Block Launches Buzz, an Open Source Workspace Uniting Humans and AI Agents via Nostr

Payments firm Block has introduced Buzz, an open source collaboration platform designed to let human employees and AI agents work alongside one another in a unified digital environment.

Announced by Block leader Jack Dorsey, the tool is built on the decentralized Nostr protocol. Buzz aims to consolidate team messaging, code repositories, and automated workflows, offering an alternative to traditional corporate software suites like Slack and GitHub.

The platform treats both human workers and AI agents as equal participants by assigning them cryptographic identities via unique keypairs. This decentralized identity system, native to the Nostr protocol, ensures that an agent’s history, permissions, and reputation are self-sovereign and can carry over to other compatible networks. Every action within the workspace—including messages, code reviews, and automated tasks—is recorded in a single, signed cryptographic log to create a verifiable audit trail.

“Every company is going to need a place where humans and agents work together,” said Bradley Axen, Block’s head of AI capabilities, in a statement. “The question is whether that place is proprietary or open.”

Buzz is designed to be model-agnostic. It allows organizations to deploy AI agents powered by various large language models, including Anthropic’s Claude Code, OpenAI’s Codex, and Block’s own open source framework, goose, which was released in January 2025.

The release of Buzz aligns with a broader shift in how corporate operating models are structured. According to Lucas Isaza, an AI and product specialist at Block, traditional project management tools historically forced companies into rigid workflows. In contrast, Isaza noted that Buzz allows a single thread to contain a software bug’s diagnosis, the code fix, and the surrounding team discussion, streamlining processes that previously required multiple disconnected tools.

Block has been testing the system internally for several months. Thomas Petersen, a principal designer and AI strategist at Block, revealed that the Buzz platform itself was developed using AI agents. Petersen remarked that the project was initiated to counter the isolation of working with independent AI tools, resulting in an interface that was iteratively sculpted rather than designed entirely upfront.

Currently, the platform is in its early stages, carrying the version number 0.4.21. The source code has been published under an Apache 2.0 license on GitHub, allowing teams to either self-host the software or utilize a managed version provided by Block. While desktop applications are available for macOS, Windows, and Linux, mobile clients remain under development. Additionally, despite its decentralized architecture, individual workspaces currently rely on a single relay to serve as their primary source of truth.

The launch of Buzz marks the latest step in Dorsey’s ongoing advocacy for open source, decentralized communication protocols. Since departing Twitter, Dorsey has heavily supported Nostr-based initiatives, moving away from centralized platforms. This includes backing projects like Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based messaging tool, and the social platform Damus, both of which have faced regulatory pushback and bans in regions like China.

This technological pivot also comes amid significant structural changes at Block. In February, the company eliminated roughly 4,000 jobs—representing about 40% of its workforce—with Dorsey stating at the time that AI would fundamentally alter how companies are built and operated. Alongside its AI push, Block continues to maintain a heavy focus on decentralized finance and digital assets. The company recently disclosed holding 28,355 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $2.2 billion, in its proof-of-reserves report, and is working to integrate stablecoin support into its Cash App payment infrastructure.