Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

The technology is cool, but I don't really know if I want KYC regulatory risk in my encrypted messaging client. I just want italics.

Then why use Signal at all? You had to have KYC to get a phone number in most countries which you had to give to Signal which could expose your location etc via tower pings to anyone you communicate with unless you port it to a VoIP number (how many know how to do that?)

You also had to provide a phone number to get a Google or Apple account to install Signal because anonymous signed install methods are not supported, which moxie says is intentional to collect analytics.

Signal may have end to end encryption but being anonymous is a clear non goal.

>You also had to provide a phone number to get a Google or Apple account to install Signal because anonymous signed install methods are not supported, which moxie says is intentional to collect analytics.

Signal distributes a standalone APK for android, which does function without google play services.

https://signal.org/android/apk/