While there are crypto-earning apps (see our piece on the Netbox Global browser) and messenger apps, there’s been very little crossover between the two. Enter Sense Chat, a secure app that uses the Sense Token to reward users for participating in the Sense community.
Sense is an end-to-end encrypted chat app that uses an EOS-based token to verify user identity and allow users to verify each other. Instead of an admin or a bot verifying your identity, you are verified collectively by a community of people deciding to stake Sense tokens on your behalf. Tokens are also a clever way to reduce spam & harassment. For example, if an anonymous friendly network like Twitter charged you $.25 every time you wanted to DM someone, you might think twice about a repeated spam campaign once it became prohibitively expensive. Sense Chat users can set up this kind of DM paywall to both reduce spam and earn extra tokens.
Are Popular Chat Apps Safe?
The words ‘messenger’ and ‘secure’ haven’t exactly been synonymous over the past ten years. 800 lb gorilla apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are beset with privacy issues. In late 2018, over 50 million accounts were compromised by an unknown set of attackers.
According to cybersecurity researcher, Jake Moore:
“Users choosing to communicate via Messenger must understand the real threat to their information within such apps. Although many may think the content in their messages isn’t personal, the real issue is that any information on you is open to abuse in the wrong hands.”
Even Telegram, a chat app known for its security features, isn’t actually encrypted unless you specifically initiate a private conversation. According to SENSE CEO, Crystal Rose:
“Your Telegram messages are not encrypted unless you intentionally start a new secret chat. Which means your 1–1 chats, and those big channels you love are completely exposed. Telegram has become a favored, prime target for scammers who can easily create fake profiles for prominent public figures. What’s worse, the bots you use to fight the spam can also read and store every message.”
What Does Sense Chat Do?
Sense Chat is an encrypted messenger – similar to Signal, another security centric chat app. It also gives users an economy of Sense tokens to give users an opportunity to earn crypto for using it.
Sense Chat describes itself as:
“A viable content platform where users chat privately, community leaders retain control, and everyone is rewarded for engaging. The crypto-enabled features leverage blockchain technology to establish social trust, protect user data, and allow communities to thrive online.”
Sense Chat envisions a decentralized social messenger that moderates itself, that verifies users via putting trust in how users spend and vouch for others with tokens.
How Much Is a Sense Token Worth?
As of this writing, the price of a Sense token is $0.0015, or 1.5 tenths of a cent. This is roughly equivalent to the value of DogeCoin or IOST. This is also the value of the coin in a vacuum, as Sense Chat is still in a closed beta and the community isn’t transacting with tokens yet. Once users need tokens to verify users, or pay for community services, you can expect the value of these tokens to increase sharply.
How Much Money Can You Make with Sense Chat?
It’s early to make an assessment of earnings in a closed beta app. However, we do know that, as a baseline, you earn 12 SENSE every 24 hours by pushing the daily earnings button. There are various other opportunities to earn, via vouching (being paid to connect with someone) and a payment for services. For instance, if you’re designing custom GIFs or emojis for a particular community channel, the channel members can choose to reward you with SENSE.
There’s a feature within the Activity tab that shows you your SENSE earning rate. So, while you experiment with different communities and tactics to gain tokens, the app will keep you appraised of your income rate.
How Can I get SENSE tokens Before App Launch?
There are crypto exchanges that trade SENSE outside of the chat app. These include NewDex, Bancor, LAtoken, and Bitinka. Bear in mind, to buy and sell SENSE, you’re going to need a crypto wallet compatible with the EOS Blockchain.