Jack Dorsey's Decentralization Exploration Journey

Jack Dorsey's role as a spokesperson for the cypherpunk movement is more steadfast than many realize. His commitment to Bitcoin has lasted over a decade, persisting even when the costs outweigh the benefits. For example, he launched the LDK development kit for the Bitcoin Lightning Network and worked to integrate Lightning Network payment functionality into social platforms.

Dorsey's focus on the Bitcoin ecosystem is everywhere. After the relaunch of Bitchat, he plans to support Nostr's network functionality in the future, fundamentally supporting freedom of speech. This reflects his ongoing exploration of Decentralization and free social interactions.

As one of the co-founders of a well-known social platform, Dorsey has achieved greater success with financial products in his subsequent ventures, but he has never given up on thinking about more free forms of social interaction and Decentralization networks. Some of the projects he has been involved in, although not causing a huge sensation, are all exploring the future forms of human social products, rather than simply being fundraising schemes.

The release of the latest version of Bitchat can be seen as Dorsey's tribute and innovation to past on-chain social products. Unlike previous blockchain-based versions, the 2025 Bitchat adopts a local Bluetooth Mesh network, enabling completely offline operation and thorough Decentralization. This design draws on the ideas of Bitcoin but frees itself from the limitations of having to operate on-chain, making it more aligned with the actual needs of ordinary users.

Dorsey seems to realize that in order for Decentralization technology to truly become widespread, the barriers to use must be lowered, and even economic incentives removed, to avoid a return to centralization and capitalization. The design philosophy of Bitchat is based on this, attempting to create a pure, non-profit-driven social tool.

Bitchat is an offline, anonymous, free IRC-style social tool. It is entirely based on local Bluetooth Mesh networks to store and disseminate messages, working without an internet connection. By not designing a permanent account system and data persistence, Bitchat ensures user anonymity, but it also limits its functionality mainly to instant messaging.

In terms of technical architecture, Bitchat is divided into three main parts: information transmission, privacy protection, and networking functions. It employs some complex encryption algorithms to protect user privacy. While it may be overly cautious in certain aspects, this reflects a high regard for security.

Currently, Bitchat is still in the experimental phase, and its retro style may not suit the tastes of contemporary users. However, Dorsey believes that in extreme situations in the future, such as disaster relief scenarios, this tool based on various short-range communication technologies could become an important backup means of communication.

For cryptocurrency enthusiasts, the prospect of Bitchat potentially integrating with the Nostr protocol in the future is even more exciting. Dorsey envisions creating a truly hardware-based censorship-resistant social tool by combining local Mesh networks with Nostr's global networking.

Although this vision may sound somewhat unrealistic, there always needs to be someone to try and explore. Dorsey's ongoing efforts embody this spirit.