Amir Taaki Discusses Launch of Fully Anonymous Messenger DarkFi

Veteran Bitcoin developer Amir Taaki discussed with journalists from The Block the recent launch of a fully anonymous IRC chat—the first in a series of privacy-focused and encrypted products under the DarkFi project.

DarkFi App alpha release! Our app platform featuring its first addon: chat.

The world’s strongest anon chat. Fully unlinkable. Tor integration. Full free speech.

Cross-platform mobile and laptop for Linux/Android/Mac/Windows.

This is just the start. Next we add more addons… https://t.co/b9CfdGiRLf pic.twitter.com/yCZb4L0eOD

— Amir Taaki (@Narodism) February 1, 2025

Currently, only a P2P messenger supporting multiple chats and operable through the Tor browser network is available. The application does not require registration or permanent identifiers, which Taaki believes ensures “the strongest anonymity.”

The developer cautioned that the current version of the product still contains a significant number of bugs.

“We will very quickly start expanding, adding features, because we already have many functions like anonymous DAOs, wallets, and blockchains,” Taaki noted.

According to him, these developments are already operational but have not yet been integrated into the product.

In October 2024, DarkFi initiated testing of an unstable pre-alpha version of the messaging system. Both then and in the February release, Taaki emphasized the commitment to complete freedom of speech.

In conversation with journalists, he stressed that cryptocurrencies are “a way to bypass censorship,” quoting Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto: “We are like Hydra—cut off one head, another grows. This will expand the space of freedom.”

The programmer also suggested that the current role of traditional finance in the crypto industry is linked to a lack of anonymity:

“Cryptocurrencies have been captured by institutions because there was no anonymity. You cannot change things if you do not have offensive means in the form of strong cryptography.”

In Taaki’s view, Ethereum, with its neutrality, deserves a certain respect, but a greater focus on specific use cases is still necessary.

“We are no longer in 2012. We have a good idea of what primary use case needs to be provided to have a truly strong and attractive offering for people,” the developer stated.

Earlier in February, the creators of the email client and VPN service Proton launched a public version of an anonymous Bitcoin wallet.