tl;dr
Tech mogul Jack Dorsey is developing "bitchat," a decentralized, peer-to-peer encrypted messaging app that operates without internet or phone numbers. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks to enable communication between nearby devices by relaying messages across multiple nodes, enhancing...
Tech mogul Jack Dorsey is pioneering a new decentralized, peer-to-peer encrypted messaging app called “bitchat” that operates without the internet or phone numbers. Instead of traditional networks, bitchat utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks, which are designed for low power consumption and enable small data transfers between nearby devices.
BLE mesh networks create a decentralized system by connecting multiple nodes, allowing communication to extend beyond direct Bluetooth range through automatic message relay. This architecture enhances the app’s resilience to network outages and censorship, as explained in the bitchat whitepaper.
The app emphasizes privacy and security with several key features: it is decentralized, requiring no servers or infrastructure; ephemeral, with messages stored only temporarily on devices; encrypted with end-to-end protocols ensuring private communication; and highly private, avoiding the use of phone numbers, emails, or permanent identifiers. This means users can communicate securely within physical proximity without centralized points of failure.
Dorsey, known as the co-founder of Twitter (now rebranded as X), highlights that governments would find it challenging to block bitchat except by deploying Bluetooth jammers, underscoring the app’s potential to offer resilient and censorship-resistant communications in an increasingly surveilled digital landscape.