tl;dr
Nepal’s government blocking 26 social media platforms led to a surge in the use of Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app, as young Nepalis used it to circumvent censorship and organize protests. The ban, aimed at curbing unrest over corruption, backfired, leading to significant unrest, deaths, an...
When Nepal’s government blocked 26 major social media platforms in late August, it didn’t just silence voices—it ignited a digital firestorm. Tens of thousands of young Nepalis, frustrated by a ban aimed at curbing protests, turned to Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app co-created by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter. Within days, downloads of the app skyrocketed from 3,300 to 48,781, making Nepal its largest user base worldwide. The surge wasn’t just a tech story—it was a protest tool, weaponized by a generation demanding accountability in a nation where corruption and censorship had long gone hand in hand.
The ban, intended to quell unrest over government corruption, backfired spectacularly. Clashes between protesters and authorities left at least 34 dead, government buildings burned, and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli forced to resign on September 9. Yet the real surprise wasn’t the violence—it was how quickly Bitchat became a lifeline for a population suddenly cut off from the internet’s most familiar corners. “This is about autonomy,” said Christian Ruz, an expert at crypto-native agency Hype. “Decentralized apps are no longer just for techies. They’re becoming the frontlines of resistance.”
Bitchat’s rise mirrored a global pattern. In Indonesia, where protests erupted over lawmakers’ lavish allowances and the killing of a young rideshare driver by police, downloads of the app also spiked. About 11,000 Indonesians turned to Bitchat as the government cracked down on dissent, citing surveillance, harassment, and content takedowns. For many, the app offered a rare escape from digital repression. “People are tired of policies that ignore their struggles,” said Wan Iqbal, a former director at Indonesia’s top crypto exchange. “They want change, not empty promises.”
The story of Bitchat isn’t just about an app—it’s about a shift in power. Decentralized platforms, by design, resist censorship and central control, making them ideal for protests in nations where traditional media is muzzled. Ruz argues that such tools are now “the new frontier of activism,” empowering users to organize, share information, and challenge authoritarian systems without relying on infrastructure that can be shut down.
Yet, as Nepal and Indonesia show, the stakes are high. For every download, there’s a risk of retaliation, a threat to privacy, or a crackdown on dissent. But for young protesters, the message is clear: when the internet is a battleground, decentralized apps aren’t just alternatives—they’re weapons of the people. And in a world where governments grow more controlling, the next protest might just be a click away.