What is XChat?
On June 1, Musk began to exert effort, announcing that the X platform would launch a new messaging system XChat, focusing on end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, arbitrary file transfer, and cross-platform audio and video calls.
In other words, X not only allows you to tweet and view tweets, but may gradually acquire instant messaging features similar to Telegram or WeChat.
Currently, this feature is still in the testing phase, and not all users can experience it.
However, what attracts more attention is Musk's claim that XChat uses 'Bitcoin-style encryption' and is developed in Rust, claiming to have a 'new architecture'.
Bitcoin is too classic, so classic that many people are familiar with its name and treat it as a leading asset, but they are not very clear about the technology behind it.
What exactly is the Bitcoin-style encryption architecture that Musk speaks of? I also looked through the Bitcoin white paper to interpret it from the perspective of an experienced user.
Sneak peek at XChat beta features
According to some feedback from Twitter users, their X accounts have already been pushed Xchat and marked as 'Beta' testing version, with the core feature being that private messages will be end-to-end encrypted across all your devices, and no one can read your private messages, including X.
So we can combine Musk's original post and user feedback to dissect this feature.
End-to-end encryption: Messages and call content can only be seen by the communicating parties, and third parties (including the X platform) cannot eavesdrop.
Self-destructing messages: You can set messages to automatically delete after a certain period, such as after 10 minutes, to protect privacy more thoroughly.
Arbitrary file transfer: Supports sending any type of file, including photos, videos, documents, etc., without being limited by format or size.
Cross-platform audio and video calls: Can be made without a phone number, supporting multiple devices such as mobile phones and computers, with the call content also encrypted.
Don't say, this is somewhat like Telegram.
What does this have to do with Bitcoin?
When it comes to 'Bitcoin-style encryption', many people's first reaction might be: Isn't Bitcoin used for transfers? What does it have to do with encrypted chat?
Don’t rush, let’s first review Bitcoin's encryption technology and see how XChat might borrow from it.
In fact, the title of the Bitcoin white paper from more than a decade ago has already made it very clear: 'A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System', where peer-to-peer is often heard as P2P.
BTC---To achieve peer-to-peer (me and you) transfers, no intermediaries are needed;
Xchat---To achieve peer-to-peer (me and you) chatting, no intermediaries are needed.
This is a different implementation direction of the same underlying technology.
How does Bitcoin achieve peer-to-peer transfers?
Setting aside the ledger technology of blockchain, to achieve peer-to-peer transfers, Bitcoin uses encryption technology that can be simply described as 'locking' and 'signing'.
'Lock': Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC): Bitcoin uses something called elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), which can be simply described as a super secure lock. Everyone has two keys: one is a public key (public, equivalent to the lock), and the other is a private key (only you know, equivalent to the key). For example, if you want to send Bitcoin to a friend, your wallet will 'lock' the transaction with your friend's public key, and only your friend can 'unlock' it with their private key to receive the money. Throughout the process, no one can spy on or tamper with it, not even the Bitcoin network can see the transaction details.
'Signature': Digital Signature (ECDSA). In addition to 'locking', Bitcoin also uses digital signatures to prove 'you are you'. When you transfer funds, your wallet generates a signature using your private key to prove that this transaction is indeed initiated by you. Others can use your public key to verify this signature but cannot forge it.
'Tamper-proof': Hash Algorithm (SHA-256). Bitcoin also uses a hashing algorithm called SHA-256 to transform transaction information into a fixed-length 'fingerprint'. If the transaction is altered, even just changing a single letter, the fingerprint will be completely different, and the network will immediately detect it.
Note that these encryption algorithms and signature algorithms are not invented by Bitcoin, but rather they are used together in a combined manner.
Therefore, combining the features of XChat, we can speculate that it may use Bitcoin's technology, which Musk refers to as 'Bitcoin-style encryption':
End-to-end encryption: The 'safe' of messages. XChat's end-to-end encryption may use a variant of ECC (such as the ECDH protocol). When you send a message to a friend, your mobile phone encrypts the message using your friend's public key, and only your friend's private key can decrypt it. For example, if you send 'I'll arrive at 7 PM', the message will turn into a string of garbled text that only your friend's device can unlock, and the X platform or anyone else cannot see it. Audio and video calls may also use similar methods to protect call content from eavesdropping.
Digital Signature: Proves that the message is from you. XChat may use a digital signature technology similar to ECDSA to ensure the source of the message is credible. For example, if you send a contract, XChat will sign it with your private key, and your friend can verify it with your public key to confirm that the document is from you and has not been tampered with.
Self-destructing messages: Encryption + timed destruction. The disappearing message feature may combine encryption and timed destruction mechanisms. Once encrypted, only the recipient can see the message, and the server will automatically delete it after a specified time (like 10 minutes); even if the device is hacked, historical messages cannot be found.
File transfer: Tamper-proof 'fingerprint' transfer. When transferring files, XChat may use SHA-256 to generate the hash value (fingerprint) of the file. After your friend receives the file, the system will automatically verify the fingerprint to ensure the file has not been tampered with during transit.
As for which programming language to use, whether RUST or something else, I am not a technical expert, so I will not elaborate too much.
More than just chatting
The launch of XChat is not just a simple chat tool.
Musk has always wanted to turn X into an 'everything app' (super app), similar to WeChat which we commonly use.
From some of his actions, clues can be detected, such as first acquiring Twitter, then borrowing many features from WeChat, and integrating Grok AI, etc.
As the US stablecoin bill gradually passes and a crypto-friendly environment forms, we have reason to expect the emergence of payment-related features, such as XPay.
WeChat's success in China relies on social relationships and strong stickiness, integrating functions like chat, payment, ride-hailing, and shopping. If XChat can integrate payment (XPay), AI assistant (Grok 3), social (community features of the X platform), along with strong privacy protection, it could very well become the 'super WeChat' of the West.
Finally, let's take a look at whether the term 'Bitcoin-style encryption' is really that unique. It may not be.
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), Digital Signature (ECDSA), Hash Algorithm (SHA-256) — these technologies are no longer exclusive to Bitcoin.
Many secure applications use similar technologies, such as the end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp and Signal, which rely on ECC and hash algorithms; Apple’s iMessage even adopted ECC in the 2010s. While Bitcoin’s encryption technology is reliable, it is more like an 'industry standard' and lacks much originality.
Musk's choice of the term 'Bitcoin-style' is likely based on marketing considerations. Bitcoin, as the 'synonym' for cryptocurrency, carries its own traffic and trust halo.
However, the more encrypted expressions, the happier we are, of course.
In the environment of attention tokenization, more features and gameplay from X and Musk are also worth looking forward to.
This article is a collaborative reprint from: Deep Tide
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