Web3 social protocol Lens to drop V2 — here’s what’s new

Lens Protocol’s second version is on a waitlist, and developers didn’t provide a timeline for when it would hit mainnet

article-image

StockStyle/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Lens Protocol’s next iteration is on the way, coming more than a year after its creators released the first iteration of the Web3 social platform.

Lens Protocol is an open-source tech stack that allows developers to build social media apps. A number of apps have launched on Lens, including Lenster, a Twitter alternative. 

The team behind the project announced details about Lens’ second version Monday. In a Twitter thread, they called it “the next chapter in the evolution of Lens.”

For developers and app creators, V2 promises a host of new features. 

Among them are Open Actions, which will allow users to execute external smart contract actions directly on Lens apps that integrate the feature. For example, a user could mint an NFT on OpenSea via a post on Lens without having to actually visit the marketplace’s website.

Developers for the protocol say the new version enables ways to connect to other networks and platforms, including DAOs, Gitcoin and virtual worlds such as Decentraland or the Sandbox. 

In the case of the Sandbox, a user could give their virtual plot of land, a tokenized NFT, a Lens profile and open a mailbox to communicate with other pieces of land. 

“This functionality gives NFTs their own social relationships, voice and monetization opportunity. For example, CryptoKitty can own a Lens profile, follow other CryptoKitties and publish content, creating its own value chain,” according to a blog post from Lens Protocol.

Lens V2 also introduces features that have been part of the core functionality for existing social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram for years.

With V2, a profile’s follow button has been updated so all relationships are attached to a profile and not the follower. Additionally, Lens profiles can now block other profiles on-chain. If a user blocks a profile, it can’t follow, comment, mirror, quote or conduct an open action on that user’s posts.

The Lens team has opened a waitlist for V2 access. At the time of publication, the waitlist link wasn’t operational.

Lens’ developers said once V2 launches on mainnet, they will “gradually onboard new profiles.” Existing Lens profiles will be able to migrate to the upgraded version at launch.

Monday’s announcement comes months after Lens launched Momoka, its solution to speed up transactions while making them cheaper by storing them off-chain.


Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. Subscribe to the Forward Guidance newsletter.

Get alpha directly in your inbox with the 0xResearch newsletter — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.

The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. Subscribe to daily Solana news from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.

Tags

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 18 - 20, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Flashnote Template (6).png

Research

Trading of the President's TRUMP memecoin sent the market capitalization to over $15B, resulting in all-time highs for Solana’s Real Economic Value, DEX volumes, and stablecoin supply. This event further validates Solana as the venue for high-throughput onchain activity, with Solana DEXs and DeFi applications as primary beneficiaries, while also signaling to further experimentation, utilization, and adoption of memecoins as legitimate financial instruments for speculation, crowdfunding, or capital formation. President Trump’s continued willingness to experiment in crypto reaffirms a highly-favorable political and regulatory climate for the industry.

article-image

Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron thinks that yield-bearing stablecoins could be the next big narrative

article-image

A Nova Labs exec referred to the last-day lawsuit “as irresponsible as it is wrong-headed”

article-image

Corresponding resolutions were introduced to “roll back the disastrous” rule requiring custodial brokers to report transactions

article-image

Donald Trump has slightly backed off from the ambitious tariff goals he touted on the campaign trail

article-image

Some have called it “a relief” that the task force will be led by the crypto-friendly Hester Peirce

article-image

By leveraging L1 validators for proofing and execution, native rollups remove the need for centralized sequencers and complex governance