Breaking the Blackout: Iranian Protestors Use Bitchat and Noghteha to Bypass Crackdown

Breaking the Blackout: Freedom Tech in Iran

Iran has seen intense protests in recent weeks, and authorities have responded with severe measures including a nationwide telecoms blackout and jamming of satellite services like Starlink to prevent coordination among demonstrators. In response, Iranians are turning to freedom tech tools that enable offline and decentralized communication.

Key tools: Bitchat, Noghteha, and Delta Chat

• Bitchat, Noghteha, and Delta Chat are being used by protestors for offline communication.
• Two of these apps trace their origins directly to Bitcoin, showing how technologies from that community are providing practical solutions in high-stakes settings.

Bitchat was built by Bitcoin pioneers Jack Dorsey and open-source developer Calle. It operates over Bluetooth mesh networks and the Nostr protocol without needing an internet connection. Noghteha is a closed-source fork of Bitchat adapted specifically for the Iranian context, with full Persian/Farsi support, an enhanced user interface, and features tailored to local needs.

How Bitchat and Noghteha gained traction

Bitchat first drew broad attention when Jack Dorsey announced it on X on July 6, 2025, describing it as a weekend project to explore Bluetooth mesh networks. That announcement generated immediate interest, visible in surges on Google Trends for related searches. In September, Frank Corva wrote about Bitchat’s role supporting Nepalese protestors during social media restrictions and unrest, where nearly 50,000 downloads occurred in a single day.

Noghteha saw rapid adoption in the first week of January 2026. Before the full internet shutdown, Google Play recorded more than 70,000 downloads of Noghteha in the space of three days. Actual distribution numbers are likely higher thanks to peer-to-peer sharing, sideloading, and Bluetooth transfers after the shutdown impeded conventional downloads.

Promotion of Noghteha reached a wide audience through Iran International, an opposition satellite TV channel based outside Iran. The station—an important source of information and coordination guidance from figures like opposition leader Reza Pahlavi—broadcast details about the app. The developer Nariman Gharib, a digital-political activist, released Noghteha independently without government or private funding as a response to the regime’s tactics.

Open-source, closed forks, and security trade-offs

Noghteha remains compliant with Bitchat’s MIT license, which allows modifications and redistribution with proper attribution. The developer’s decision not to release the app as fully open-source is presented as a response to persistent threats: releasing a closed-source variant just before the internet shutdown allowed rapid distribution before the regime could interfere with downloads or seed malicious alternatives.

Calle, Bitchat’s co-creator, has voiced concern about Noghteha’s closed-source elements, donation requests, and the security risks that pose in adversarial settings. Those concerns are acknowledged as valid and difficult to dispute.

This interaction raises a broader question for freedom tech: Is Bitchat sufficiently cypherpunk to withstand the regime’s potential undermining, or does a closed fork like Noghteha achieve resilience that an open project cannot? If Noghteha does offer benefits in this specific adversarial context, can Bitchat be adapted to become more resilient against such tactics?

Final thoughts

Protestors in Iran are adopting mesh networks, Bitcoin-linked apps, and cypherpunk ideas to maintain communication amid an aggressive telecom blackout and jamming campaign. The Bitchat–Noghteha dynamic highlights tensions between openness and quick, context-specific protections in adversarial environments.

If you’re worried about internet censorship or surveillance, a VPN like Doppler VPN can help maintain access and privacy during network disruptions.