Kumo.chat makes it possible to create private and anonymous chat rooms that last 24 hours. The conversations held in the platform are not registered in any database.
It was reported that an application to create private and anonymous chat rooms that, in the style of the action movie Mission Impossible, self-destruct in 24 hours, has been active since the beginning of the month. The software, called Kumo.chat, allows users to rent a chat room using bitcoins, through the second layer Lightning Network.
The Lightning application was launched on November 7th by developer Stuart Kuentzel, who said that his intention is to show how simple it is to integrate applications paid with bitcoins using Lightning Network. As Kumo.chat is an open-source development, Kuentzel has invited any interested person to contribute to its development or to provide ideas for its improvement.
According to the information available, Kumo.chat does not keep records of interactions in any database, to ensure that messages will be destroyed along with the chat room, one day after they have been created. In this way, users do not need to worry about their conversations being accessed by third parties, monitored by governments or used for harmful purposes.
Kuentzel defines Kumo.chat application as shareable, anonymous and self-destructive chat rooms powered by the Lightning Network.
If users want to create an anonymous chat on Kumo.chat, they have to pay a rent of 10,000 satoshis (0.00010000 BTC), equivalent to USD 0.87 at the current price. In addition, they must set a password, which they will share with the partners that will have access to the room. Only with the use of the password is it possible to join a conversation or see what is discussed in a certain chat room.
Additionally, Kuentzel said in his Twitter account on Wednesday 13th that he had added emojis to the chats to make the user experience more comfortable. It was also known that the developers of Spending-Bitcoin, a global directory of businesses that accept payments with bitcoins, have already incorporated Kumo.chat into their listings.
A similar application, which is oriented towards privacy and resistance to censorship, was recently presented by developer Joost Jager, of Lightning Labs. In this case, Jager announced the development of proof of concept (PoC) for a use case of the Lightning Network, in the matter of decentralized private messaging.
This application, which is called Whatsapp, would use the Bitcoin Lightning Network to send messages without a central entity with the power to limit interactions. According to its creator, it would be similar to talking privately with a person face to face. Jager explained that this can be done without having to request permission.
The emergence of multiple use cases and applications powered by Lightning Network shows that developers are not satisfied with the financial use of the network, but are seeking to go further. Currently, the Bitcoin micropayment network, Lightning Network, has almost 6,000 nodes with active channels and a routing capacity of USD 7 million in bitcoins.
By Willmen Blanco
