.
- 2
Your server vouches for you
Your home server gives your account a verifiable "stamp of approval". Other apps can check it to confirm it's really you. You never hand away your keys.
- 3
Send signed data
Everything you post or message is signed by you. Anyone can verify it's authentic and was not tampered with.
- 4
Move freeeeeely
Don't like your home server? Migrate to another and keep your identity and data, even if the old home server is already long offline or actively uncooperative.
The best federation is invisible.
polyproto is built to get out of your way. It should be easy to use for everyone and simple to build on for developers. Ideally, users never have to think about servers, federation, or what any of that even means. It should just work, and let you get on with whatever you actually came to do.
What you get
Exactly what’s inside and why we think you'll like it
An identity you own
Your Federation ID is yours, not rented from a platform. No company can lock you in, sell you out, or take it away.
Switch home servers anytime
Move your account to a new home server whenever you want, even if the old one has shut down. Your data comes with you.
Tamper-proof by design
Signatures let anyone verify that what they see really came from you and was not altered along the way, using battle-tested cryptography like X.509 and digital signatures.
Federation, like email
Independent servers all speak the same language, so you can reach individuals and services no matter whose server they live on.
Reusable extensibility
Extensions are major technological add-ons (such as general purpose end-to-end encryption) or app-cores standardising a whole category such as chat. App-cores reuse the same interoperable parts instead of rebuilding them.
Sustainably empowering, empoweringly sustainable
polyproto is unapologetically queer and built by an inclusive and diverse community. It is headed for open, democratic governance with no single owner, made by and for individuals big tech tends to overlook.
Where it fits
polyproto can power almost anything that needs accounts. Its identity layer sits underneath, and app-cores standardise whole categories on top. We think polyproto would be a great fit for:
- Instant messaging
- Social networks
- Forums
- Collaborative tools
- Game backends
- ...anything that needs an account
Join the network of creators
Contributions are always welcome!
Develop for or with polyproto.