Radar Chat launches Bitcoin payments messaging app

• Radar Chat has launched an encrypted messaging app with self-custodial Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) payments using the Lightning Network.
• The app uses Signal's open-source protocol while operating independently from the Signal messaging platform.
• Radar said the app aims to combine private messaging and Bitcoin payments in a single application without relying on a centralised custodian.

Radar Chat has launched a messaging application that combines end-to-end encrypted conversations with self-custodial Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) payments over the Lightning Network, allowing users to send Bitcoin without leaving a chat.

The app is available on iOS and Android and uses Signal's open-source protocol for encrypted messaging, while Radar said it was developed independently from Signal and gives users control of their own private keys.

“The idea behind Radar is that the people we talk to and the people we pay are often the same people, yet messaging and payments still live in separate places,” said Radar Chat and Cake Wallet founder Vikrant Sharma.

Radar said users receive a recovery seed phrase during setup alongside an encrypted backup linked to their Signal account, while Sharma added that the app has successfully tested Bitcoin payments of up to US$5,000, subject to Lightning Network liquidity.

The company said Radar is designed for everyday payments such as splitting bills, sending tips and repaying friends, while no financial details about the launch were disclosed.

Radar said it built on Signal's open-source technology instead of developing its own messaging protocol and added that it financially supports the Signal project while remaining an independent company.

The launch reflects continued development of Bitcoin payment applications built on the Lightning Network, which aims to enable faster and lower-cost transactions than the Bitcoin base blockchain.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $62,539.94.