Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter (now X) and fervent defender of Bitcoin, surprised the tech community once again in early July 2025 by proposing his new project: BitChatThis is neither a variation nor a simple experiment: it is a technical exploration of entirely offline communication and this is what makes the application interesting.
How does Bitchat work?
BitChat is network-based mesh Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Every device is no longer just a terminal, it becomes a relay, transmitting messages to their recipient, without Wi-Fi, without mobile network, without central servers, without phone numbers or identifiers.
It's worth noting that Jack Dorsey is no stranger to decentralized communication projects. He has been one of the protocol's biggest financial backers. Nostr, by donating 14 BTC to its main developer. This protocol has seen the birth of several applications such as Primal ou Damus, which already allow publishing and exchanging without depending on central servers.
The difference with BitChat, however, is major: while Nostr still relies on the Internet and distributed relays, BitChat is exploring a completely offline, based solely on Bluetooth mesh. Two complementary visions that reflect Dorsey's obsession with free, resilient, and ungovernable networks.
Why is BitChat of particular interest to bitcoiners?
Bitcoin was designed to exist without relying on central authorities, and BitChat follows this same logic by removing the dependence on traditional networks and servers. In contexts of censorship, internet shutdowns or political crises, having a peer-to-peer, encrypted and resilient communication tool becomes vital. This is the characteristic of the "censorship resistance" » which is appreciated here.
Just as Bitcoin allows for the exchange of value without intermediaries, BitChat paves the way for a free communication, resistant to surveillance and state controls. It is therefore a tool that speaks directly to the DNA of bitcoiners: independence, sovereignty and decentralization.
What about the ssecurity and privacy?
- End-to-end encryption — Curve25519 and AES-GCM curves ensure that only the sender and recipient can read the contents.
- Secure channels with password, “panic” mode which erases data in three taps on the logo, total anonymity (no identifier, no server, no data collection).
- Advanced Privacy Techniques such as temporal obfuscation and dummy messages, to make traceability more difficult.
A development projects
The app was launched in beta on TestFlight on July 7, 2025, And 10 available places were quickly filled. An immediate confirmation of a real interest in this type of off-network communication. A technical publication (whitepaper) was also posted online on GitHub.
A security researcher has highlighted a flaw: it is possible toimpersonate another user and to appear as him to his contacts. Dorsey acknowledged that the project has not been subject to an external audit, and that it is still in “work-in-progress”.
In terms of distribution, the app is available on iOS and Google Store.
What would be the practical uses of Bitchat?
- In the event of a natural disaster or blackout, when the infrastructure is out of service.
- During major events (festivals, gatherings), where the network is saturated or unavailable.
- In contexts of surveillance or censorship : reminder of the uses of FireChat or Bridgefy in Hong Kong.
Jack Dorsey discusses his approach to "vibe-coding", that is, coding with natural language AI tools. For BitChat, he used Goose, Block's coding assistant, demonstrating expressive and almost experimental development.
Final word
BitChat is more than just a developer gadget: it's a powerful proof of concept, thought for the resilience, immediacy and privacy protection, outside of any traditional network. Despite security and distribution challenges, this project marks a significant step towards truly decentralized communications—a central issue for the bitcoin and technology communities seeking independence.
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