You may remember late last year we revealed ‘A Path to Decentralization’ which included plans for further decentralization of the Blockstack ecosystem. Today, we’re excited to share a milestone on the journey towards this vision, as we announce our half a million USD investment in New Internet Labs Limited, a company formed by Larry Salibra, one of the earliest open-source contributors to Blockstack and one of the first Blockstack PBC engineers. New Internet Labs, which is entirely independent of Blockstack PBC, operates out of Hong Kong and is focused on building a browser for the decentralized web.
Larry was a key contributor on many parts of the Blockstack network before joining Blockstack PBC where he then led the development of the first versions of the Blockstack Browser. He also built the first version of the Blockstack Explorer and was critical in the development of the macOS app and Android and JavaScript SDKs. As one of the first team members and a strong believer in digital rights, he played an important role in developing our ecosystem culture.
Larry’s deep experience with Blockstack technology and community, along with his background in product development, make him a great fit to lead New Internet Labs, and we’re excited to see what he and his team build.
If New Internet Labs sounds familiar, you may remember the name from App Mining, as they were recently introduced as an independent App Reviewer for the program. New Internet Labs is building a ‘browser for the new internet’ which will be designed from the ground up to secure an individual’s fundamental digital rights online. It will use key Blockstack technologies, such as the Blockstack Name System to distribute apps, and also integrate complementary technologies such as IPFS and Lightning that help to move the ball forward on digital rights.
“I believe in a future where the rights users enjoy in the physical world extend to the digital world. Unfortunately, the rules of today’s web browsers were written by the large companies responsible for violating our rights. We’re building a browser that works for users, not against them, so that apps can’t be evil and digital rights are protected.”
– Larry Salibra
In sticking with the ethos of decentralization, Blockstack PBC will not have a seat on the board or have a controlling stake in the company; the management and board of New Internet Labs is completely independent of Blockstack PBC. It is healthy for the Blockstack ecosystem to have successful independent entities, all united by the Stacks blockchain and Blockstack technology. The path towards decentralization of Blockstack continues with New Internet Labs.
Visit newinternetlabs.com to sign up for updates and to be among the first to try their new browser.