Jack Dorsey Enters a Growing Field of Offline Messengers with Bitchat

Tech News: With the launch of Bitchat, Jack Dorsey is placing a significant bet on the future of off-the-grid communication. The app's core value proposition—decentralised, private, and internet-free messaging—taps into a growing demand for digital sovereignty and resilience against censorship and surveillance.   

This move is consistent with Dorsey's previous ventures, including his support for the decentralised social media protocol Bluesky, reflecting his continued efforts to build user-controlled tools that do not depend on the infrastructure of big tech companies.

However, Bitchat is not entering a vacuum. The space for mesh-based communication tools has been developing for years, with apps like Bridgefy—notably funded by fellow Twitter co-founder Biz Stone—gaining traction in specific use cases.  

Another key player, Offline Protocol, has been making significant strides with its app, Fernweh (www.fernweh.chat), which is already live on app stores . While Bitchat is currently a focused messaging experiment, Offline Protocol is building a more comprehensive ecosystem designed for a world where connectivity is not guaranteed. 

Their work on integrating crypto-enabled payments into their mesh network highlights a broader ambition, suggesting the next frontier for this technology lies not just in communication, but in commerce and identity.