Darkwire Allows Sending Bitcoin Without Internet Using LoRa Radio Network

• Internet-free Bitcoin with LoRa mesh network
• Offline transactions with privacy for Bitcoin users
• Alternative infrastructure in censored regions and conflict zones

The new the project called darkwire proposes an innovative solution for sending Bitcoin transactions in environments without internet access. The proposal was presented at the Bitcoin 2025 Official Hackathon and uses long-range radios (LoRa) to form a decentralized mesh network.

The initiative was created by the pseudonymous developer “Cyber”, currently involved in artificial intelligence and machine learning studies. The main objective is to offer a useful tool for regions where traditional infrastructure is compromised, whether by censorship, government control or natural disasters.

According to its creator, Darkwire was designed for “individuals seeking privacy or wishing to circumvent surveillance of their communications and transactions.” The comparison is with the Tor network, but exclusively aimed at sending Bitcoin transactions.

Darkwire’s architecture relies on microcontrollers such as the Arduino UNO and LoRa devices. Communication occurs via short transmissions that travel up to 10 km with direct line of sight, or about 3 km to 5 km in dense areas. Messages travel from node to node until they reach a point in the network that has internet access, and are then sent to the blockchain.

The process begins with the user generating a signed transaction via a graphical interface connected to the local wallet, using the bitcoinlib Python library. After signing, the transaction is transmitted via a serial connection to the darkwire physical node, which fragments it and retransmits it over the LoRa network.

Despite its promising scope, the project is still in its early stages. Planned features include UTXO recovery, message encryption, and integration with the Nostr protocol. Cyber ​​also pointed out current limitations such as reduced bandwidth and reliance on internet-enabled nodes, which could represent points of failure.

In the long term, the intention is to mature darkwire into an open source standard for secure offline communications, especially useful in sensitive political or geographic contexts.