Hybrid Decentralization for Real-Time Messaging: A Smart Contract and IPFS-Based Approach on Ethereum

Abstract

The conventional messaging platform such as WhatsApp or Telegram is based on a centralized server, which fundamentally creates a gateway to censorship, surveillance, and points of failure. In essence, that is damaging to the user privacy and information security. In this paper, therefore, we develop and implement a Decentralized Chat Application (DCA) using Ethereum blockchain. Based on the fundamental capabilities of distributed ledger technologies, namely, immutability, transparency, and trustlessness, we are building a reliable, censorship-resistant chat service. The application operates under Ethereum Smart Contracts to handle decentralized user identities and to store public encryption keys safely as well as establishing chat channels. Our practical message content and media flows are stashed into an effective Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network, potentially stashed in off-chain storage such as Interplanetary File System(IPFS), but all messages are End-to-End Encrypted.The DCA model provides a good framework of the next-gen secure, private, and autonomous social interaction, as it leaves the end-users with complete ownership and control over their digital communication by abandoning the central authority.