Jack Dorsey Reveals Bitchat, a Bitcoin-Inspired Offline Messaging App

Jack Dorsey, the tech entrepreneur best known for co-founding Twitter and leading Block Inc., has unveiled a new messaging app called Bitchat, and it doesn’t need the internet to work.

Bitchat is designed to operate over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), forming a decentralized, encrypted messaging network that functions even when users are offline. Unlike conventional chat apps that rely on cloud infrastructure or mobile data, Bitchat enables direct device-to-device communication using mesh networking. Messages can hop across multiple phones until they reach their intended recipient, making the system especially useful in areas with poor connectivity, natural disasters, or censorship.

In line with Dorsey's long-standing advocacy for decentralized technology, Bitchat requires no usernames, phone numbers, or central servers. Users install the app, generate a cryptographic keypair, and start messaging others nearby, completely anonymously.

All messages are end-to-end encrypted using Curve25519 and AES-GCM cryptographic standards. According to the project's documentation, messages are deleted immediately after they are delivered unless explicitly saved by the recipient. There is no metadata retention, and the app doesn’t log user behavior.

The app is currently in closed beta via Apple’s TestFlight, and according to Dorsey, the first testing cohort of 10,000 users filled up within 24 hours of launch. A full release date has not yet been announced, though a public Android version is also in development.

The app is open source and will be released under a permissive license once beta testing concludes. Developers have already praised the project’s minimal reliance on background data and its innovative use of BLE for message relay, a novel approach even among existing decentralized apps.

Bitchat does not support media files, stickers, or voice notes, at least for now. Instead, it focuses on short text communication and keeping overhead to a minimum to maximize speed and battery efficiency in real-world Bluetooth environments.

Bitchat’s name, and ethos, draw heavily from the principles of Bitcoin. While the app doesn’t involve any cryptocurrencies directly, its development mirrors the decentralized, permissionless ideals of the Bitcoin network. In fact, the design team says Bitchat was partly inspired by Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays), a decentralized social protocol Dorsey has previously funded and supported.

The emergence of Bitchat comes amid growing global concerns over surveillance, internet shutdowns, and central control of communication platforms.

By contrast, Bitchat’s emphasis on robust encryption and lack of identifying data could make it a more secure alternative. Cybersecurity experts note that using BLE mesh networks is not foolproof, especially in the presence of malicious devices, but agree that Bitchat’s approach represents a meaningful advancement.

Though still in early stages, Bitchat could carve out a niche in the growing world of peer-to-peer and offline apps. Whether it gains mainstream traction remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Dorsey’s latest venture isn’t just a tech experiment, it’s a statement.

With a global climate increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions and centralized data monopolies, apps like Bitchat may become essential tools for digital self-defense.