Block launches Buzz: a decentralized platform for the symbiosis of humans and AI agents
Block, the company led by Jack Dorsey, has officially unveiled a new platform called Buzz — a free, open-source tool designed for collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence agents. This is not just another messenger, but a full-fledged ecosystem aimed at reducing Block's dependence on giants like Slack and GitHub.
Buzz is built on the decentralized Nostr protocol, ensuring users have full control over their cryptographic keys and data. The platform combines team chats, private messaging, voice calls, file sharing, code repositories, and automated workflows. The key innovation is that agents receive separate cryptographic identities, access rights, and action histories, allowing them to function as full-fledged team members.
Architecture and Limitations of Decentralization
Despite the claimed decentralization, the current implementation of Buzz has a significant limitation: each workspace is tied to a single relay, which acts as the sole source of truth for the system's state. Decentralization here manifests primarily at the level of key ownership and the ability to independently deploy a server. The internal infrastructure of an individual space remains centralized around the chosen relay. Users of the managed version are entirely dependent on Block's infrastructure.
Agents in Buzz are not just chatbots. They can read project history, review code, launch automated processes, and participate in discussions. All actions, including messages, reactions, and process results, are signed, allowing for a clear distinction between human and machine contributions. The platform supports multiple language models, including Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex, as well as Block's own framework, goose.
Current State and Prospects
Currently, Buzz is in an early stage of development. Version 0.4.22 is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux, but mobile apps for iOS and Android are absent. Some features for code work and automation are still under development. Block acknowledges that the product is unfinished, but it already demonstrates an ambitious vision for the future of workflows.
My analysis: The launch of Buzz is a strategic move by Block aimed at creating its own, fully controlled development ecosystem that minimizes dependence on third-party platforms. Given recent staff reductions and the active adoption of AI (Builderbot already generates 15% of the company's code), Buzz appears to be a natural step towards a "flat, AI-oriented" structure. However, the key challenge will be scaling and ensuring genuine decentralization without sacrificing performance. The market has already reacted positively to these changes: Block's shares rose over 20% after the restructuring announcement, reaching $80.38, and the company's market capitalization stands at around $31 billion. Buzz's success will depend on whether Block can convince not only its own employees but also external developers of the advantages of this symbiosis between humans and AI.