Decentralized Messaging App Bitchat Sees Surge During Madagascar Protests Amid Water, Power Crisis

Jack Dorsey's decentralized messaging app Bitchat has seen a significant surge in downloads in Madagascar amid violent protests sparked by water and electricity shortages in the capital, Antananarivo. The app, which operates over Bluetooth mesh networks without requiring internet or phone numbers, offers encrypted, censorship-resistant communication, making it particularly useful during unrest and government-imposed curfews. Google Trends data showed searches for "Bitchat" spiking from zero to peak popularity, coinciding with the protests that led to the sacking of Madagascar's energy minister and increased looting and clashes with police. This pattern of rising Bitchat usage during social unrest mirrors similar spikes observed recently in Nepal and Indonesia. The app's architecture supports privacy through end-to-end encryption and ephemeral messages, functioning offline and helping users maintain anonymity despite disruptions in traditional communication channels. Overall, Bitchat's surge highlights a growing demand for secure, decentralized communication tools during times of political and social crisis in regions with limited internet access.