Elon Musk launches messenger with Bitcoin-like encryption
Elon Musk unveils XChat with encrypted calls and vanishing messages
Elon Musk’s social platform X is launching XChat, a revamped messaging feature designed to enhance user privacy and functionality.
According to Musk’s June 1 post, XChat will offer audio/video calling, vanishing messages, encrypted communication, and support for file transfers, reports Cointelegraph.
The platform is reportedly built in Rust, a language Musk claims brings “Bitcoin-style encryption” and a “whole new architecture” to the service. This launch follows a brief pause in X’s existing encrypted messaging, likely due to the XChat rollout.
Confusion Around ‘Bitcoin-Style’ Encryption
Musk’s description sparked debate among crypto experts. Critics pointed out that Bitcoin itself does not use traditional encryption; instead, it relies on elliptic curve cryptography for secure transaction verification.
Prominent voices like JAN3 CEO Samson Mow and Bitcoin core developer Luke Dashjr stressed that Bitcoin’s security model is not based on encryption, raising questions about Musk’s terminology. BitMEX Research suggested Musk may have referred to BIP-151, a lesser-known encryption standard for Bitcoin peer-to-peer data.
X’s Expansion into Fintech and Messaging
The debut of XChat is part of Musk’s broader push to transform X into an “everything app,” similar to China’s WeChat. Alongside XChat, the company is testing a new payments feature called X Money, with a limited beta launch expected later this year.
Musk emphasized that strict precautions will be taken as the platform begins handling user savings. The combined rollout of XChat and X Money signals a serious effort to rival Telegram, Signal, and fintech platforms like Venmo and Cash App, deepening X’s shift beyond social media.
Recently we wrote that Elon Musk has reignited interest in the rollout of X Money, a payments and banking application set to be integrated into his social platform X (formerly Twitter).
