You probably don't fully understand some of the systems that power your life. And that's ok. You're just human. You might not fully grasp how the subway you ride to work runs or what cleans your water or delivers you high-speed internet. We often get used to the systems we rely on, which can fuel complacency with their technicalities and inefficiencies.

You engage with social graphs all the time, probably more than you even realize (or would like to). That is if you're one of the nearly five billion people who use the internet. Chances are you don’t know much about how they work or why.

Most define social graphs as [a representation of the relationships](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_graph) between people, groups, and organizations that make up the world's social networks, i.e., apps like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter. If you look at an image of a social graph (see below), you'll see a bunch of interconnected circles ("nodes") which represent certain habits and interests that social networks use to connect us with others. It's like a map, but social graphs connect people instead of cities or countries and are the backbone of the modern digital social media experience. You're part of many social graphs, whether you know it or not, and they directly influence your entire online experience.

![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/071b553338d881c5)*Source: LeewayHertz.com*

Social networks rely heavily on graphs to serve us recommended content and connections based on who's in our network. The differences between social networks’ graphs are where things really get interesting. Let's check out some of the major apps’ graphs, starting with one of the first to reimagine our entire meaning of "friend" — Facebook.

If you've ever seen the movie *The Social Network*, you might have a slight idea of how Facebook came to be and why it changed the game via a pioneering algorithm (an evolution of the code Zuck wrote on his dorm room window). What made Facebook so unique at the time was that its graph focused on connecting people based on relationships, which were initially limited to people who went to the same university. To grow one's social graph on Facebook, you had to request friends, and "suggested friends" helped recommend who you might want in your network. From there, connections could get deeper and more relevant.

Twitter's social graph, on the other hand, is all about who you follow and less about who follows you. Unlike Facebook's predominant two-directional friend graph, Twitter's is built from one-way follows. What's unique (or at least at one point was) about Twitter's graph is that you can follow others without requiring mutual consent, which is why it leans more interest-based. Chances are you don't follow LeBron James because you think he will follow you back and hit you up for a one-on-one game (but good luck if so!) — you probably love basketball and think he's the G.O.A.T.

LinkedIn's social graph isn't based on if you love cats, LeBron, or accepted a friend request from your mom; it’s all about professional connections, work relationships, and career-oriented interactions. Most people log in to LinkedIn to connect with others in their field, often hoping to land a job. As a result, LinkedIn's graph emphasizes your skills and work history to serve you with networking and career opportunities.

And, the ever-addictive TikTok. Understanding TikTok's graph will help you wrap your head around the evolution of social graphs, which have moved away from relying solely on connections versus *interests.* TikTok's unique algorithm helped influence a massive shift in how social networks measure success, attract advertisers, and retain users — it mainly serves to feed you bite-sized videos based on your interests (the mystical "For You Page"). It cares less about who you follow as it does how long you watch a video. As Eugene Wei suggested in his stellar [piece](https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2021/9/29/and-you-will-know-us-by-the-company-we-keep) on social graphs and network design, TikTokers aren’t as interested in who follows them as they are the relevance of the content they see. If you've ever scrolled endlessly on TikTok to the point that you have forgotten the time, date, and that you start work in an hour, you would inevitably have a harder time remembering the accounts you saw as you would the content you consumed.

Now that your crash course in social graphs is complete, let's explore what people need help understanding about social graphs and how, while they might entertain us, it's often to the detriment of our online experience. This is true even if most of us don't realize it, something our friend Eugene calls "survivor bias." Like some of the everyday actions described earlier (transportation infrastructure, public goods, amenities, etc.), we often become complacent with the design patterns that "win" in society. Social graphs are no different. Most social apps rely on two things: our social graph and content feeds. But how much control or ownership do we really have over our graph and how it benefits us? Very little.

**Are you curating your feed, OR is your feed curating you?**

Just think of how long you've been on social media. Depending on your age, that could be a decent chunk of your life. Now think of all the connections you've made, the content you've created, and the communities you've helped grow. This is your hard-earned social capital, and it can be modified, censored, manipulated, or simply taken away before you know it. Reality check: this has already happened to you and continues to happen more than you can imagine. This is because you lack ownership or visibility into your graph, which is vulnerable to data leaks and hacks because it's all hosted on a centralized server, which is susceptible to a single point of failure. [Cambridge Analytica](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-scandal-fallout.html), anyone?

Are centralized social graphs only inefficient and potentially dangerous for users or is it the same for app developers, too? If you've got a genius idea for building the world's next great social network, you're obviously going to try and figure out that secret ingredient that makes a new user stay. Well, you've got to have some existing information on them to serve any such meaningful experience, right? Back in the day you could leverage other networks' graph or API (your social data they they don't own in the first place btw). Over time, social media companies who *did* initially grant third-party applications access to their social data quickly realized they were offering their future competition a helping hand — a big “no-no” in most centralized corporate environments.

