Madagascar Protests Drive Bitchat Downloads Spike

Protests erupted in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, last Thursday over ongoing water and power cuts, with demonstrations later spreading across the country. This civil unrest has directly correlated with increased adoption of decentralized communication tools, particularly Block CEO Jack Dorsey’s peer-to-peer messaging service Bitchat. The pattern mirrors similar upticks observed during unrest in Nepal and Indonesia earlier in September, suggesting a growing trend of protesters turning to censorship-resistant platforms during times of political tension.

The connection between civil unrest and decentralized technology adoption represents a significant development in how protest movements organize and communicate. As governments sometimes restrict traditional communication channels during protests, decentralized services like Bitchat offer an alternative that’s harder to shut down. This pattern across multiple countries indicates that protesters are increasingly aware of and turning to these tools as part of their strategic planning for civil action.

A Bitcoin open-source developer under the X handle callebtc, who is working on the messaging service, publicly documented the Madagascar usage spike on Sunday. The developer stated “Bitchat downloads spiking in Madagascar” alongside screenshots of protest news coverage, providing real-time confirmation of the trend. While specific download numbers weren’t shared, this public documentation by someone directly involved in the platform’s development adds credibility to the observed pattern.

The involvement of Bitcoin developers in Bitchat’s development highlights the natural alignment between cryptocurrency principles and decentralized communication. Both technologies share foundational philosophies of censorship resistance and peer-to-peer networking without central control. The callebtc developer’s public acknowledgment of the Madagascar surge demonstrates how these technical communities monitor and respond to real-world usage patterns, particularly during politically sensitive situations.

Google Trends search data for “Bitchat” shows a dramatic spike from 0 to 100 on Friday in Madagascar over the 90-day period, with particularly high interest in Antananarivo. This quantitative data provides concrete evidence supporting the anecdotal reports of increased adoption during the protests. The jump from zero search interest to maximum levels indicates both the sudden nature of the demand and the platform’s previously limited awareness in the region.

The geographical concentration of searches in Antananarivo aligns with the protest timeline, as demonstrations began in the capital before spreading nationwide. This correlation between protest activity and search interest patterns provides valuable insight into how information about decentralized tools spreads during civil unrest. The data suggests that as traditional communication channels face potential disruption, citizens actively seek alternative platforms that can maintain connectivity despite government or infrastructure challenges.

The repeated pattern of Bitchat adoption spikes during protests in Madagascar, Nepal, and Indonesia suggests a growing recognition of decentralized tools’ utility in politically volatile situations. This trend has significant implications for both technology developers and policymakers. For developers working on decentralized platforms, these events provide real-world validation of their tools’ relevance and importance beyond theoretical use cases.

For the financial and technology sectors, the Madagascar case demonstrates how geopolitical events can drive adoption of blockchain-adjacent technologies. Jack Dorsey’s Block, through its involvement with Bitcoin and decentralized services like Bitchat, positions itself at the intersection of financial technology and communication tools that gain relevance during times of crisis. This pattern suggests that decentralized messaging platforms may become increasingly important indicators of civil unrest and tools for financial communication in unstable environments.