Overview

• After Nepal blocked 26 major platforms, youth-led protests escalated in Kathmandu, the ban was reversed, and Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigned as authorities ordered a probe into the crackdown.
• At least 19 protesters were killed when security forces opened fire, according to AFP, with other outlets reporting higher tolls, as curfews and army patrols followed.
• Bitchat, a decentralized app using Bluetooth meshes and the Nostr protocol, works without internet, accounts, or central servers, making it a favored fallback during the blackout.
• The app’s developer reported more than 48,000 installs in Nepal on September 8 alone and noted an earlier spike in Indonesia during nationwide protests.
• Developers say they are working to integrate Bitcoin via Cashu-style Ecash for private transactions, signaling a shift toward combining offline messaging with payments.