Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and a long-time Bitcoin advocate, is spearheading a movement to integrate Bitcoin into the privacy-focused messaging app Signal. Dorsey publicly urged Signal to adopt Bitcoin, emphasizing that it aligns with the app's mission of protecting user privacy and promoting financial freedom. He believes Bitcoin's decentralization and global reach make it an ideal fit for enabling secure, uncensorable transactions within Signal.
The campaign, dubbed 'Bitcoin for Signal,' proposes using the Cashu protocol and its 'Chaumian Ecash' system to facilitate private Bitcoin payments. This would allow users to send and receive money instantly without intermediaries, banks, or additional apps. Signal, which has approximately 70 million monthly active users, previously tested MobileCoin (MOB) in April 2021 for payments, but it faced criticism for being less decentralized and difficult to access on exchanges.
Dorsey's call gained traction when he reposted a message from BTC developer Cashu on X, stating, '@signalapp should use Bitcoin.' Other prominent figures, including Bitcoin developer Peter Todd and Satoshi Labs co-founder Pavol Rusnak, have endorsed the campaign. Todd criticized MobileCoin, calling it a 'failure' and urging Signal to 'accept reality and just add Bitcoin support.'
However, privacy experts and digital rights groups have raised concerns, warning that Bitcoin's public blockchain could undermine Signal's anonymity goals. Some suggest alternatives like Monero (XMR) or Zcash (ZEC) for their built-in privacy features. Supporters of Cashu defend its design, claiming it uses Bitcoin-backed ecash tokens to keep transactions off the public ledger, though critics note the protocol is untested at scale.
If implemented, this integration could transform Signal into a major platform for private, peer-to-peer Bitcoin transactions, potentially boosting adoption and financial independence for users in oppressive regimes or unstable economies.
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