Twitter Founder's Messaging App Gaining Popularity Amid Nepal's Unrest - referred to as Bitchat.
In a world where secure and private communication is increasingly important, especially in hostile or high-risk environments, a new app has emerged as a beacon of hope for protesters. Bitchat, created by Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, was launched on July 6, 2025, and has quickly gained traction among Gen Z and students in Nepal and beyond.
Bitchat operates as a decentralized, peer-to-peer messaging app, functioning without the need for mobile data, Wi-Fi, or even SIM cards. This makes it an ideal solution for countries with patchy internet infrastructure, such as Nepal, where mountainous terrain often poses a connectivity challenge.
Each device using Bitchat becomes a node in a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh. Messages sent and received via Bitchat are relayed in encrypted form from device to device, ensuring privacy and security. The app's "store and forward" functionality allows messages to be stored temporarily on devices until they can be forwarded to the next node, even if the recipient is currently offline.
One of Bitchat's most attractive features is its "panic mode." In situations where protesters face potential government crackdowns, this feature immediately wipes all stored data, providing an added layer of security.
Bitchat's adoption is driven primarily by Gen Z users coordinating protests and seeking secure communication channels away from government monitoring. In Nepal, the spike in Bitchat usage coincided with nationwide protests against government corruption and heavy-handed censorship. The blocking of 26 major social media platforms during these protests further fuelled Bitchat's growth.
As of early September 2025, Nepal has one of the largest user bases of Bitchat globally, with over 48,000 downloads. Dorsey has published a white paper to his GitHub page detailing Bitchat's decentralised architecture and encryption design, providing transparency and assurance about the app's security measures.
Bitchat does not require accounts, phone numbers, or identifiers, making it easy for anyone to join the network. With its focus on privacy, security, and decentralization, Bitchat represents Dorsey's latest venture into the world of decentralized communication technology, following his previous work with Twitter and the Bluesky project.
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