Elon Musk just rolled out a major new feature on X (formerly Twitter) — and it’s already making waves across the crypto and privacy communities.
It’s called XChat, and according to Musk, it’s built on a completely new architecture with “Bitcoin-style encryption.” While he didn’t break down the technical specifics, the phrase suggests a move toward decentralized, cryptographically secure messaging — possibly inspired by public-private key models used in Bitcoin and other blockchain systems.
Here’s what XChat brings to the table:
End-to-end encryption
Disappearing messages (vanishing mode)
Audio and video calls
All-file sharing (not just media or docs — any file type)
No phone number required
This is clearly a step toward turning X into a privacy-first communications hub — and maybe even a serious competitor to Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Some in the crypto space are already calling it a big win for OPSEC and secure communications.
One popular take from a Solana dev server put it simply: “XChat + no phone number + vanishing mode? Elon just gave privacy its biggest W.”
This launch comes just days after Musk previewed X Money, a digital payments layer set to go into beta later this year. That project also emphasized caution, especially around user funds, with Musk saying, “When people’s savings are involved, extreme care must be taken.”
Put together, XChat and X Money look like foundational pieces of a broader play to make X into a crypto-friendly, WeChat-style “everything app” — combining secure messaging, payments, and social features under one encrypted roof.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this develops — especially if Musk decides to open-source parts of the tech or integrate crypto wallets directly into XChat.
