Original author(s) Development status Active | Developer(s) Bitmessage Community | |
Initial release November 2012; 4 years ago (2012-11) Stable release 0.6.1 / August 21, 2016; 6 months ago (2016-08-21) Written in Python, C++ (POW function) |
Bitmessage is a decentralized, encrypted, peer-to-peer, trustless communications protocol that can be used by one person to send encrypted messages to another person, or to multiple subscribers. Bitmessage encrypts each user's message inbox using public-key cryptography and replicates it inside its P2P network, mixing it with inboxes of other users in order to conceal user's identity, prevent eavesdropping and allow the network to operate in a decentralized manner. The Bitmessage communications protocol avoids sender-spoofing through authentication, and hides metadata from wiretapping systems.
Contents
- Official client
- Bitpost client
- E mail services
- IMAPPOP and SMTP bridges
- Operation
- Chans
- Development
- Public reception
- Security
- References
In June 2013, the software experienced a surge of new adoptions after news reports of email surveillance by the US National Security Agency.
As of June 2014, the network processes several thousand private messages per day.
Official client
PyBitmessage is the official instant messaging client designed for Bitmessage.
Bitpost client
An alternative client for OSX.
E-mail services
A number of services provide email endpoints to the BitMessage network. Bitmessage.ch is a service that supports sending and receiving Bitmessages over the email protocol.
IMAP/POP and SMTP bridges
A number of applications provide bridges between the PyBitmessage client and email applications via the IMAP/POP and SMTP protocols. BitMail is an application that bridges the IMAP, POP, and SMTP protocols.
Operation
Bitmessage works by encrypting all the incoming and outgoing messages using public-key cryptography so that only the receiver of the message is capable of decrypting it. In order to achieve anonymity:
Bitmessage can be accessed via Tor or via I2P
Chans
Starting from version 0.3.5, Bitmessage introduced an additional feature called a chan, a decentralized anonymous mailing list. Unlike traditional mailing lists used via email:
A number of publicly known chans currently exists dedicated to the topics ranging from online privacy to politics to chess games.
Development
The concept for Bitmessage was conceived by software developer Jonathan Warren, who based its design on the decentralized digital currency, bitcoin. The software was released in November 2012 under the MIT license.
The source code is written in Python and uses the Qt cross-platform application framework as well as OpenSSL for cryptographic functions. It is available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Public reception
Bitmessage has gained a reputation for being out of reach of warrantless wiretapping conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) due to the decentralized nature of the protocol, and its encryption being difficult to crack. As a result, downloads of the Bitmessage program increased fivefold during June 2013 after news broke of classified email surveillance activities conducted by the NSA.
Bitmessage has also been mentioned as an experimental alternative to email by Popular Science and CNET.
Some ransomware programs instruct affected users to use Bitmessage to communicate with the attackers.
Security
BitMessage's security has not been independently audited. The official Bitmessage website states: "Bitmessage is in need of an independent audit to verify its security. If you are a researcher capable of reviewing the source code, please email the lead developer... ."