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

github.com

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

#221

Post by bullen »

moneywaters wrote: post #96

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 messag…

Would it work: yes, could it be disrupted: also yes.

Timing is the key: you want to start working on it when the regular internet shows cracks.

In the meantime, build features that work in both worlds!

http://radiomesh.org

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

#223

Post by deweller »

repeekad wrote: post #218
Aurornis wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. The Helium Network tried something like this, but with a fixed infrastructure: People were incentivized to run Helium network nodes and could earn micropayments for running nodes and handling traffic. It revealed a lot of problems with structures like this, such…

> I think it would be interesting if someone could invent a stable coin cryptocurrency with low overhead Like the US dollar and Postgres? For like $200 anyone can start a business entity in the US with a tax ID and a bank, I’m still yet to understand how crypto is better other than for circumventing regulators

Cryptocurrency transfers are irreversible, publicly verifiable and pseudonymous. For a privacy focused application, these attributes make crypto a better choice than USD and the traditional banking system.

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

#224

Post by huslage »

moneywaters wrote: post #96

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 messag…

Why does anyone need a cash incentive to pass a message silently? There is literally zero marginal cost to them to do this. Why does everything have to cost/make money?

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

#225

Post by beef_rendang »

moneywaters wrote: post #96

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 messag…

Absolutely viable.

Building on a a diverse transport layer of Bluetooth, UWB, and Wi-Fi Direct is incredibly astute as it would create a resilient, delay-tolerant fabric.

The model where senders pay and relayers earn is a perfectly balanced state machine, providing the exact proof-of-transit mechanism needed to prevent spam and ensure message integrity.

Ship a TestFlight beta and do a Show HN.

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

#226

Post by Calwestjobs »

snickerer wrote: post #194
moneywaters wrote: post #96

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 messag…

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 Re…

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)

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

#227

Post by kosolam »

glitchc wrote: post #200
kosolam wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can design such a system in a couple of minutes. As the adjacent commenter said it can be done with a blockchain, using smart contacts. 1. Sender deposits fee 2. Message includes unlocking code that itself only can be unlocked by the recipient 3. Message getting wrapped with details of forwarders while it moves between peers 4. Recipient unlocks the message via the smart contract thereby releasing the micropayments…

To make this work you need to be able to connect to the public blockchain, which of course requires internet access.

Absolutely, to deposit and withdraw. But relay can be done without the Internet.

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

#228

Post by teiferer »

moneywaters wrote: post #96

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 messag…

Technically viable.

Socially not viable since all actors that could make it happen are incentivised to actively work against this to ever happen: Governments and big tech. Where are the ad opportunities if stuff does not go to a central platform which profiles you and serves "content" with ads?

It would technologically be even pretty easy to do. There have been many attempts already, including things like roof net / freifunk. It just never works because you have very big actors against you.

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

#230

Post by teiferer »

al_borland wrote: post #183
Dr4kn wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your country shuts off Internet access for demonstrations this would work great.

But it would only really work well in a small area, such as a couple friends communicating at a demonstration, where there are a lot of people who may be motivated to participate in a particular area. If there is a low density area between two people, a message could take a long time to show up. A message from NYC to LA is effectively relying on the messaging being cached on a phone in NYC, that person flying to LA,…

Though demonstration organizers could run around with QR codes making it easy for everybody to install the right app to communicate with each other during the demonstration. As long as people can side-load things on their phones, this should be possible without any way to stop it unless you deploy radio jammers. (Which is then the logical next step for police equipment in so minded states.)
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