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Billionaire hedge fund manager <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/policy/billionaire-bill-ackman-has-no-nonsense-reply-to-zohran-mamdani" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bill Ackman</a> has proposed a "useful" tool to tackle the&nbsp;internet shutdown in <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/bitcoin-xrp-surge-amid-rising-us-iran-tensions" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Iran</a>.And the tool is a decentralized messaging app that works without an internet connection.<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/policy/us-sanctioned-country-explores-crypto-payments-for-war-weapons" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: US sanctioned country explores crypto payments for war weapons</a><h2 id="iran-s-internet-shutdown">Iran's internet shutdown</h2>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&nbsp;imposed a near-total internet shutdown, which has left millions of people in the country without a net connection.<figure><figcaption> Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Major General Qassem Soleimani's death, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force, at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 2, 2025. </figcaption></figure>Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260118-iran-considers-gradually-restoring-internet-after-shutdown" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">reportedly told</a> a cabinet meeting that&nbsp;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.<h3 id="more-news">More News:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/elon-musks-x-cracks-down-on-ai-bot-rewards-triggering-token-crash" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Elon Musk’s X cracks down on AI bot rewards, triggering token crash</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/policy/white-house-advisor-reveals-surprising-hurdle-to-bitcoin-reserve" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">White House advisor reveals surprising hurdle to Bitcoin reserve</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/technology/quantum-threat-forces-63-year-old-investment-bank-to-abandon-bitcoin" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Quantum threat forces 63-year old investment bank to abandon Bitcoin</a></li></ul><h2 id="bill-ackman-proposes-jack-dorsey-s-bitchat">Bill Ackman proposes Jack Dorsey's Bitchat</h2>Ackman, a strong supporter of the state of Israel, <a href="https://x.com/BillAckman/status/2012383622867611725" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">wrote on X</a> on Jan. 17 that "<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/innovation/jack-dorseys-bitchat-launches-on-apple-app-store" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitchat </a>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&nbsp;(NYSE: XYZ).Three years&nbsp;after co-founding Twitter in 2006,&nbsp;Dorsey co-founded a financial services and technology company called Square in 2009. In 2021, Square got&nbsp;rebranded to Block.Block has a suite of products that integrate Bitcoin and decentralized technology, such as:<ul><li>Cash App, a wallet that allows Bitcoin investing</li><li>Bitkey, a self-custody Bitcoin hardware wallet</li><li>Proto, a Bitcoin mining system</li><li>Square, a point-of-sale system with Bitcoin integration</li></ul>As far as Bitchat is concerned, it&nbsp;allows users to securely send encrypted messages without the use of the internet or a centralized server.&nbsp;Instead, it creates mesh networks using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) between nearby devices.As per a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/ugandans-iranians-turn-dorseys-messaging-app-bitchat-web-crackdowns-2026-01-14/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">recent Reuters report</a>,&nbsp;Bitchat's usage has already jumped more than three times in Iran&nbsp;as internet shutdowns rock the country.<h2 id="internet-needed-to-download-bitchat">Internet needed to download Bitchat&nbsp;</h2>A user <a href="https://x.com/gurkarn_gill/status/2012533521022144757" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">reminded </a>that one can't download the app without internet access. Since Bitchat is a Bluetooth-based app, its range is very limited, another user <a href="https://x.com/TonyDotX/status/2012643520410960174" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">said</a>.One user <a href="https://x.com/Rizstanford/status/2012397375181271164" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">quizzed</a> Ackman if the service could be useful in Gaza.A crypto user <a href="https://x.com/MemeCoin_Track/status/2012383823166636490" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">responded </a>to Ackman's post, "Decentralization wins again."<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/innovation/jack-dorseys-bitchat-launches-on-apple-app-store" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: Jack Dorsey's offline messaging app that works without internet is now on App Store</a>

Billionaire Bill Ackman proposes 'useful' tool to tackle Iran's internet shutdown

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