Towns has three key components: 1. Towns Protocol a.Composable Smart Contracts Towns is an Ethereum-based system of smart contracts that puts you in control of your online space. The contracts are extensible, composable, and upgradeable, enabling communities to write their own rules for moderation, access, and monetization. b.Decentralized Network The Towns network is an end-to-end encrypted near real-time communication system governed by the Towns smart contracts and powered by a decentralized, distributed proof-of-stake network of nodes. 2.appTowns The Towns app takes all the technical things the protocol implements and makes them available in an open-source, end-to-end encrypted delightful chat experience. The experience ties together user identity and Town ownership through smart contracts representing access, moderation, privacy, and reputation. Tight integration with the web3 ecosystem directly in-app allows for new opportunities for users to interact with their communities in ways that weren’t previously possible. Everything from participating in DAO governance to on-chain game interactions to trading NFTs can occur directly in a community's Town where the communication is already happening. While this will be the first Towns app, it will be one of many as anyone can build clients against the Towns protocol to fit their specific needs. 3.daoTowns Towns will be governed and stewarded by the Towns DAO, a group dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the protocol. The DAO makes important decisions for the platform, such as voting on the core development roadmap, technical upgrades, and managing the treasury. The DAO will represent key stakeholder groups in the Towns ecosystem, like users, node operators, space owners, and core contributors.