February 10, 2026
Mesh, but make it drama
Bitchat – decentralized peer-to-peer messaging
Jack Dorsey’s offline chat stirs protests, dupe police, and Discord dreams
TLDR: Bitchat is Jack Dorsey’s no‑internet messaging app using Bluetooth mesh and Nostr. Commenters split: protesters praise blackout resilience; skeptics cite an impersonation flaw, Bluetooth limits, and HN dupe drama, while others wonder if it can replace Discord—spotlighting why censorship‑resistant chat matters and how messy it is.
Jack Dorsey just dropped Bitchat, an offline, encrypted messenger that hops phone‑to‑phone over Bluetooth, and yes, the internet’s having a moment. The HN thread lit up with dupe police yelling about a 7‑month‑old repost, while others asked if this is finally a Discord killer you can use at festivals and during blackouts. Fans point to real‑world downloads during protests in Madagascar, Nepal, Uganda, and Iran as proof it’s not just hype. Skeptics clap back: an early bug let people impersonate users, and Dorsey admits it hasn’t had an outside security review. Translation: cool idea, still a work‑in‑progress.
Beyond the tech, the vibes are chaotic. Some love the no accounts, no servers promise and the panic mode that wipes your data with three taps. Others roll their eyes at Bluetooth’s short range and battery drain, quipping it’s more walkie‑talkie than WhatsApp. The name “Bitchat” sparked memes—“try explaining that to HR”—and Dorsey’s IRC‑style channels and geohash locations got nostalgic nods. Meanwhile, the dupe drama became its own show, with users accusing “abuse of the dupe system” and moderators playing whack‑a‑link. Whether it’s a protest lifeline or a hype magnet, the crowd agrees on one thing: the mesh is messy.
Key Points
- •Bitchat is a decentralized, peer‑to‑peer encrypted messaging app by Jack Dorsey and Block, Inc., announced July 2025.
- •It uses a hybrid transport: Bluetooth Low Energy mesh for offline local relays and Nostr for online/global communication.
- •Local messaging leverages the Noise Protocol Framework; features include #mesh channel, geohash location channels (v1.3.0), and panic mode.
- •Direct messages are end‑to‑end encrypted, preferring Bluetooth with Nostr as fallback when Bluetooth is unavailable.
- •Beta testing via TestFlight quickly hit 10,000 users; a security researcher found an impersonation issue, and Dorsey cautioned it’s a work‑in‑progress without external security review.