If you've been trying to get an invite to Ethos and found it challenging, rest assured, that's intentional—for now. While we absolutely plan to open things up more broadly over time, limiting early access allows us to carefully measure, observe, and scale the network. Doing this ensures we maintain a high bar for content quality, robust resistance against fake accounts (sybils), and stability in our underlying metrics.
Think of Ethos like a Layer 1 or Layer 2 blockchain. Right now, the early users of Ethos act as crucial "nodes," validating the social layer we're building. Just as any new blockchain initially runs validators internally to guarantee stability and effectiveness, Ethos is initially curating its user base to ensure our mechanisms—reviews, vouches, and slashes—are solid, reliable, and working as intended.
We began with just 100 profiles. Over the span of 30 days, we thoughtfully expanded that number to 500. Each step of growth requires confidence in multiple areas:
Subjectively, we ask ourselves:
- Is the content consistently high quality? When it isn’t, can our community effectively self-moderate?
- Do users feel the scoring system is fair, transparent, and effective? Are there obvious areas for improvement?
Objectively, we measure:
- The percentage of users returning daily.
- Our growth factor (k-factor) and retention metrics.
Equally important is our vigilance against fake or duplicate accounts. While no system is perfectly sybil-proof, we strive to ensure it’s clear when someone tries to manipulate identities. We empower our users with mechanisms to call out suspicious activity easily and transparently.
We understand that waiting to join Ethos during this initial phase can be frustrating. We genuinely appreciate your eagerness and want everyone who wishes to write reviews to be able to do so eventually. However, it's essential to scale responsibly. Rapid, unchecked growth can create leaks in user retention and quality, causing project failure—especially in web3, where attention spans can be fleeting.
Growing sustainably is critical, as it ensures Ethos remains effective, trusted, and beneficial to all its users over the long term.
Thank you sincerely for your patience and support as we carefully scale Ethos to meet your expectations and beyond.
