Jack Dorsey launched the decentralized communication app Bitchat: Can send encrypted messages without the internet?

Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey launched a decentralized messaging application called Bitchat today, which features completely offline end-to-end encryption communication via Bluetooth. In the face of increasingly severe surveillance and censorship, Bitchat redefines the underlying architecture of message freedom and is seen as a challenge to mainstream centralized messaging platforms.

No network, no account, no server: What is Bitchat?

Bitchat is a communication tool based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network operation, allowing messages to be transmitted between devices without the need for WiFi or mobile data connection. Each device acts as both a receiver and a forwarding node, using multi-hop (multi-hop) technology to relay messages to more distant users, forming a self-organizing peer-to-peer communication network.

my weekend project to learn about bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.

bitchat: bluetooth mesh chat…IRC vibes.

TestFlight: GitHub: pic.twitter.com/yxZxiMfMH2

— jack (@jack) July 6, 2025

According to reports, Bitchat does not require account registration, does not need to bind a phone or email, and there is no central server storing messages or user data. All communications use end-to-end encryption (E2EE), and different levels of encryption and packaging are applied based on the type of message ( private messages, chat rooms, or broadcasts ).

Users can create chat rooms named with hashtags and choose whether to add password protection. If the other party is temporarily offline, the system also provides a "store-and-forward" feature, which temporarily stores messages on the device and completes the transmission once they come back online.

From IRC Inspiration to Modern Encryption Architecture: Bitchat as a Lifesaving Tool in Disaster Areas

At the same time as Dorsey launched Bitchat, he also published a white paper detailing the design philosophy behind it. He described this system as somewhat similar to the early Internet Relay Chat (IRC, Internet Relay Chat), but lighter, more secure, and more resistant to censorship.

This architecture makes Bitchat an ideal communication tool in areas with limited internet access, such as disaster zones, war-torn sites, or on airplanes. Messages are preset to only temporarily exist in the device's memory and will not be uploaded to any central server, further enhancing privacy and security.

Currently, Bitchat supports a Bluetooth communication distance of about 30 meters, and in the future, it is expected to support WiFi mesh communication, enhancing data volume and transmission efficiency.

The common goal behind these technologies is to ensure that messages can "reach securely without relying on the network," breaking the communication blockade caused by external network disconnections or centralized surveillance.

Data stays with users: Bitchat allows users to message securely.

The emergence of Bitchat is not only a challenge to mainstream communication applications but also embodies Dorsey's advocacy for decentralization and the meaning of free communication. Traditional communication platforms like WhatsApp or Messenger are largely controlled by large tech companies like Meta, where users' messages, data, and identities become part of their revenue model.

What Bitchat advocates is a communication method that is completely independent of third parties, and thus cannot be monitored. In the context of increasing surveillance and information censorship in today's society, it provides a brand new solution.

It is worth mentioning that Dorsey established the Decentralization social protocol platform Bluesky as early as 2019, but he resigned from its board of directors in May 2024. Now, through Bitchat, he once again hands control of messaging back to users.

(After the ban of the Musk X platform in Brazil, Bluesky users have significantly increased )

Communication no longer requires a network, which is expected to stimulate innovation in freedom and privacy.

The experimental nature of Bitchat is certainly evident, but the signal it conveys is also very clear. In any network-restricted area, people can still communicate privately and without surveillance through Decentralization technology.

This communication revolution initiated by Dorsey may not immediately replace mainstream communication software, but it can inspire more future technological innovations centered around freedom and privacy.

( Capture creative private hands, there is a solution! Telegram's latest privacy policy: will cooperate with law enforcement agencies to provide information )

This article is about Jack Dorsey launching the decentralized communication application Bitchat: Can messages be encrypted and sent without the internet? Originally appeared in Chain News ABMedia.