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Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

(github.com)
770 points ananddtyagi | 5 comments | 07 Jul 25 00:05 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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moneywaters ◴[07 Jul 25 05:35 UTC] No.44487086[source]▶
I’ve been toying with a concept inspired by Apple’s Find My network: Imagine a decentralized, delay-tolerant messaging system where messages hop device-to-device (e.g., via Bluetooth, UWB, Wi-Fi Direct), similar to how “Find My” relays location via nearby iPhones.

Now add a twist: • Senders pay a small fee to send a message. • Relaying devices earn a micro-payment (could be tokens, sats, etc.) for carrying the message one hop further. • End-to-end encrypted, fully decentralized, optionally anonymous.

Basically, a “postal network” built on people’s phones, without needing a traditional internet connection. Works best in areas with patchy or no internet, or under censorship.

Obvious challenges: • Latency and reliability (it’s not real-time). • Abuse/spam prevention. • Power consumption and user opt-in. • Viable incentive structures.

What do you think? Is this viable? Any real-world use cases where this might be actually useful — or is it just a neat academic toy?

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1. snickerer ◴[07 Jul 25 11:20 UTC] No.44489072[source]▶
This is already mostly done.

Participate in the development of Reticulum. Install the app Sideband on your Smartphone or other device.

Sideband is a chat app that uses LXMF. LXMF is a messaging protocol based on Reticulum. Reticulum is a full network stack that is decentralized and transport layer agnostic.

What we need for your vision is LoRa modems integrated in our phones.

Or just a bluetooth mesh interface for Reticulum. That is a great idea. Develop that, and you have exactly what you described.

To be more specific: Reticulum's main program is the daemon rnsd. It uses so called interfaces and can route between them (WiFi, LoRa, other radio services...). Implement a new interface type that uses the technology called 'bluetooth mesh' and your vision is done.

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2. Calwestjobs ◴[07 Jul 25 14:21 UTC] No.44490662[source]▶
exactly! using your phone which knows when you are going to toilet, and shares that with advertisers, for "super secret communications" ? makes no sense.

(YES APPLE DOES THAT TOO)

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3. Calwestjobs ◴[07 Jul 25 18:47 UTC] No.44493459[source]▶
USA is in war with china right now. Companies and governments have different priorities in war.
4. RiverCrochet ◴[07 Jul 25 20:05 UTC] No.44494134[source]▶
> Implement a new interface type that uses the technology called 'bluetooth mesh' and your vision is done.

Reticulum supports using serial ports as interfaces, so if you get serial-over-Bluetooth working it can be done now.

One other thing I really like about Reticulum is that it also supports generic stdin/stdout to a process as an interface, so with some scripting and what not you can literally make it work over anything.

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5. snickerer ◴[08 Jul 25 15:04 UTC] No.44500685[source]▶
Yes, you could have a peer-to-peer connection with bluetooth as the transport layer. But that's not the vision. The vision is an out-of-the-box bluetooth mesh network, like what you have when you connect to an IP network with Reticulum.