What Project Liberty does

Project Liberty is a nonprofit initiative founded in 2019 by civic entrepreneur Frank McCourt (executive chairman of McCourt Global) and publicly launched in 2021, headquartered in Washington D.C. It is structured around three operating pillars: Project Liberty Labs (technology development), Project Liberty Institute (an independent 501(c)(3) research and convening hub), and the Project Liberty Alliance (a coalition of 200+ organizations). Its core technology comprises Frequency, a decentralized open-source blockchain layer built on Polkadot infrastructure that secures data for more than 16 million people and serves as a data layer for decentralized AI, and the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), an open digital public infrastructure establishing a shared social layer independent of any single platform. Both protocols are designed to enable self-sovereign digital identity, portable social data, and consent-based governance over interactions with AI agents, with compatibility for emerging AI standards including the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Project Liberty's business model is hybrid. The Institute is funded primarily through philanthropy and grants (including aligned co-investments such as the $7.5 million joint position in Anthropic with the Ford Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, and Omidyar Network). Project Liberty Labs is positioned as the commercial product development arm, building AI products and technology solutions intended to translate open-protocol principles into consumer-facing offerings, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization also generates engagement-based value through policy advisory and research services, academic partnerships with Georgetown, Stanford, MIT, ETH Zurich, and Harvard, and convening activity across global forums including the OECD, G7, UN B-Tech, EU Commission, and national AI summits.

The customer and stakeholder base spans governments and policymakers (13+ middle-power countries plus U.S. state-level Digital Choice Act legislative wins in Utah, South Dakota, and Virginia), academic and research institutions, technology companies and impact organizations (200+ Alliance members), venture capital and institutional investors (200+ LPs/VCs representing over $6 trillion in AUM), and social media and content platforms including Truth Social and Bluesky (via Free Our Feeds AT Protocol integration). In January 2025, Project Liberty led 'The People's Bid for TikTok,' a consortium submitting a formal $20 billion offer for TikTok's U.S. operations, with Guggenheim Securities and Kirkland & Ellis as advisors. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging summit presence, coalition-building, and policy engagement rather than traditional sales motion.

Name

Project Liberty

Legal name

Project Liberty LLC

Website

https://projectliberty.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Liberty is a nonprofit initiative developing decentralized digital infrastructure, including the Frequency blockchain and DSNP protocol, for self-sovereign identity and data portability, serving governments, academic institutions, technology companies, and investors through its Labs, Institute, and Alliance pillars.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic/Foundation Funding (Institute): The Project Liberty Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by philanthropy and grants. Collaborates with academic institutions on research and receives funding for policy and governance initiatives.
2. Technology Licensing and Product Development (Labs): Project Liberty Labs develops commercial AI products and technology solutions. The organization is developing new AI products and expanding its technology offerings to translate principles into practical consumer-facing solutions.
3. Policy Advisory and Research Services: The Institute generates revenue through research initiatives, convenings, and policy engagement with governments and international organizations on digital infrastructure and AI governance.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels17 records

Core offering

Project Liberty develops and operates decentralized digital infrastructure including Frequency, a blockchain layer securing personal data for more than 16 million users, and the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), an open protocol for self-sovereign digital identity and portable social data. The organization also runs a 501(c)(3) research institute and a global alliance of 200+ partner organizations to advance AI governance policy and people-centered digital infrastructure.

Product overview

Project Liberty is a global initiative that builds solutions advancing human agency and flourishing in an AI-powered world through four interdependent strategies: building world-class digital infrastructure, designing sustainable data governance models, shaping smarter policy, and mobilizing a movement for change. The core technology portfolio includes Frequency (a decentralized open-source digital infrastructure layer), the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) (an open digital public infrastructure for social networking), supported by three organizational pillars: Project Liberty Labs (technology development), Project Liberty Institute (501(c)(3) research and convening hub), and Project Liberty Alliance (global network of 200+ partner organizations). The ecosystem collectively aims to give people ownership and control of their personal data and digital identities in an AI-driven world.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frequency: A decentralized, open-source digital infrastructure layer that provides the backbone for an internet where people control their data and relationships. Frequency enables individuals to govern their own information in an AI-driven world.
• Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP)

Products and services

• Frequency Frequency is a decentralized, open-source digital infrastructure layer that provides the backbone for an internet where people control their data and relationships. It enables individuals to govern their own information by allowing AI agents to deliver more effective and trustworthy outcomes while preserving privacy, consent, and ownership. Frequency secures data for more than 16 million people and is compatible with open-source standards including Model Context Protocol (MCP) for AI agent interoperability.
• Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) DSNP is an open, digital public infrastructure protocol designed to promote individual empowerment and the common good. It establishes a shared social layer no longer dependent on a specific application or centralized platform, providing foundational standards for identity and connection that enable people to control their digital identities and relationships across applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16+ million users' data secured on Frequency
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

