Towns Protocol
Group chat app and open protocol on Base with paid memberships, tips and encrypted messages.
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Towns key facts
| Category | Web3 messaging |
|---|---|
| Chains | Base, plus its own Towns Chain |
| Platforms | Web, iOS |
| Token | TOWNS |
| Chains | Base (smart contracts), plus Towns Chain |
| Open source | Yes, public repositories on GitHub |
| US availability | Yes, listed in the US App Store |
| Fees | Paid memberships carry a protocol fee; free Spaces pay none on joins or renewals; member tips carry a separate protocol fee |
| Company | River Eridanus Association (Switzerland); iOS app published by Here Not There, Inc. |
What is Towns?
Towns is a group chat app and open-source protocol for decentralized messaging. Communities, called Spaces, can charge onchain memberships and take tips, with smart contracts deployed on Base. Node operators stake the TOWNS token, and fees flow into automatic buy and burn. The site footer names River Eridanus Association, Switzerland.
How Towns works
Towns has three parts: smart contracts on Base, the Towns Chain (an EVM-compatible L2), and off-chain stream nodes that carry messages.
Each Space is minted on Base, and its creator receives an owner token. To read and post in a Space, a user must hold a valid membership token, an ERC-721 that expires after 1 year and renews at the original purchase price. Owners can gate entry by holding specific ERC-20 or ERC-721 tokens on Ethereum, Optimism, Polygon, Arbitrum or Base.
Messages are end-to-end encrypted. Peer-to-peer messages use Signal's Double Ratchet, and group messages use an AES-based ratchet, so nodes only see ciphertext. TOWNS holders stake on Base by delegating to node operators. Stakers delegate to an operator, rewards pay out every two weeks after the operator's commission, and unstaking has a 30-day cooldown.
How to start with Towns
- You can use Towns in a browser at towns.com or through the iOS app, which runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac and carries an 18+ age rating in the US App Store.
- The app pairs group chat with a self-custody wallet.
- Free Spaces carry no protocol fee on joins.
- Paid Space memberships are priced in ETH through contracts on Base.
- Staking TOWNS is done from towns.com/token by choosing an operator to delegate to.
Towns fees and limits
- The default Dynamic Pricing module makes the first 100 memberships free, then climbs toward $10 at 1,000 members and toward a $100 cap at 10,000.
- The Flat Fee module sets a $10 minimum.
Space owners set membership prices. Both take ETH. Paid memberships carry a protocol fee split between the Space owner, the River Eridanus Association and any referrer. Free Spaces pay no protocol fee on joins or renewals. Member tips carry a separate protocol fee, and bot tips carry none.
Risks to know before using Towns
- Membership and staking run through smart contracts on Base, and the token page links an audit report.
- TOWNS inflation starts at 8% a year after year one and falls linearly to 2% over 20 years, and the DAO can only vote to lower it.
- Staked tokens become withdrawable 30 days after you request it.
- The staking yield shown on the token page is labeled as variable.
- Membership prices are paid in ETH, so the dollar cost moves with ETH.
Towns alternatives
Other projects people compare with Towns.
Open messaging protocol for encrypted chats between wallets, apps and agents, used by Base App, World App and Convos.
Messaging app from XMTP Labs for encrypted chats with people and AI agents on the XMTP network.
Wallet-to-wallet notifications and chat protocol, formerly EPNS, whose team now builds Push Chain.
Private messenger with no phone number, onion-routed messages and a node network paid in the SESH token.
Where Towns ranks on DappAtlas
Listed next to Towns
Towns pros and cons
- Onchain paid memberships for group chats
- End-to-end encrypted messages
- Protocol code public on GitHub
- Staking yield on the token page is marked as variable
- Featured groups center on trading and money topics
- Fees route to TOWNS buy and burn, so costs track that token
Towns FAQ
What is Towns?
Towns is a group chat app and open-source protocol for decentralized messaging. Communities, called Spaces, can charge onchain memberships and take tips, with smart contracts deployed on Base. Node operators stake the TOWNS token, and fees flow into automatic buy and burn. The site footer names River Eridanus Association, Switzerland.
Which chains does Towns support?
Base, plus its own Towns Chain.
How much does Towns cost?
Paid memberships carry a protocol fee; free Spaces pay none on joins or renewals; member tips carry a separate protocol fee, according to Towns’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026).
Is Towns available in the US?
Yes, listed in the US App Store, according to Towns’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026).
Sources
How this page works
Sources: Towns: official site, Towns: Token, Towns Protocol: GitHub organization. Data as of Sep 26, 2026.
Not affiliated with any project listed. Educational content, not financial advice.