A decentralised, peer-to-peer social network and protocol in which each user keeps an append-only log of signed messages on their own device and syncs with peers by gossip, including over a local network without internet access. Because each log is an unforgeable feed, peers need not be trusted and can pass on other peers' logs and files; the original server software describes itself as a peer-to-peer log store used as a database, identity provider and messaging system, with global replication, file synchronisation and end-to-end encrypted messages. The protocol is documented in a community guide. The project is run by the Secure Scuttlebutt Consortium; the main clients (Patchwork, then Manyverse) and the original server have stopped receiving updates, and the lightweight tinySSB variant is a separate entry in this matrix .
LicenseMixed, per repository: ssb-server and Patchwork carry open-source licences (Patchwork AGPL-3.0); the protocol guide is documentation. https://github.com/ssbc
Dev Status ⚠️ Unmaintained
OwnerSecure Scuttlebutt Consortium (the 'ssbc' GitHub organisation, described as a distributed and secure peer-to-peer social network)
Governing BodySecure Scuttlebutt Consortium; no formal governance document is described in the cited sources
Country Not stated by the project.
Start Year 2014
StackJavaScript (Node.js) reference implementation; append-only signed feeds; gossip replication; the community protocol guide documents the formats
Funding Not stated by the project.
Last Investigated Oct 29, 2026
Topology view
This tool in the centre and the things it is directly related to. Each line names the kind of relationship.
OriginsA decentralised social network without servers or central accounts, where users own their logs, with a focus on offline-first operation and local communities
DatabaseAppend-only log store on each device (the original server describes itself as a Kappa-architecture database)
Query Language N/A
Data FormatsSigned JSON messages in per-author append-only feeds, replicated as blobs and feeds; documented in the protocol guide
Collaborative Live Editing N/A
Rich Text Editing N/A
Mobile SupportYes, through the Manyverse mobile client (last released October 2023)
Web Support Not stated by the project.
Native AppsDesktop and mobile clients (Patchwork, now archived, and Manyverse)
TermsFree and open source
Funds Not stated by the project.
Based OnAppend-only signed logs and gossip protocols; the original server cites the Kappa Architecture
P2P ArchitectureGossip-based peer-to-peer replication: peers sync logs with known peers over the internet, the local network or by physical media; 'pubs' are ordinary peers with public addresses that help others connect
Overlay NetworkYes: a global gossip mesh of peers and pubs, with no host dependencies
Content Addressing No.
Local-FirstLocal-First: the log lives on the user's device and the network works offline and on local networks
E2EEYes for private messages: the original server lists end-to-end encryption; public messages are signed and readable by peers
CRDTs Lib No: not a CRDT library.
Byzantine Fault ToleranceNo: peers are untrusted, and each feed is verifiable, but the network has no consensus mechanism; misbehaving peers can flood the network
SignatureYes: every message is signed by its author's feed key, making each log unforgeable
PermissionsNo network-level permission model is described in the cited sources
Semantic Web Compatibility N/A: no RDF, JSON-LD or SPARQL layer.
Smart Contract N/A: no ledger or smart-contract component.
Protocol Stack PositionApplication-layer protocol; the cited sources do not name the transports
Asset / Value Embedding None: no token or value-transfer mechanism.
Protocol Maturity / StandardizationA community-documented protocol (the Scuttlebutt Protocol Guide) with several implementations; not a standards-body deliverable; core implementations are no longer maintained
Relationships
How this tool connects to other tools and organizations, from relationships reviewed by the OpenHaven data steward. They describe how projects connect, not how good they are.