35 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Free Our FeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Project Liberty partnered with the Free Our Feeds initiative to upgrade the AT Protocol used by Bluesky, integrating it with the Frequency blockchain to create unified infrastructure enabling unrestricted access to Bluesky's social data streams.
• Foris DAX MT (Malta) LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn August 2025, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. partnered with Foris DAX MT to integrate blockchain rewards and wallet infrastructure into Truth Social and Truth+ platforms.
• WeAre8minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced November 2024 for a people-first social media revolution combining Project Liberty, WeAre8, and Frequency Network Foundation.
• Frequency Network FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the people-first social media revolution initiative alongside Project Liberty and WeAre8.
• Alexis Ohanian (Reddit Co-Founder)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlexis Ohanian joined Project Liberty and The People's Bid for TikTok in March 2025, expressing interest in acquiring TikTok's U.S. operations and integrating it with the Frequency blockchain.
• Kirkland & ElliscoreOthersLegal advisory partner in the $20 billion formal offer to purchase TikTok's U.S. operations as part of The People's Bid consortium.
• Reframe VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pioneering VC survey of 56 venture capitalists between September 2025 and February 2026, finding that over 90% of respondents see major investment opportunities in responsible AI infrastructure.
• ImpactVCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pioneering VC survey finding that 90%+ of investors see financial opportunity in responsible AI stack.
• Aapti InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on promoting data cooperatives in Southeast Asia as a means to create more equitable digital ecosystems, with focus on regional implementation and capacity building.
• Clarity AIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI for social impact example demonstrating practical application of AI in impact investing through machine learning and data analysis for measuring social and environmental benefits.
• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on research, policy engagement, and stewardship of open-source initiatives including DSNP.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on Digitalist Papers, AI governance research, and Digital Economy Lab initiatives.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on research and policy engagement on open-source initiatives and digital governance.
• MITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner with MIT Center for Constructive Communication collaboration, contributing to digital governance research and DSNP advisors including David Clark, Alex Pentland, and Deb Roy.
• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner; Lawrence Lessig (Harvard Law School Professor) serves as DSNP Advisor.
• Global Solutions InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing 'Building Digital Infrastructure Ready for the AI Era' report covering 13 middle power governments; co-organizing workshops and events.
• Stanford Cyber Policy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished comprehensive survey and analysis of global governance options for generative AI, supported by Project Liberty Institute.
• Social Web FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized workshop on AI, agency, and protocols in open social networks with Public AI and Modal Foundation at Observer Research Foundation.
• Public AIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized workshop on AI, agency, and protocols; working on open social protocols to safeguard user sovereignty.
• Modal FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized workshop on AI, agency, and protocols in open social networks.
• Observer Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndia-based think tank hosting workshops and global workshop series on AI, protocols, and the social web.
• Stanford Institute on Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized main-stage session 'Building Trust: Digital Infrastructure Fit for the AI Era' at India AI Impact Summit.
• Chatham HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on roundtable formulating recommendations for AI Action Summit Switzerland 2027, bringing together policymakers and experts.
• UN Human Rights B-Tech ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative to advance responsible AI investment and data agency; releasing companion white paper and cross-regional consultations.
• Swiss Embassy South KoreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting roundtable on AI investment in Seoul with PLI, ReframeVenture, and UN B-Tech.
• Swiss Embassy JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting roundtable 'Data, AI, and Human Rights: What Is the Role of Investors?' at SusHi Tech Tokyo.
• German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated first structured exchange between U.S. state-level policymakers and European actors on AI governance (Transatlantic Tech Exchange).
• Stiftung MercatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GMF and Project Liberty Institute announced by Frank McCourt for transatlantic policy exchange on AI.
• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted invitation-only roundtable alongside PLI and IT for Change on DPI and AI toward public value.
• IT for ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on governmental roundtable on steering DPI and AI toward public value.
• EU Commission DG CNECTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint workshop 'Enabling Human-Centered Data Ecosystems: AI, Digital Identity and the Future of Social Networks in the EU' held May 28, 2026 in Brussels with over 30 participants.
• RippleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured speaker at CfC St. Moritz 2026 conference alongside other crypto/finance/policy leaders.
• Solana FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured speaker at CfC St. Moritz 2026 conference alongside other crypto/finance/policy leaders.
• MARAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured speaker at CfC St. Moritz 2026 conference alongside other crypto/finance/policy leaders.
• SecuritizeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured speaker at CfC St. Moritz 2026 conference alongside other crypto/finance/policy leaders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bluesky: Decentralized social networking platform built on the AT Protocol. Direct competitor to Frequency/DSNP; Project Liberty has a formal partnership via Free Our Feeds to integrate Bluesky's AT Protocol with the Frequency blockchain.
• Farcaster: Decentralized social protocol building user-owned social graphs on Ethereum/Optimism. Direct competitor in the decentralized social networking space targeting similar developer and user communities.
• Lens Protocol: Decentralized social graph built by Aave's Stani Kulechov. Direct competitor building composable, user-owned social profiles on-chain with overlapping mission to Project Liberty's DSNP.
• Mastodon: Federated decentralized social network using ActivityPub protocol. Competes in the same decentralized social networking category, though federation-based rather than blockchain-based.
• Tools for Humanity (Worldcoin): Building self-sovereign digital identity infrastructure through World ID and biometric verification. Direct competitor in the decentralized digital identity space that Project Liberty also targets.

Emerging players

• Spruce ID: Decentralized identity and data vault provider working on DID standards and verifiable credentials. Comparable as an emerging player in the same self-sovereign identity infrastructure space.
• ConsenSys: Major Ethereum/Web3 infrastructure provider with comparable decentralized stack positioning. Overlapping audience of developers building decentralized applications on Ethereum versus Project Liberty's Polkadot-based Frequency.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft: Broad incumbent with overlapping AI governance, digital identity (Entra), and decentralized identity initiatives. Sarah Nicole previously held a tech policy role there during France's EU Presidency.
• Meta: Large incumbent with competing social graph and AI initiatives. Jeb Bell, Project Liberty Institute's Executive Director, was previously Director of Global Policy Research at Meta, providing direct competitive insight.

Others

• Data & Society: Research institute focused on the social implications of data-centric technologies and AI governance. Thematically aligned as a nonprofit research counterpart to Project Liberty Institute's policy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pro_jectliberty
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Project_Liberty
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectlibertyactionnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/projectliberty
• Instagraminstagram.com/pro_jectliberty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project Liberty