"Authorities have responded with severe measures, including a nationwide telecoms blackout and jamming satellite services like Starlink, aimed at preventing coordination among demonstrators. Iranians are embracing freedom tech tools; Bitchat, Noghteha, and Delta Chat for offline communication. Two of these apps trace their origins directly to Bitcoin, highlighting how technologies from this community provide practical solutions in high-stakes environments. Bitchat, built by Bitcoin pioneers Jack Dorsey and open-source developer Calle, operates over Bluetooth mesh networks and the Nostr protocol without needing an internet connection."
"Bitchat first gained widespread attention when Jack Dorsey announced it on X on July 6, 2025, describing it as a weekend project to explore Bluetooth mesh networks. The announcement generated immediate interest, reflected in surges on Google Trends for related searches. In September, Frank Corva wrote about Bitchat's role in supporting Nepalese protestors during social media restrictions and unrest, where nearly 50,000 downloads occurred in a single day."
"Noghteha, on the other hand, saw rapid adoption in the first week of January 2026. Before the full internet shutdown, Google Play recorded more than 70,000 downloads of Noghteha in the space of three days, with numbers likely increasing through peer-to-peer sharing, sideloading, and Bluetooth transfers afterward. Promotion of Noghteha reached a broad audience through Iran International, an opposition satellite TV channel based outside Iran. The station, a major source of information and coordination guidance from figures like opposition leader Reza Pahlavi"
Iran has seen intense protests met with severe state measures, including a nationwide telecoms blackout and jamming of satellite services such as Starlink to disrupt demonstrator coordination. Iranians have adopted offline freedom-tech tools including Bitchat, Noghteha, and Delta Chat to communicate without the internet. Two of the apps originate from Bitcoin-related communities and use technologies like Bluetooth mesh and the Nostr protocol. Bitchat was developed by Jack Dorsey and developer Calle to operate without internet connectivity. Noghteha is a closed-source fork of Bitchat adapted for Persian users with UI and features tailored to local needs. Both apps achieved rapid downloads and peer-to-peer distribution during shutdowns.
Read at Bitcoin Magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]