Without any real user consent or awareness, these increasingly powerful companies decided they would rather take complete ownership of users' social graphs, and the data developers could leverage to build their own potentially better applications, leading to a troublesome data and infrastructure monopoly. The billionaire tech CEOs who now hold the majority of the power over the internet, social graphs, and our data structured their applications to expand their bottom line through a restrictive user experience that locks people in and developers out.

If it seems like social graphs are all doom and gloom, know there's still hope for a better future: open-source, token-powered protocols, which flip the current business model of social graphs and social network design. In web3, traditional social networks' limitations and manipulative tendencies give way to opportunity and empowerment for users while offering developers new tools to build the social networks they want to see in the world.

In the future of decentralized social media, users don't need to be locked into centralized social graphs just because of the powers that be say so (even if it might require some serious unlearning). Open-source protocols and decentralized social graphs allow us to build social networks that work for the users and the platform of their choice, not the other way around. Decentralized social utilizes context-specific social graphs customized around our passions and interests, whether niche-specific news or location and community-centric content. For you, that could mean more relevant content, stronger connections, and more confidence in the security and purpose of your social graph. For developers, it means they can bootstrap their social applications quicker and build better business models that don't depend on user exploitation.

In the decentralized future we're building towards at CyberConnect, we empower users and developers to build lasting connections and experience content that makes sense for them. So instead of getting served cat videos (or any content and connections) because you texted about a cat or talked about one nearby your phone, you'd see it because of a personal choice, not one made by a shadowy centralized corporation. This level of customization and transparency empowers people to get the most out of their time online instead of trapping them in a network whose real value grows murkier and more manipulative by the day.

### About CyberConnect

[CyberConnect](https://cyberconnect.me/) is web3’s earliest and biggest decentralized social network that enables developers to create social applications empowering users to own their digital identity, content, connections, and monetization channels. [Messari](https://link3.to/messari), [1inch](https://link3.to/1inch), [BNB Chain](https://link3.to/bnbchain), along with over 2,000 projects, and 900k creators and users are building long-lasting connections through apps built on CyberConnect.

### Join CyberConnect Community

[Website](https://cyberconnect.me/) | [Docs](https://docs.cyberconnect.me/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/CyberConnectHQ) | [Discord](https://discord.gg/cyberconnect) | [Telegram](https://t.me/CyberConnect)

You probably don't fully understand some of the systems that power your life. And that's ok. You're just human. You might not fully grasp how the subway you ride to work runs or what cleans your water or delivers you high-speed internet. We often get used to the systems we rely on, which can fuel co

What is a Social Graph (and what people get wrong about them)

Welcome to the [CyberWallet Beta Launch Program](http://wallet.cyber.co/rewards).

Over the past two years, the team behind CyberWallet has been at the forefront of building and growing consumer crypto infrastructure and applications. During this time, over 50 teams have built web3 applications utilizing the CyberConnect social network protocol and have cumulatively registered 1.2M+ users, creating 1.9M+ units of social content and 6M+ connections.

On this journey of bringing web3 to the world, we encountered that user onboarding presented a critical bottleneck in building robust, scalable crypto consumer products. For that reason, [in August](https://link3.to/cyberconnect/post/2e0c673ccbc2e07af0f17ebbf54fe5db23322626fc5e2ef1ea6ab4d91c61ba1d) we introduced CyberWallet, an ERC-4337 smart account. We’re grateful for the support of our community and the entire web3 fraternity, for giving us critical feedback to improve on that first version of CyberWallet. In the past 3 months, we deployed over [650,000 smart accounts](https://dune.com/cyberconnecthq/cyberaccount-cyberconnects-4337-smart-account) on Optimism, Arbitrum, Polygon, and Base among other top blockchain networks. That accounts for over 40% of all the smart accounts across all blockchains.

![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/f26e74df13df1ac9)
Today, we’re thrilled to officially launch the [CyberWallet Beta Launch Program](https://wallet.cyber.co/rewards) to welcome our community to help us test and improve several new features as they are rolled out widely and publicly in the coming months. The key highlight of this program is [CyberApps](http://wallet.cyber.co/apps), a digital marketplace of premier web3 apps that are ready to use with account abstraction. Starting today, until **Dec 21, 2023**, whitelisted users for the CyberConnect Community Rewards: Season 2 [Early Access] will be able to use CyberApps within your CyberWallet web app and earn points that will be redeemable for CYBER token rewards at the end of the season.

### CyberWallet: What’s New?

- **SmartGas**
![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/341813d786005ae7)
Make your crypto transactions a breeze with SmartGas on CyberWallet. No more swapping or bridging for gas fee payments. Pay for gas in the token of your choice, across blockchains.

- **CyberID: One Identity across Blockchains**

![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/58d33903ec2b2c02)
Each CyberID is an ERC-721 NFT carrying a unique handle owned and operated by a CyberAccount, representing that account's social identity. It is a user-friendly alias for your blockchain addresses, offering a seamless experience across multiple chains.

