Tech entrepreneur Jack Dorsey has announced a new decentralised messaging application called Bitchat, designed to operate without the internet and without requiring personal information.
Bitchat, described by Dorsey as a “weekend project”, enables peer-to-peer messaging through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks, allowing users to communicate within a range of over 300 metres, even in the absence of cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. The app is currently available in beta via Apple’s TestFlight, although early access slots were filled shortly after the announcement.
According to a whitepaper published on GitHub, Bitchat allows for direct device-to-device messaging, where each phone simultaneously acts as both sender and receiver. This system supports multi-hop message transfers, meaning a message can pass through several nearby devices to reach its destination, further extending its operational range.
Crucially, the app does not require a phone number, email, or any form of account to function. This, paired with its decentralised infrastructure, which is free of servers or central control and makes Bitchat highly resilient to censorship and network disruptions. Messages are stored ephemerally in device memory, with automatic caching in place if a recipient is temporarily unreachable. Messages are then delivered when the recipient reconnects to the mesh network.
The platform features a tiered message retention system. Standard messages are automatically deleted after 12 hours, whereas messages marked as “favourites” are preserved indefinitely. For security, Bitchat uses end-to-end encryption, combining the Curve25519 elliptic curve with the AES-GCM encryption algorithm for a layered approach to data protection.
Functionality-wise, Bitchat offers familiar tools such as mentions to tag users and topic-based rooms, akin to channels on platforms like Discord. Rooms can also be secured with passwords for added privacy.
Dorsey highlighted the app’s unique position in the current messaging ecosystem, noting that its infrastructure-free design and lack of identifying requirements offer an alternative to surveillance-prone and centralised platforms.
