BITchat

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BITchat (stylized as Bit Chat) is a decentralized, serverless instant messaging and file sharing application developed by Technitium Software. It provides secure communications without relying on central servers by utilizing BitTorrent's Distributed Hash Table (DHT) for peer discovery and supports end-to-end encryption for all communications.

Overview

BITchat was designed to provide a secure, private, and censorship-resistant communication platform. Unlike traditional messaging applications that rely on centralized servers, BITchat operates entirely on a peer-to-peer network, making it resistant to server outages, surveillance, and censorship.

The application was first released in 2013 and is available as free and open-source software under the GPL-3.0 license.

Features

Core Features

  • Serverless Architecture: Uses BitTorrent DHT for peer discovery without central servers
  • End-to-End Encryption: All messages and file transfers are encrypted using RSA and AES
  • File Sharing: Share files of any size directly between peers
  • Group Chat Support: Create private group conversations with multiple participants
  • No Registration Required: Start using immediately without email or phone number
  • Profile Sharing: Exchange profile information using simple email-like addresses
  • Offline Messages: Messages are delivered when recipients come online

Privacy and Security

  • Tor Support: Optional routing through Tor network for enhanced anonymity
  • Perfect Forward Secrecy: Each conversation uses unique encryption keys
  • No Metadata Collection: No central server to collect or store user metadata
  • Open Source: Fully auditable source code

Technical Specifications

  • Platform Support: Windows, Linux, macOS
  • Framework: Built on .NET Framework (Windows) and Mono (Linux/macOS)
  • Protocols: Supports both TCP and UDP
  • Encryption: RSA-4096 for key exchange, AES-256 for message encryption
  • Network: Uses BitTorrent DHT (Mainline DHT) for peer discovery

Getting Started

System Requirements

  • Windows: Windows 7 or later with .NET Framework 4.6.1
  • Linux: Any modern distribution with Mono 5.0 or later
  • macOS: OS X 10.9 or later with Mono 5.0 or later

Installation

  1. Download the appropriate installer from the official website
  2. Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
  3. Launch BITchat and create your profile
  4. Share your BITchat address with contacts to start messaging

Basic Usage

  1. Create Profile: On first launch, enter a display name and optional email
  2. Add Contacts: Click "Add Chat" and enter your contact's BITchat address
  3. Start Messaging: Once connected, you can send messages and files
  4. Create Groups: Use "Create Group Chat" to start group conversations

Development

BITchat is developed by Shreyas Zare of Technitium Software. The project is hosted on GitHub and accepts community contributions.

Source Code

Media Coverage

Interesting reel from UFD Tech about BITchat:

Comparison with Other Platforms

Feature BITchat WhatsApp Signal Telegram
Serverless ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
Open Source ✓ ✗ ✓ Partial
End-to-End Encryption ✓ ✓ ✓ Optional
No Phone Number Required ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
Tor Support ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
File Size Limit None 100 MB 100 MB 2 GB

See Also

External Links

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