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# TorChat - A completely decentralized P2P chat network operating over Tor
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**Decentralized. Private. Undeniable.**
TorChat is the anti-censorship chat layer for the underground internet. Secure, unstoppable, and anonymous — this is what messaging should’
---
## 🌐 Overview
TorChat is a fully decentralized, Tor-based messaging protocol and chat client built for total freedom of speech and association.
There are no servers, no corporate intermediaries, no identity leaks — only encrypted peer-to-peer communication over the Tor network.
- ✅ **End-to-End Encryption** (ECC, ECDH + ChaCha20Poly1305)
- ✅ **gRPC over Onion** : High-performance communication via Tor
- ✅ **Offline Message Persistence** via trusted forwarders
- ✅ **Signed Identity Graphs** for trust bootstrapping
- ✅ **Federated Group Chats** with on-chain moderation rules
- ✅ **Forward secrecy, metadata protection** , and more...
---
## 📦 Features
| Feature | Status | Description |
|----------------------------------|-----------|-------------|
| 🔐 End-to-End Encryption | ✅ | Uses Ed25519 keys and modern AEAD for message security |
| 🧅 Onion Routed gRPC | ✅ | gRPC over SOCKS5 for strong anonymity and multiplexed streams |
| 📬 Asynchronous Delivery | 🛠️ | Store-and-forward routing via trusted nodes with spam prevention |
| 👥 Group Messaging | 🛠️ | Federated group identity, roles, voting, moderation |
| 🧠 Identity Reputation Layer | 🛠️ | Web-of-trust over signed attestations |
| 📜 Anti-Spam ZK Proofs | 💡 Idea | Messages must include ZK token to prove identity stake or PoW |
| 🧩 Modular Plugin System | 💡 Idea | Add bots, bridges (e.g., IRC, XMPP), file sharing, media channels |
| 💻 Cross-Platform Client | ✅ | Built in Dart/Flutter with native Rust crypto backend |
| 💾 IPFS-Backed Message Vault | 💡 Idea | Optionally enable message history vaulting in IPFS bundles |
| ⚙️ Scriptable Automation | 💡 Idea | Autoresponders, programmable agents, trading bots... |
---
## 🚀 Roadmap
### 🔹 Phase 1 –
- [x] Onion-based transport (Tor SOCKS5 support)
- [x] Peer discovery (via embedded seed node list + gossip)
- [x] Identity model (Ed25519 keys, signature attestations)
- [x] Chat session establishment (ECDH, gRPC)
- [ ] Forwarding protocol for offline delivery
- [ ] Basic CLI and Flutter-based UI client
- [ ] Minimal spam prevention via time-locked messaging
### 🔸 Phase 2 –
- [ ] Group chat architecture
- [ ] Group-level moderation: bans, mutes, admin rotation
- [ ] Identity trust graphs (signed attestations)
- [ ] Optional profile metadata (bio, avatar, etc.) stored off-chain
### 🔻 Phase 3 –
- [ ] Native emoji, file attachments, stickers
- [ ] Message expiration & disappearing chats
- [ ] Optional censorship-resistant history via IPFS
- [ ] “Stealth” mode: make node unreachable except via invite
### 🔺 Phase 4 –
- [ ] Plugin framework (Rust or Dart)
- [ ] Bot scripting: p2p trading, atomic swaps, moderation
- [ ] Integration with Monero-based payments
- [ ] Tokenless (or optional stake-based) spam control
---
## 🛠️ Tech Stack
- **Frontend:** Flutter (Dart)
- **Backend Protocol:** gRPC over Tor (SOCKS5 proxy)
- **Encryption:** Ed25519, ECDH, ChaCha20Poly1305
- **Persistence:** Dart/Rust hybrid binary
- **Decentralization:** Tor hidden services, optionally dHT or gossip relay
- **Identity Model:** Public keys signed by other peers in attestations
---
## 📁 Project Structure
```
TorChat/
├── lib/ # Flutter/Dart client
├── proto/ # gRPC protospecs
├── rust/ # Rust backend (crypto, networking, etc.)
├── tor/ # Tor bootstrapping and routing code
├── seednode/ # Optional seednode bootstrap peer (only required until network consensus is well established)
└── README.md
```
---
## 🔐 Security Philosophy
TorChat is designed for real-world censorship resistance.
That means:
- Metadata-resistant communication
- No third-party servers
- Forward secrecy
- Optional multi-device support via per-device keys
- Message padding / traffic obfuscation (future)
---
## 🌍 Vision
We want TorChat to become *the* base layer for p2p chat —
Something like if **Briar** , **Session** , and **Monero** had a privacy-focused lovechild.
No app store bans. No governments blocking traffic. No KYC. Just pure encrypted messages flying across an anonymous mesh of nodes.
---
## 🤝 Get Involved
- Open a [discussion ](https://foss.haveno.com/haveno-network/haveno-core/discussions )
- Submit issues or ideas
- Contribute to the protocol spec or write plugins
- Help us build bridges to other networks
---
## 🧠 Inspired by
- [Tor Project ](https://www.torproject.org/ )
- [Monero ](https://www.getmonero.org/ )
- [Haveno ](https://haveno.com )
- [Session ](https://getsession.org/ )
- [Nym ](https://nymtech.net/ )
- [Matrix ](https://matrix.org/ )
- [Briar ](https://briarproject.org/ )
## 📜 License
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AGPLv3+ — because freedom is viral.
