IMPORTANT: This post contains ideas intended to spark discussion and gather feedback. These are not final concepts and must not be interpreted as implementation details.
Guiding principles for XMTP fees
XMTP core developers and researchers are working on a specific fee model for XMTP, with the following guiding principles in mind:
-
Infrastructure costs for the network must remain low even when decentralized, and comparable to the costs for an equivalent centralized messaging service.
-
There must be a sizable free tier for most end users, with the low cost per-user subsidized by the largest apps and bulk senders.
-
There must be a low “take rate”: the biggest driver of cost must be infrastructure costs, with any remaining cost returned to the network.
The team will share a more comprehensive plan as soon as it’s well-defined enough to generate meaningful input.
Have questions or feedback about fees? Post a reply. We’d love to hear from you!
FAQ about XMTP fees
Here are some general statements that answer FAQ about XMTP fees.
Will XMTP charge messaging fees?
Currently, messaging incurs no fee. As XMTP decentralizes, messaging between participants that opt-in will remain free, while unsolicited messages may incur fees or token staking requirements.
There are no messaging-related fees incurred by developers for building with the XMTP SDK.
Who pays to keep the network running?
Ephemera is committed to keeping the network running. Future incentive mechanisms will enable the network to run autonomously of Ephemera.
Ephemera is a software company that is a core contributor to XMTP. Ephemera employees work alongside other XMTP community members to build with and extend XMTP.
What are the costs of XMTP message storage and retrieval?
Messages are stored off-chain on the XMTP network, with all nodes currently hosted by Ephemera. Ephemera currently absorbs all message storage and retrieval costs.
There are no message storage and retrieval-related fees incurred by developers for building with the XMTP SDK.