Communications are essential in today’s world. Qortal already demonstrated one of its communications plugins called Q-Chat. Q-Chat is a completely decentralized, blockchain-based, encrypted, instant text-based chat platform. It utilizes ‘unconfirmed’ transactions and a memory-based PoW algorithm to send the message transactions completely free without a transaction fee! As of version 1.7.0 (core) and 1.5.0 (UI) of Qortal, Q-Chat encrypts only PMs (private messages), however, in the future group encryption (as opposed to the current base58 encoding) will be added as well. The development team wanted to ensure that group encryption was done in a superior fashion and therefore waited to develop a method that would be greater than existing methods (as opposed to initiating one that would have needed to be modified in the future anyway).

Q-Chat is the first plugin that demonstrates Qortal’s communications capability. It will certainly not be the last. There will be multiple communications plugins built for Qortal. The next one that is planned is called ‘Chain Messaging’. Chain Messaging could be considered an ‘email replacement’ and will function very similarly to email. A user will be able to send a message that will stick around forever as it will be secured using the blockchain (completely encrypted and only able to be viewed by the receiving end). When data storage is live, ‘attachments’ will also be possible. The first iteration of Chain Messaging will likely be done with a ‘message’ transaction on the chain, which will require a transaction fee. However, in the future, a modification of many of the transaction types in Qortal will allow them to become free. Many transactions in Qortal in the future will be modified to use the same creation methodology as Q-Chat, using the memory-based PoW algorithm to create a nonce that is used to create the transaction as opposed to a transaction fee. At that point, multiple transaction types in Qortal that currently require a transaction fee will be modified to remove that need and become completely free.

Many modifications to Q-Chat will come in the near future as well. Data storage opens many doors including the creation of ‘media messages’ within Q-Chat for sending pictures, videos, files etc. There will also be further applications created such as video streaming, video calls, and screen sharing. The creation of the Qortal data storage system is required for many of these new features to take place. Once data storage is live, those applications and updates to existing ones can be expected shortly after.

Overall, there is no comparison to a completely decentralized P2P communications system. These types of systems are very rare, as most companies and people building messaging apps are wishing to make use of those apps to ‘make money’. A truly decentralized application has no ‘owner’ and therefore cannot be used to enrich anyone. Also, a truly decentralized platform that is capable of building applications with features like those that exist on centralized systems, does not really exist. Qortal will be one of the first platforms to have all the functionality necessary to facilitate complex, decentralized P2P encrypted messaging systems.

Many other communications applications claim to be secure, encrypted, and unable to infringe on users’ privacy. However, it has been proven multiple times that 'encrypted service providers' will hand over information they claimed not to exist. Such as logs for VPN providers, and emails/other identifying information for encrypted mail providers. The primary issue with this, is not even really the fact that the information is not what people assume it is when they see 'encrypted messaging' or the like, but more that the ABILITY EXISTS AT ALL for information to be given without the authorization of the user, and that the service providers have the capacity to outright lie about the existence of logs, or the strength/application/nature/relevance of the encryption they claim is provided. Essentially, many messaging applications and the companies that run them, are blatantly lying about what their application does and how it does it. The only method to obtain truly secure P2P encrypted messaging, is to utilize a decentralized, AND encrypted system. Blockchain-based systems are a great way to establish such systems, but many of them are not being utilized in a fashion that also allows continued use without extensive amounts of data being REQUIRED by the underlying blockchain itself. The only blockchain-based system that will allow complex messaging applications and essentially everything that centralized services offer, is Qortal. Most other platforms, even ones that are decentralized on the base level, utilize some sort of centralization to accomplish certain goals that their base platform cannot facilitate. Whenever a centralized aspect is added to a decentralized application, it makes the entire application centralized and ruins the overall goal of the project.

Qortal’s infrastructure will allow any type of messaging application. From text to video, to audio calls and more, to be accomplished with true encryption that can only be accessed by the accounts involved (true decentralization and no ‘authority’ at all). Qortal will allow people to communicate completely securely without concerns of their information being viewed, used, and/or manipulated by centralized control.

More info can be found on the Q-Chat page.