Several Bitcoin enthusiasts, including Jack Dorsey, have intensified their efforts to encourage the privacy-focused messaging app Signal to adopt Bitcoin. This initiative, known as the “Bitcoin for Signal” campaign, aims to integrate Bitcoin with the Cashu protocol to enable seamless payments within the app.
On Thursday, Dorsey posted on X (formerly Twitter), “@Signalapp should use Bitcoin,” retweeting a post from the pseudonymous Bitcoin developer Cashu, who is spearheading the Bitcoin for Signal campaign. The campaign seeks to implement Cashu’s “Chaumian Ecash” solution, which integrates Bitcoin with the Cashu protocol to facilitate Bitcoin payments directly on Signal.
According to the Bitcoin for Signal website, “Bitcoin belongs in Signal. Cashu ecash enables truly private Bitcoin payments inside the world’s most trusted encryption messenger.”
The movement has garnered support from other notable figures in the Bitcoin community, including developer Peter Todd. Todd has expressed a desire for Bitcoin to replace, or at least expand upon, Signal’s existing crypto payment solution, MobileCoin (MOB).
“I’ve been wanting to try MobileCoin. But it’s such a failure I can’t even buy any. Signal App needs to accept reality and just add Bitcoin support,” Todd said.
Signal implemented MobileCoin in April 2021; however, the cryptocurrency has faced criticism for its centralization, relying on a small group of validators. Additional endorsements for Bitcoin for Signal come from pseudonymous Bitcoin developer Calle and Satoshi Labs co-founder Pavol Rusnak.
With Signal boasting approximately 70 million monthly active users, a successful Bitcoin integration could establish the app as a major platform for peer-to-peer Bitcoin transactions.
Dorsey has previously argued that Bitcoin risks failure if used solely as a store of value rather than for everyday payments, as originally envisioned by Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
### Concerns Over Bitcoin’s Privacy Features
Despite the enthusiasm, some critics point out that Bitcoin lacks inherent privacy features in its base layer, which may make it a less suitable cryptocurrency for pairing with a privacy-focused messenger like Signal.
José Pedro Sousa, an engineer at Aztec Network, questioned, “Jack, why use a fully public blockchain for a privacy chat?”
Digital rights advocacy group Techlore argued that integrating Bitcoin could jeopardize the privacy of Signal users. Others have suggested privacy-centric cryptocurrencies such as Monero (XMR) or Zcash (ZEC) might be better alternatives.
While Cashu provides a privacy-preserving solution for Bitcoin, few similar applications have achieved widespread adoption so far.
### Regulatory Context: EU’s Proposed “Chat Control” Law
The push for Bitcoin-supported private messaging apps emerges amid ongoing debates in the European Union over a controversial “Chat Control” law. The proposed legislation would require all messaging apps—including encrypted services like Signal and WhatsApp—to scan and share private messages with authorities to detect child abuse material, effectively undermining end-to-end encryption protections.
Germany has rejected the proposal, citing concerns that mass scanning of private messages violates constitutional rights. The EU vote on the matter has been postponed, with a new vote scheduled for early December.
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As privacy and cryptocurrency communities continue to intersect, the future of messaging apps like Signal as platforms for private digital payments remains a space to watch closely.
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