Forward Research Acquires Odysee, Challenging YouTube With Free Speech Focus

Forward Research has acquired the crypto-based YouTube competitor Odysee, aiming to integrate its seven million users into the Arweave network. 

This acquisition is part of a broader effort to develop a social media platform that operates beyond the control of government censors and content moderators.

Saving Odysee and Preserving Free Speech

Sam Williams, the founder of the Arweave blockchain and CEO of Forward Research, revealed that their intervention was crucial in saving Odysee from going offline. “We stepped in to save it from going offline,” Williams said, emphasizing the importance of their timely action. 

The closure of LBRY by US regulators almost led to the shutdown of Odysee as well. Williams noted that the project has been a long-term endeavor for them, and it would have been a terrible end if it had simply disappeared from the internet. He stressed the significance of maintaining Odysee’s presence online.

Despite the importance of the acquisition, Williams declined to detail the terms of the deal. Odysee stands out as a far larger platform compared to other crypto-based social media alternatives like Farcaster and Bluesky. 

The primary goal of this acquisition, according to Williams, is to dismantle the monopolies currently dominating social media. He believes that true success will be achieved when Odysee replaces major platforms like Twitter. 

Williams highlighted that Odysee’s user base is unique in that it doesn’t primarily focus on crypto; instead, users are drawn to the platform for its commitment to maintaining their rights and guaranteeing free speech. 

Arweave: The Perfect Home for Permanent Content

Arweave is one of several blockchains that focus on data storage. While Ethereum can store metadata or links to large files such as videos, Arweave has the capability to host such data entirely onchain. 

This feature makes Arweave particularly suitable for a platform like Odysee. Williams refers to the Arweave ecosystem as the “permaweb” because of its ability to permanently store any content uploaded by its users. This permanence aligns well with Odysee’s values and mission, making the integration a natural fit.

Odysee has faced scrutiny for its lenient content moderation policies. However, many crypto users and free-speech proponents view it as a necessary countermeasure to the growing control that major corporations exert over online speech.

Williams argued that in the current digital landscape, almost every attempt to communicate globally requires using a company service, unless one uses a platform like Arweave. He described Arweave as a content “data lake” shared across multiple applications, offering a decentralized alternative to traditional social media giants.

Building a user base from scratch, as TikTok did, is a lengthy and costly process for any new platform attempting to compete with established billion-dollar incumbents. 

Williams explained that developers on Arweave have the advantage of creating interfaces that draw from a common pool of content used by other Arweave-based social media applications. 

This shared content pool allows developers to differentiate their platforms by curating and highlighting specific types of content, thus attracting different user segments.

Empowering Creators with the Universal Data License

In the previous year, Arweave introduced its “Universal Data License,” which allows users to set the terms of use for any content they upload. Williams expressed optimism that this feature would attract more content creators to the platform, as it provides a better opportunity for them to monetize their content. 

He believes that drawing creators to Arweave will, in turn, attract more users, enhancing the overall ecosystem. Williams reiterated that the ultimate goal of these efforts is to topple the existing monopolies in social media. 

He emphasized that their mission will not be complete until platforms like Odysee replace current social media giants such as Twitter. This ambitious vision drives Forward Research’s ongoing commitment to developing and expanding the Arweave ecosystem. 

Ensuring that it remains a robust and viable alternative in the evolving digital landscape is key to their strategy.