India Cracks Down on Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat Amid Bitcoin Concerns

Here’s a tighter, more refined rewrite:

India has ordered action against Bitchat, an offline Bluetooth mesh messaging app that enables encrypted communication and Bitcoin transactions without internet access. The move comes as protesters in Delhi increasingly rely on mesh-based tools to stay connected during recurring network shutdowns.

The directive was issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, under the Home Ministry, instructing GitHub to remove three repositories связанных with the app within three hours under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act.

Officials argue that Bitchat’s architecture—no user registration, phone numbers, or centralized logs—makes it difficult for authorities to trace communications or carry out investigations.

Developed by Jack Dorsey, Bitchat is a decentralized, open-source platform that uses Bluetooth mesh networks to relay encrypted messages directly between nearby devices, eliminating reliance on internet infrastructure.

The app also supports offline Bitcoin transfers, passing transactions from device to device until one reconnects and broadcasts them to the blockchain—ensuring payments can continue during outages or shutdowns.

While this functionality is valued by Bitcoin supporters for enabling permissionless transactions, it has also raised regulatory concerns.

Since July 20, protests across India have led to clashes with authorities and repeated internet suspensions. In response, demonstrators have turned to tools like Bitchat to coordinate when connectivity is cut.

The takedown order targets one such tool enabling these workarounds.

It remains unclear whether GitHub met the deadline, as the app was still accessible on major app stores at the time of writing.

However, like most open-source software, Bitchat can be mirrored across multiple platforms, making it difficult to fully remove.