Decentralized, blockchain-based messaging and social media apps have seen a surge in interest over the last year due to civil unrest and communication blackouts in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Search interest in decentralized social media has grown 145% over the past five years, according to Exploding Topics. The CEO of XMTP Labs, Shane Mac, said that people are starting to trust open protocols more than closed companies due to unrest around the world. Mac also highlighted the potential for decentralized networks to provide a safe harbor during turmoil as they are typically harder to shut down without a single point of failure. However, despite this, Mac said centralized platforms will likely remain popular and operate alongside decentralized alternatives.