Jack Dorsey Launches Bitchat, a Bluetooth-Based Decentralized Messenger

Block CEO Jack Dorsey released the beta version of Bitchat on July 7, 2025. Bitchat operates completely offline while maintaining encrypted security features found in mainstream messaging apps. The beta version is now available for testing across compatible mobile devices that support Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity.

Bitchat requires no registration or phone numbers. Users can join group chats organized by hashtag names, with optional passwords for private rooms. Dorsey described the app as having “IRC vibes,” referring to the interface design that mimics early internet chatroom functionality.

Each device in the network acts as both client and relay, creating a mesh topology that can span multiple hops. Messages are broken into 500-byte fragments and forwarded up to 30 meters per hop between devices. The Bluetooth Low Energy protocol allows devices to maintain connections while preserving battery life. The app uses X25519 key exchange and AES-256-GCM encryption to secure communications between peers.

Messages stay in device memory by default and are not permanently stored anywhere. The network continues operating even when some devices go offline, routing around failed nodes automatically. When a device rejoins the mesh, it automatically receives cached messages through a store-and-forward system that temporarily holds communications for offline peers.

Read on: OpenAI’s Social Vision Emerges from the Shadow of the Musk–Altman Rift

Future updates will add WiFi relays to increase bandwidth for larger data transfers. The development team plans to expand functionality for areas with limited internet access. The white paper indicates that WiFi integration will allow for file sharing and higher-bandwidth communications while maintaining the decentralized architecture.

The white paper states that Bitchat works in conferences, protests, disaster relief situations, and remote locations where internet service is unreliable or blocked by authorities. The app functions independently of traditional internet infrastructure, making it useful during natural disasters when cellular towers fail or in countries where governments restrict internet access.

Dorsey co-founded Twitter in 2006 and launched the decentralized social network Bluesky in 2019. He stepped down as Twitter CEO in 2021 to focus on Block, his financial services company. He has consistently advocated for decentralized communication protocols that reduce dependence on corporate-controlled platforms and government oversight.

Related: Jack Dorsey’s Bitcoin Vision: Why He Left Twitter for Crypto