Introducing CHAT.ixi

On the surface, CHAT.ixi is really no more than just another chat application. But there’s more! Things get more interesting once you look deeper into the tech surrounding it. CHAT.ixi runs on the Iota Controlled agenT (Ict) network. Ict is a lightweight IOTA node designed for the Internet-of-Things.

The Ict network provides an experimental Tangle testnet. So this chat is actually running over a Tangle similar to the IOTA mainnet. But well, who cares? In the end this is just another nerd thing, isn’t it?

It is important to understand the implications of choosing an immutable and permissionless data-integrity protocol, the Tangle, as infrastructure for a chat. In CHAT.ixi, there are neither rules nor moderators who enforce them. Obviously, this poses certain risks one has to understand before using it. Simultaneously, however, there are immense opportunities for those whose opinions are otherwise restricted or suppressed.

While large companies capitalize on the middleman role within our communication, we are forced to put more and more trust into third parties and become increasingly dependent on them. The Tangle on the other hand is free to use. There are no ads in CHAT.ixi. And no data is collected except for the messages you send on purpose.

With an underlying protocol that is largely distributed by design, you don’t have to rely on a central hub taking care of your data. Due to the Tangle’s inner workings, messages on the Tangle cannot be tampered with.