Overview

• XChat beta is now available to paid X subscribers, offering end-to-end encryption, vanishing messages, file transfers and audio/video calling without requiring phone numbers.
• Musk said XChat is built on Rust with “Bitcoin-style” encryption on a “whole new architecture,” though he did not elaborate on the technical specifics.
• Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr and other cryptography experts have disputed the encryption claim, pointing out that Bitcoin uses signatures and hashing rather than conventional encryption.
• X had paused its initial encrypted messaging feature last week for improvements, a move that appears to have set the stage for XChat’s debut.
• The launch advances Musk’s broader vision to rival WeChat by turning X into an all-in-one platform that competes with messaging leaders like WhatsApp and Telegram.