Nepal Protests Rock Nation
#Nepalis #rush #Jack #Dorseys #bitchat #violent #corruption #protests #OrxCash
Nepal Protests Rock Nation: A Surge in Decentralized Messaging Apps
A recent wave of violent protests in Nepal over corruption and a short-lived social media ban has led to a significant increase in downloads of decentralized, encrypted messaging apps. According to some sources, over 48,000 Nepalese people downloaded Block CEO Jack Dorsey’s peer-to-peer messaging app, bitchat, amid the unrest. This surge in downloads follows a similar trend in Indonesia, where corruption-related protests led to an uptick in downloads of decentralized messaging apps.
Decentralized Messaging Apps Gain Traction
The sharp rise in downloads of bitchat in Nepal was fueled by a short-lived social media ban, which blocked access to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube. This move triggered a Gen Z-led protest that saw Nepal’s parliament and supreme court set on fire. The government building in which Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resided was also stormed. Oli, who is at the center of corruption allegations, has since resigned from his post. The incident highlights the growing trend of citizens turning to decentralized, encrypted messaging apps, such as Bitcoin (BTC), to protect themselves from government surveillance or censorship.
Crypto Messaging Apps Serve as an Alternative
Until now, adoption of decentralized, encrypted messaging apps has been driven by users leaving centralized communication platforms that may censor content or impose other restrictions. Among the most popular centralized communication platforms are Messenger and WhatsApp, which are operated by social media giant Meta. However, the use of blockchain technology in decentralized messaging apps offers a secure and censorship-resistant alternative.
Dorsey’s Bitchat Gains Momentum
Dorsey launched a beta for bitchat in July, which uses Bluetooth mesh networks for internet-free, encrypted communication. According to the white paper, the network is fully decentralized with no central servers, accounts, email addresses, phone numbers to register, or infrastructure dependencies. This move is seen as a challenge to Big Tech’s ‘walled gardens’ and may pave the way for more decentralized social media apps.
Crypto Messaging Still Far Behind Industry Giants
While decentralized, encrypted messaging apps are gaining traction, they still have a long way to go to compete with social media giants like Meta. Meta saw a staggering 3.48 billion average daily users across its family of applications, including Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram, in June. This figure marked a 6% year-on-year increase, indicating that Meta hasn’t lost any momentum over the last 12 months. However, the growth of decentralized messaging apps, such as Signal, the Nostr-powered Damus, Session, and Status, may pose a challenge to Meta’s dominance in the future.
In a broader market context, the surge in downloads of decentralized messaging apps in Nepal and Indonesia may signal a growing trend of citizens seeking more secure and censorship-resistant communication platforms. As governments around the world increasingly impose restrictions on social media and online communication, decentralized messaging apps may become a vital tool for citizens to express themselves and access information without fear of surveillance or censorship. From a retail investor perspective, this trend may also present opportunities for investment in decentralized messaging apps and Ethereum (ETH)-based projects that prioritize user privacy and security. As the demand for decentralized communication platforms continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how this trend shapes the future of online communication and the role of Bitcoin (BTC) in this space.
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image source: cointelegraph.com