Signal is experimenting with integrating MobileCoin, a privacy cryptocurrency built on a modified version of Stellar's consensus algorithm, into its messaging platform. CEO Moxie Marlinspike cautioned that any payments feature would require careful consideration, though the firm has only conducted preliminary experiments so far.
Signal, the privacy-focused messaging app, has reportedly experimented with integrating MobileCoin, a privacy-oriented cryptocurrency based on Stellar's consensus algorithm, according to Platformer. Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike, who advises MobileCoin, acknowledged the experiments but downplayed near-term development, emphasizing that any payments integration would require careful planning. MobileCoin reimplemented Stellar's consensus in Rust with performance modifications and encrypted synchronization, enabling single-block finality in about one second. The news comes as Signal's user base doubled following WhatsApp's privacy policy changes that would share user data with Facebook, positioning Signal as a potential competitor to Facebook's Novi digital currency initiative.