Jack Dorsey has revealed Bitchat, a messaging application that abandons the internet entirely in favor of Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking—a technological pivot that would seem almost quaint if it weren’t so strategically prescient. The former Twitter CEO, now helming Block, has fundamentally created a communication protocol that treats the internet like an unreliable business partner: useful when available, catastrophic when compromised.
Bitchat’s architecture reads like a libertarian fever dream executed through sophisticated engineering. Messages fragment into 500-byte chunks, hopping across devices within a 30-meter range to form self-organizing networks that extend far beyond traditional Bluetooth limitations. Each device functions simultaneously as sender and relay, creating mesh networks that operate independently of cellular towers or internet service providers—infrastructure that governments can monitor, throttle, or eliminate entirely.
The privacy implications are remarkable, if not revolutionary. End-to-end encryption protects messages throughout transmission, while ephemeral storage guarantees communications disappear after delivery. No centralized servers mean no central point of failure, surveillance, or data collection. The system fundamentally transforms every participating device into a temporary node in a distributed network that dissolves once messages reach their destinations.
Dorsey’s timing appears deliberate. Having launched Bluesky in 2019 before departing its board in 2024, he maintains consistent focus on decentralized communication protocols. Bitchat represents his latest exploration into messaging infrastructure that operates beyond traditional internet dependencies—particularly valuable during disasters, protests, or regions with compromised service providers.
The application’s practical applications extend beyond privacy enthusiasts. Conference attendees, disaster zone coordinators, and political demonstrators can maintain secure communications without relying on potentially monitored or disabled internet connections. Future WiFi integration promises increased bandwidth for larger messages, suggesting Dorsey envisions broader adoption beyond emergency scenarios.
What began as a weekend experiment has evolved into public beta testing, demonstrating technological feasibility while challenging internet-based messaging paradigms. Bitchat eliminates surveillance vulnerabilities inherent in centralized systems, creating communication networks that exist independently of traditional infrastructure. Like DeFi’s elimination of financial intermediaries through smart contracts, Bitchat removes communication intermediaries that traditionally control and monitor message transmission.
Whether this represents messaging evolution or temporary solution remains unclear, but Dorsey has certainly identified—and addressed—fundamental privacy concerns plaguing contemporary digital communication.
