Fediverse Rising: The Open Social Web is Here to Stay

Imagine a world where your social media isn’t controlled by billionaires like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it’s becoming a reality. The developer behind Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup—open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp—is now raising funds on Kickstarter to supercharge their development. This isn’t just another tech story; it’s a movement.

“Help us put control back into the hands of the people!”

Daniel Supernault, Developer of Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup

Why the Fediverse is the Future

These apps are part of the fediverse, a decentralized network powered by the ActivityPub protocol—the same tech behind Mastodon, the X alternative that exploded after Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. Since 2022, decentralized apps like Mastodon and Bluesky have been growing like wildfire as users flee centralized platforms. Even Meta saw the writing on the wall and launched Instagram Threads in 2023, which is now integrating with ActivityPub. But why settle for a billionaire’s version of freedom when you can have the real deal?

The Kickstarter Campaign: Fueling the Revolution

Daniel Supernault, the Canadian developer behind these federated apps, is on a mission to build a billion-user network. His Kickstarter campaign has already smashed its initial goal, raising $58,383 at the time of writing. But Supernault isn’t stopping there—he’s aiming for $1 million to hire a dedicated team and scale these apps to new heights.

• Pixelfed: The Instagram alternative just launched its 1.0 mobile app, boasting over 200,000 users on its main instance, Pixelfed.social.
• Loops: Still in alpha testing on Apple’s TestFlight, this TikTok rival is coming soon.
• Sup: The WhatsApp alternative is in the works and will be released to Kickstarter backers first.

Beyond Apps: Building the Fediverse Ecosystem

Supernault isn’t just building apps—he’s building an ecosystem. His fourth project, PubKit, is a developer toolkit for the fediverse. It includes tools for debugging, testing, and verifying HTTP Signature implementations, making it easier for developers to join the movement. And if the Kickstarter stretch goals are met, we could even see a blogging app to rival Tumblr or LiveJournal.

What’s Next?

The funds will help expand storage, CDNs, and compute power to handle the growing user base. They’ll also accelerate development, improve moderation, and introduce end-to-end encryption to the fediverse. This isn’t just about building apps—it’s about creating a safer, more private internet for everyone.

“The fediverse is more than a trend—it’s the future of social media.”

TechCrunch

Join the Movement

This is your chance to be part of something bigger. Whether you’re a developer, a social media user, or just someone who values privacy, the fediverse needs you. Check out the Kickstarter campaign and help build a social web that’s truly open, decentralized, and free.