Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has proposed a "useful" tool to tackle the internet shutdown in Iran .
And the tool is a decentralized messaging app that works without an internet connection.
Related: US sanctioned country explores crypto payments for war weapons
Iran's internet shutdown
Since the end of 2025, multiple cities in Iran have been witnessing massive demonstrations against the deepening economic crisis in the sanctions-hit country.
On Jan. 8, 2026, the Iranian government imposed a near-total internet shutdown, which has left millions of people in the country without a net connection.
Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, reportedly told a cabinet meeting that he "recommended to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council that internet restrictions be lifted as soon as possible."
Some users reported access to WhatsApp, while outgoing international call and text messaging services have been restored, AFP reported.
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Bill Ackman proposes Jack Dorsey's Bitchat
Ackman, a strong supporter of the state of Israel, wrote on X on Jan. 17 that " Bitchat may be useful in Iran."
Launched last year, Bitchat is a peer-to-peer encrypted and decentralized messaging app developed by Twitter (now X) co-founder Jack Dorsey and Block (NYSE: XYZ).
Three years after co-founding Twitter in 2006, Dorsey co-founded a financial services and technology company called Square in 2009. In 2021, Square got rebranded to Block.
Block has a suite of products that integrate Bitcoin and decentralized technology, such as:
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Cash App, a wallet that allows Bitcoin investing
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Bitkey, a self-custody Bitcoin hardware wallet
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Proto, a Bitcoin mining system
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Square, a point-of-sale system with Bitcoin integration
As far as Bitchat is concerned, it allows users to securely send encrypted messages without the use of the internet or a centralized server. Instead, it creates mesh networks using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) between nearby devices.
As per a recent Reuters report , Bitchat's usage has already jumped more than three times in Iran as internet shutdowns rock the country.
Internet needed to download Bitchat
A user reminded that one can't download the app without internet access. Since Bitchat is a Bluetooth-based app, its range is very limited, another user said .
One user quizzed Ackman if the service could be useful in Gaza.
A crypto user responded to Ackman's post, "Decentralization wins again."
Related: Jack Dorsey's offline messaging app that works without internet is now on App Store
This story was originally published by TheStreet on Jan 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Policy section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