- **CyberApps**

![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/41dedaba44bd121e)
CyberApps is a digital marketplace of premier web3 apps readily integrated with CyberWallet. It is a place for web3 developers and users to distribute and discover top decentralized applications. Anyone from beginners just starting their crypto and NFT journey to experts in token swapping, staking, and bridging can use CyberWallet and find their favorite applications in CyberApps. The first group of apps includes [DODO](https://app.dodoex.io/?network=mainnet), [Element Marketplace](https://element.market/ethereum), [Philand](https://philand.xyz/), [BasePaint](https://basepaint.xyz/), [MyShell](https://myshell.ai/), [PancakeSwap](https://pancakeswap.finance/), [Polynomial Finance](https://www.polynomial.fi/), and [Gabby World](https://www.gabby.world/). We will continue introducing new apps in the ecosystem as our partners complete integrating with us.

- **Swap**
![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/9a437a0923317380)
CyberWallet now supports native token swapping! Currently utilizing [LI.FI](http://LI.FI)’s swap protocol, CyberWallet offers a new, seamless token-swapping experience. In the future, we will expand user choices to become a super aggregator of swap aggregators.

### **CyberConnect Community Rewards: Season 2 [Early Access]**

![img](https://link3-image.cyberconnect.dev/5ebbb9fa-9d33-4741-a22d-2a7dc4b95c0c/postImageFolder/40aff01c7a24e5bc)Building in web3 requires long-term commitment and dedication. The only thing that keeps us going, is the unwavering support of our community members, who have stuck with us through the highs and lows of the last two years. Not only that but building in web3 offers a unique opportunity for a community to come together and help build and grow a product that is meaningful and leaves a positive impact on the world. For those contributions, community members are rewarded - both for being early adopters and acting as brand ambassadors of those products. Today, as the incentive layer for the CyberWallet Beta Launch Program, we’re thrilled to announce the beginning of Community Rewards: Season 2 [Early Access].

Here are the specific guidelines👇🏼

✦ **Check your eligibility [here](https://wallet.cyber.co/rewards).**

**✧** Only those who applied for Season 2 [Early Access] program using [this form](https://cyberconnect.deform.cc/communityrewards/)

OR

**✧** Whitelisted by one of the launch partners (DODO, Element Marketplace, Philand, BasePaint, MyShell, PancakeSwap, Polynomial Finance, Gabby World, and Polyhedra Network).

✦ **Timeline**

**✧** CyberWallet Beta Launch Program will run from today until 21, 2023.

✦ **Tasks**

**✧** Whitelisted users will have several tasks (general and CyberApp-specific) which will be rewarded with Season 2 [Early Access] Points upon completion. Each task has different points and rewards.

✦ **Rewards**

**✧** Users with Season 2 [Early Access] Points will earn CYBER tokens from a reward pool of 25,000 CYBER for beta testing CyberWallet and its slate of new features, specifically CyberApps.

✦ **Rules**

✧ Your Season 2 CYBER reward will be calculated using the formula (Your Season 2 [Early Access] Points/ Total Season 2 [Early Access] Points Earned by all Users) x 20K CYBER. Meaning the more points you earn, the higher your reward.

✧ 5K CYBER will be used to sponsor 1 transaction per user per day as part of a promotion to incentivize user testing and activity.

We look forward to users trying out all the new features we’ve been designing at CyberWallet and receiving your feedback. With CyberWallet, we’re on a mission to bring web3 to the world. With this beta launch program and the subsequent Community Rewards: Season 2 [Early Access] incentives, we hope to take the current web3 user experience to the next level - with your help and feedback. As they say, ‘It takes a village.’

**About CyberConnect**

[CyberConnect](https://cyberconnect.me/) is a web3 social network that enables developers to create social applications empowering users to own their digital identity, content, connections, and monetization channels. [Messari](https://link3.to/messari), [Rarible](https://link3.to/rarible), [1inch](https://link3.to/1inch), [BNB Chain](https://link3.to/bnbchain), along with 2,900 projects and 1.2M users and creators are building long-lasting connections through apps built on CyberConnect.

[Website](https://cyberconnect.me/) | [Docs](https://docs.cyberconnect.me/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/CyberConnectHQ) | [Discord](https://discord.gg/cyberconnecthq) | [Telegram](https://t.me/CyberConnect)

**About CyberWallet**

CyberWallet is a user-friendly smart contract wallet available on leading EVM blockchains, including Optimism, Arbritrum, Base, and others. To learn more, visit [wallet.cyber.co](https://bit.ly/3svmoIZ).

[Website](https://bit.ly/3svmoIZ) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thecyberwallet) | [Link3](https://www.link3.to/wallet)

Welcome to the CyberWallet Beta Launch Program. Over the past two years, the team behind CyberWallet has been at the forefront of building and growing consumer crypto infrastructure and applications. During this time, over 50 teams have built web3 applications utilizing the CyberConnect social netw