Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk plans to launch a standalone messaging app called X Chat to compete with services like Telegram and WhatsApp. The rollout is expected in the coming months.
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which aired on Friday, Musk said his team has rebuilt “the entire messaging stack into what’s called ‘X Chat.’”
How Does X Chat Differ From WhatsApp on Data Use?
He added that he expects the app to be ready in “a few months.” Musk also said the platform will not include any advertising hooks.
He pointed to WhatsApp as an example of a service that uses data signals for targeted advertising.
According to Musk, the platform “knows enough about what you’re texting to know what ads to show you.”
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, says it cannot access users’ private messages.
The company explains that chats, voice messages, files, and media are protected through end-to-end encryption based on the Signal Protocol.
However, some information falls outside that protection. Metadata, such as who users talk to and how often, is not encrypted. WhatsApp also does not automatically encrypt backups of chat history.
On its FAQ page, under “Does WhatsApp collect or sell your data?”, the service does not provide a clear yes or no. It only says it works with other Meta companies “to help provide, improve, and support each other’s services.”
Musk said X Chat will avoid these advertising-linked systems.
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How Much Do We Know About X Chat’s Security and Encryption?
While X prepares for a wider rollout, the DEGN1 (dGEN1) team has spent the past year promoting a different idea: an Ethereum-focused smartphone centered on on-chain messaging.
The phone runs ethOS and features a system-level wallet, a lightweight client, and a messenger that can interact with Ethereum and Layer 2 apps.
Recent promotional and developer updates describe messaging based on protocols like XMTP and a privacy-first setup tied to the user’s wallet identity.
The goal is to let users communicate and transact directly on-chain from their device, without relying on traditional platforms.
A late-September note from Freedom Factory said the team is preparing a broader rollout of DEGN1, along with upgrades to its built-in wallet tools.
X Chat is pitched as a mainstream messaging app with peer-to-peer encryption and no ads. Still, many details remain unclear.
DEGN1 takes a different path. Its messaging system is tied to a hardware device that links chats to an on-chain identity and wallet.
That setup provides it with deeper cryptographic functions at the operating-system level. The trade-off is real. DEGN1 serves a small, web3-native crowd, while X has hundreds of millions of users.
As of now scale is in favor of X because it is performing as per schedule. DEGN1 offers enhanced functionality for users seeking wallet-level control and crypto capabilities directly integrated into the device.
DEGN1 hardware and software have been deployed since 2024-2025, but are continuously upgraded with wallet and OS updates, and are a small ecosystem.
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