Jack Dorsey Launches Bitchat Decentralized Messaging Platform

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey has introduced Bitchat, a decentralized messaging platform that operates exclusively over Bluetooth. The platform is designed to function without internet access, utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks for peer-to-peer communication. This innovative approach aims to provide a censorship-resistant communication method that remains operational even during internet outages or infrastructure failures.

Bitchat is built on a store-and-forward architecture using BLE, ensuring that messages are encrypted end-to-end and exist only in device memory by default. This design enhances security and ephemerality, making it a privacy-first chat platform. The platform operates across BLE mesh networks, allowing users to communicate securely within physical range. Each device acts as both a client and server, relaying messages between users in a decentralized manner. This multi-hop design extends communication beyond the direct Bluetooth range, enabling messages to reach offline or distant devices through nearby nodes.

Bitchat employs a custom BLE mesh protocol that allows devices to scan for others within a 30-meter radius using a shared service UUID. Once discovered, devices connect and create temporary mesh hubs. The platform also features a store-and-forward system, caching messages sent to temporarily offline devices with tiered retention windows: 12 hours for regular peers and indefinite storage for selected favorites. Once those devices reconnect to the mesh, they automatically retrieve any stored messages.

Bitchat’s structure eliminates the need for phone numbers, emails, or permanent identifiers. It offers room-based messaging for group chats, complete with optional password protection. Communication is encrypted at multiple levels, and digital signatures are used to authenticate messages. The whitepaper concludes that Bitchat demonstrates the possibility of secure, private messaging without centralized infrastructure. By combining Bluetooth mesh networking, end-to-end encryption, and privacy-preserving protocols, Bitchat provides resilient communication that works anywhere people gather, regardless of internet availability.