Jack Dorsey Unveils BitChat: A Fully Offline, Bitcoin-Supporting Messaging App
- Jack Dorsey’s BitChat runs entirely on a Bluetooth mesh network, requiring no internet or central servers.
- The app allows encrypted, device-to-device messaging and supports Bitcoin transfers without collecting personal data.
Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey has announced BitChat, a peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging app that requires no internet connection or centralised servers to function.
The app, which began beta testing on July 7, runs on a Bluetooth mesh network, enabling users to communicate even during internet blackouts or censorship events.
BitChat offers encrypted, ephemeral messaging between devices in close proximity.
As users move, their smartphones form Bluetooth clusters, relaying messages and expanding the network’s communication range. Messages are stored only on the user's device and are deleted by default.
Unlike conventional messaging platforms, BitChat does not require users to register with a phone number, email, or any personal identifier.
"Privacy protection and censorship-resistant communications" were the core focus of the app, according to Dorsey.
Bitcoin Integration Already Active
A standout feature of BitChat is its native support for Bitcoin (BTC) transfers. The functionality is already live, allowing users to send BTC across the same offline network.
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BitChat draws parallels with technology used during the 2019 Hong Kong protests, where Bluetooth-based apps were deployed to bypass internet restrictions.
BitChat builds on that idea with added tools like hashtag and password-protected group chats, plus a broadcast feature for offline message distribution.
The beta version of BitChat is currently available on TestFlight, with more enhancements in the pipeline.
Future updates will include WiFi Direct functionality, which will further increase both the range and speed of communication.
With BitChat, Dorsey is positioning his platform at the intersection of privacy-first communication and decentralised finance, offering a toolset that functions entirely off the grid.
Edited by Annette George
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