Is the XMTP network decentralized?

Currently, XMTP Labs (the company introducing XMTP) operates the “playnet” nodes for testing and experimentation. The playnet will be open to community node operators in Q2.

The XMTP network will be considered decentralized when the majority of mainnet nodes are operated by the community.

Note that whether in playnet, testnet, or mainnet, all messages are encrypted such that no third party node may gain access to the plaintext.