In 2022, the average number of daily emails sent reached 333 billion, highlighting the importance of instant message, file, and document delivery in the modern world. It's no wonder that enthusiasts have started considering how to integrate new technical solutions based on #blockchain into this field. Let's take a closer look at the phenomenon of blockchain-based email and the main offerings of such services in the market.

Advantages of decentralized email

  1. Ensures a high level of privacy and message security through encryption and decentralized storage of information.

  2. Messages are stored in an encrypted and decentralized format, with access limited to the sender and recipient.

  3. Decentralization and a sequential ledger for information storage.

  4. Messages cannot be altered or deleted from the blockchain, guaranteeing their authenticity and immutability. They can serve as reliable evidence, including for use in legal proceedings.

  5. Addresses the issue of spam and integration with other Web3 products in the DeFi, NFT, and metaverse environments.

Disadvantages of decentralized email

  1. Limitations on the number of transactions that can be approved within a certain time frame. At the same time, a huge number of messages are sent daily on the planet, which can potentially overload the blockchain-based email service.

  2. Web3 email technology may not be compatible with messages sent through the familiar SMTP protocol currently in use.

  3. Messaging through the blockchain cannot be free. It is likely that each email will be accompanied by a fee for validation in the network.

Blockchain-based Email Services

  • Mailchain. This is a blockchain-based email service where users can exchange messages with attachments, HTML, and other elements of traditional email. However, the messages themselves are stored off-chain to limit the data size on the blockchain. The service provides secure encryption and offers a free message quota, after which a fee of $0.005 per email is charged.

  • Dmail. Dmail is a Web3-infrastructure with a mail client that has a certain level of protection. It integrates with Gmail, Metamask, and other Web3 solutions. However, it is not clear from the documentation whether the blockchain is used in the mail client itself or if it is simply compatible with blockchain projects.

  • LedgerMail. LedgerMail is an email service on the hybrid blockchain platform XDC. It uses the XDPoS 2.0 consensus mechanism and asymmetric encryption for secure message transmission.

  • EtherMail. EtherMail also uses a blockchain protocol in its mail client and has its own native token, EMC.

Putting mail on blockchain: yes or no

Many crypto projects plan to develop email clients on the blockchain, but there are currently very few ready-made solutions. The drawbacks of #web3 mail may explain this situation. It is up to you to decide whether it is worth using such solutions.

However, there are other email services available (such as ProtonMail or Tutanota) that offer advanced encryption and may be equally secure but more familiar to use.

What do you think?🤔