# Farcaster

> decentralized social network protocol

**Wikidata**: [Q130299371](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130299371)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/farcaster

## Summary
Farcaster is a decentralized social network protocol and communication protocol designed for distributed social networking. It is classified as a distributed social network — an internet social networking service that is decentralized and distributed across distinct providers — and its protocol specification is published on GitHub with an official site at https://www.farcaster.xyz.

## Key Facts
- Farcaster is a decentralized social network protocol (described as a "decentralized social network protocol").
- Farcaster is an instance of a distributed social network (a class of internet social networking services that are decentralized and distributed across distinct providers).
- Farcaster is also classified as a communication protocol.
- Official website: https://www.farcaster.xyz (English).
- Protocol overview and primary specification are documented on GitHub: https://github.com/farcasterxyz/protocol/blob/main/docs/OVERVIEW.md (English).
- The protocol and its specification are cited in an arXiv reference: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.03239.
- Alternative software identifier: farcaster.
- Wikidata description: "decentralized social network protocol."

## FAQs
### Q: What is Farcaster?
A: Farcaster is a decentralized social network protocol and communication protocol that implements a distributed social network architecture. It is documented publicly and presented as a protocol for decentralized social networking.

### Q: Where can I find the Farcaster protocol specification?
A: The protocol overview and documentation are published on GitHub at https://github.com/farcasterxyz/protocol/blob/main/docs/OVERVIEW.md (English). The project also has an official website at https://www.farcaster.xyz.

### Q: Is Farcaster centralized or decentralized?
A: Farcaster is classified as decentralized. It is an instance of a distributed social network, which denotes social networking services that are decentralized and distributed across distinct providers.

## Why It Matters
Farcaster matters because it is a public protocol specification for decentralized social networking, positioning itself within the broader movement toward distributed social network architectures. By being specified as a communication protocol and categorized as a distributed social network, Farcaster provides a formal basis for interoperability among services and implementations that avoid single-provider centralization. Its documentation is maintained openly on GitHub, and it is referenced in academic/technical literature (for example, an arXiv reference), which indicates engagement from both engineering and research communities. For developers, platform builders, and researchers interested in alternatives to centralized social platforms, Farcaster serves as an explicit protocol-level specification to build against or study. For users, protocols like Farcaster represent an approach to social networking where control and service can be spread across multiple providers rather than concentrated in one entity.

## Notable For
- Being defined explicitly as both a decentralized distributed social network and a communication protocol.
- Publishing its protocol overview and specification on GitHub (OVERVIEW.md) in English.
- Having an official website at https://www.farcaster.xyz.
- Being cited in an arXiv reference (https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.03239), linking it to documented technical or academic discussion.
- Appearing in metadata and knowledge bases with the Wikidata description "decentralized social network protocol."

## Body
### Overview
- Farcaster is described as a decentralized social network protocol.
- It is presented as a communication protocol intended for social networking use.
- The project identifies publicly accessible documentation and an official website.

### Classification and relationships
- Instance of: distributed social network.
- Instance of: communication protocol.
- Related class definition: a distributed social network is an internet social networking service that is decentralized and distributed across distinct providers.

### Documentation and sources
- Official website: https://www.farcaster.xyz (language qualifier: English).
- Protocol documentation (OVERVIEW) hosted on GitHub: https://github.com/farcasterxyz/protocol/blob/main/docs/OVERVIEW.md (English).
- Referenced in an arXiv entry: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.03239 (used as a reference for description and classification).

### Identifiers and metadata
- Wikidata description: "decentralized social network protocol."
- Alternative software identifier: farcaster.
- Documentation references list the GitHub overview and arXiv link as primary sources for the protocol description.

## References

1. [Source](https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.03239)
2. [Source](https://github.com/farcasterxyz/protocol/blob/main/docs/OVERVIEW.md)