India orders takedown of Jack Dorsey’s bitcoin-linked messaging app Bitchat

India’s cybercrime agency ordered GitHub to remove repositories for Bitchat, Jack Dorsey’s open-source offline messaging app that can relay encrypted messages and bitcoin transactions over Bluetooth mesh networks. The move comes as protesters in Delhi increasingly use mesh-based tools to communicate during repeated internet shutdowns tied to anti-government demonstrations. Authorities argue Bitchat’s decentralized, registration-free design impedes lawful interception and investigations. For bitcoin, the story is more about the ecosystem and censorship-resistance narrative than immediate price action: it highlights the practical use case of offline, permissionless payments during blackouts and state restrictions. The app remained available on major app stores at the time of reporting, and open-source mirrors may limit the effectiveness of the takedown.