What’s Going On?
Samourai Wallet has joined with Brooklyn-based goTenna to produce txTenna, an Android app that allows Bitcoin transactions to be made and logged over a mesh network without a central ISP.
Why Does It Matter?
Today, the Bitcoin peer-to-peer network relies heavily on ISPs for internet connectivity, said goTenna engineer Richard Meyers. And a major earthquake or other natural disaster could cause significant disruption to communications, as was seen during the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami of 2004.
In this scenario, blockchain transactions could not be confirmed, which would cripple an economy reliant on cryptocurrencies. “You need to be able to spend your Bitcoin even in disaster areas,” Meyers told CoinDesk. “As long as you have a way to charge your phone, you can be up and meshed and communicating.”
How Does It Work?
Samourai and goTenna explain that the wallet app, announced this week, is used to make a standard bitcoin transaction, which can be logged while offline and out of reach of WIFI or mobile phone connections.
The wallet app passes details of the offline transaction to the TxTenna App, which broadcasts it to paired goTenna mesh devices. Other goTenna devices in the area are designed to pick up on the transaction and relay it until an internet-connected goTenna node receives it and forwards it to the Bitcoin network. In simulations, the goTenna Mesh requires 25 nodes in a nine square mile area to create a well-connected goTenna network.
Samourai Wallet has focused on censorship resistance and privacy-oriented tools since its launch in 2015, reported Bitcoin Magazine.