Elon Musk confirms launch of encrypted XChat

Elon Musk has confirmed that a new version of X’s direct messaging feature, now rebranded as 'XChat' will begin rolling out to all Premium subscribers this week.

The update, which was recently spotted in live testing by select users, introduces a new back-end architecture for the platform’s messaging function. According to Musk, XChat will support fully encrypted messages by default, vanishing messages, file attachments, and audio and video calls without requiring a phone number.

The company says the upgraded infrastructure is built using Rust and incorporates “Bitcoin-style encryption”. However, the comparison has drawn criticism from observers, as Bitcoin transactions are not encrypted but publicly recorded on a decentralised blockchain ledger.

X states that the shift to a new framework will support enhanced security and provide opportunities to integrate future features. Analysts speculate that this overhaul may tie into X’s long-term plan to introduce payment services via the platform.

The platform has been developing a payment system that aims to enable peer-to-peer transfers, online purchases, and eventually offer users an alternative to traditional banking. Musk has previously outlined a vision for X to evolve into an 'everything app', similar to Tencent’s WeChat in China.

Whether X can replicate WeChat’s success in Western markets remains uncertain. Previous attempts by tech companies to create all-in-one platforms have seen limited traction outside China. 

Despite these challenges, the new messaging upgrade will be made available to all X Premium subscribers over the coming days, pending scalability, according to Musk.