MaskDAO Acquires Orb Club to Boost Decentralized Social Apps with Onchain Creator Communities

In a major step toward building a more expressive and user-owned internet, Mask Network has announced the acquisition of Orb Club, the largest Lens-native social application. The move places Orb, a fast-growing mobile app built on the Lens Protocol, directly into the expanding ecosystem of MaskDAO, a decentralized social powerhouse focused on empowering users, creators, and communities in Web3.

The acquisition signals a bold leap forward for decentralized social apps. With Orb’s creator-first features and real-time mobile engagement, and MaskDAO’s robust infrastructure and alignment with user sovereignty, this partnership is poised to set new benchmarks for what social media in the onchain era can look like. It’s not just about posts or likes anymore, it’s about ownership, culture, and collective upside.

What Makes Orb Club Stand Out in Web3 Social?

Orb.club has earned its status as a breakout success in the world of Web3 social by blending creativity, collectibility, and onchain community ownership. From viral sticker drops to tokenized creator clubs, Orb has created a playful and highly expressive environment that resonates with digital natives who crave both fun and meaning. By early 2025, Orb had crossed 50,000 monthly active users, making it the largest decentralized social app on the Lens Protocol. 

Rather than chasing vanity metrics like followers, Orb focused on real-time, meaningful interactions between creators and their fans. Its integration of native tipping, collectible content, and interactive clubs gave creators new ways to monetize and connect authentically. With its seamless integration on the Lens Chain and now its home inside MaskDAO, Orb is expanding its focus on real-time, mobile-first experiences. Users can expect new layers of creativity and monetization that reflect the best of decentralized social apps, vibrant, fun, and fully onchain.

How MaskDAO Builds the Foundation for the Creator Economy?

Since its inception in 2017, Mask Network has consistently pushed the envelope in decentralized social technology. Originally launched as a browser extension bridging Web2 and Web3, it has grown into a multi-layered ecosystem housing a suite of decentralized social apps, infrastructure tools, and a governance system designed to keep users in control.

At the heart of this evolution lies MaskDAO, a governance framework overseeing the ecosystem’s four major pillars:

• Next.ID for decentralized identity
• Web3.bio for profiles and discovery
• Firefly.social as a super-app for content
• Orb.club, the latest and most dynamic addition

These components work in synergy to support the creator economy by offering tools that are transparent, interoperable, and user-owned. This mission is further accelerated by Bonfire Union, Mask’s venture arm, which invests in next-gen Web3 social platforms. Notably, Firefly’s interface and ecosystem have received public endorsements from leading Web3 figures, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, highlighting the user-centric focus of MaskDAO’s applications.

Why Orb Club Aligns Perfectly with MaskDAO’s Vision? 

Orb Club’s rise was driven by its return to a more playful, personal internet, one where creativity reigns and communities thrive. The app enabled creators to drop stickers, mint collectibles, and form onchain clubs that are more than just chatrooms, they’re micro-economies. “Orb brings soul back to social media,” said Suji Yan, Founder of Mask Network. “It’s about fun, ownership, and meaningful creator monetization, values that deeply align with our decentralized social vision.” With the transition to Lens Chain complete, and now supported by the technical backbone of MaskDAO, Orb is set to expand the reach and impact of decentralized social apps across the creator economy. Co-Founder Kimmo Sirén added that the acquisition provides the perfect infrastructure for real-time, community-owned innovation.

What’s Next for Orb and the Web3 Social Landscape?

Looking ahead, Orb Club is poised to double down on its creator-focused mission. Orb Clubs, tokenized, onchain communities, will continue to evolve with their own treasuries, governance models, and native tokens. Whether it’s artists forming niche fandoms or collectors building collaborative portfolios, the platform gives them a structure to thrive. By joining forces with MaskDAO, Orb Club now has access to shared infrastructure, a larger user base, and direct alignment with some of the most trusted names in the decentralized internet movement. This marks the beginning of a new chapter where Web3 social is not just an alternative to Web2, it’s the upgrade.

A New Era for Decentralized Social Apps

With Orb Club’s integration into MaskDAO, the decentralized social apps ecosystem just got a major boost. This acquisition doesn’t merely expand a product suite, it redefines how culture, creativity, and capital interact online. The creator economy gains a stronger backbone, and users benefit from a more expressive, community-driven internet. As the line between creator and community blurs, and as platforms like Orb champion real-time ownership and playful engagement, the Web3 social landscape stands on the edge of its most exciting transformation yet.