Elon Musk is making another strategic push to turn X—formerly Twitter—into more than just a social platform. Enter XChat, a new encrypted messaging feature now rolling out in beta, aimed at building a secure and feature-rich communication layer within the X ecosystem.
Currently available to paying subscribers, XChat offers end-to-end encryption Musk describes as “Bitcoin style,” underscoring a commitment to privacy and data protection. The feature is also built using Rust, a programming language favored for its safety and performance.
Functionally, XChat allows users to send any file type, make audio and video calls across devices, and use vanishing messages for private chats—bringing it into direct competition with WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
But Musk’s ambitions don’t stop at messaging. XChat is part of his larger vision to turn X into an “everything app”—a one-stop digital hub for communication, content, and possibly payments in the near future, similar to China’s WeChat.
While some in the tech world are still unpacking the implications of “Bitcoin style” encryption, XChat signals a bold evolution of Musk’s platform—one that blends secure messaging with a broader digital strategy.
