One of the toughest challenges for peer-to-peer cash is solving the challenge of how to send value directly between two people without internet, mobile signal, or centralised infrastructure.
In parts of the world affected by conflict, disaster, censorship, or simply poor connectivity, access to the financial system is fragile or non-existent. If digital cash is going to live up to its promise, it must also work in those places.
Over the past few years, developers and researchers have been working on exactly this. In October 2023, I interviewed some of them for Forbes, when researching how mesh networks, federated eCash, and Lightning tools could make offline bitcoin payments possible.
Now Jack Dorsey’s new app Bitchat shows that this future is closer than many realised. Using Bluetooth, it enables encrypted payments between devices without the internet.
This is a turning point. This shows us a future where money can’t be shut off.
If value can move without permission, gatekeepers, or surveillance, we unlock a powerful new layer of financial freedom. ⚡️
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