The popular private messaging app, Signal, announced yesterday that they are testing cryptocurrency payments within the app.
Users of Signal (starting in the U.K.) will be able send one another money using the MobileCoin cryptocurrency payment network which uses its own currency, MOB.1
While Signal is tightly integrated with MobileCoin, Signal promises that the two services run separately and do not share data.
As always, our goal is to keep your data in your hands rather than ours; MobileCoin’s design means Signal does not have access to your balance, full transaction history, or funds. You can also transfer your funds at any time if you want to switch to another app or service.
There are quite a few “privacy coins” available to the public. It’s not clear why Signal chose to go with MobileCoin instead of a more widely adopted private cryptocurrency like Zcash or Monero.
Either way, it seems like the idea of peer to peer digital money is gaining traction in yet another app!
A questionable name to associate with the modern protester’s messaging app of choice.↩