Z-Text opens closed beta and a 7 ZEC bug bounty

Z-Text has launched closed beta access across five platforms and published an on-chain 7 ZEC bug bounty pool anyone can verify. The blockchain messenger is betting that zero-metadata design and a public bounty will help prove its privacy claims. Why it matters: - Z-Text is trying to differentiate itself by attacking the metadata problem that many encrypted apps still leave exposed. - The company is pairing a closed beta with a paid bug bounty to invite public scrutiny before a wider release. - The on-chain bounty wallet lets anyone verify the 7 ZEC pool without relying on a private promise. What happened: - Z-Text entered closed beta on Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, and iOS. - The messenger is built on the BitcoinZ network. - Z-Text requires no phone number, no email, and no SIM. - Z-Text is designed to collect zero metadata. - Z-Text launched a live bug bounty with a funded pool of 7 ZEC. - The bounty wallet address is published openly so anyone can verify the funds on-chain. The details: - Z-Text says the service uses zero-knowledge proofs so a user can prove the right to send or receive a message without revealing identity. - Z-Text says its identity model uses a 24-word seed phrase controlled by the user. - Z-Text says users can generate thousands of shielded identities from that seed phrase. - Z-Text says messages settle on the decentralized BitcoinZ blockchain instead of a company-controlled message server. - Z-Text charges a small license fee rather than making the service free. - Z-Text says its app combines a shielded messenger, a password manager, and a crypto wallet in one product. - Z-Text says the app includes post-quantum protection, panic mode, and stealth mode. - Z-Text says it has not yet completed an independent third-party security audit. - Z-Text says the threat model and the full list of known limits are published on the Z-Text security page. - Z-Text says the current limits include ISP-level visibility and device compromise. - Z-Text says it leads SimpleX, Session, and Briar on five features: post-quantum encryption on by default, message recovery from a single seed phrase, shielded payments, a built-in password manager, and all three tools in one app. Between the lines: - The closed beta and bounty suggest Z-Text is leaning into public testing rather than claiming mature security by default. - The focus on metadata reflects a broader privacy debate: many encrypted apps protect message content while still exposing communication patterns. - The explicit disclosure of gaps may help Z-Text build credibility with security-focused users, but it also underlines that the product is not fully audited yet. - The company’s choice to charge a license fee signals a push to avoid the tradeoffs that can come with ad-supported or data-funded apps. What’s next: - Z-Text is directing users to its security page for the full bounty, threat model, and limitations. - The company is also pointing users to more information and to the BitcoinZ project at getbtcz.com . - Z-Text’s social channel is available at Mastodon . - A successful bug bounty could strengthen the product’s security case before any broader rollout. The bottom line: - Z-Text is asking users and security researchers to verify its privacy claims the hard way: by trying to break the system, with ZEC on the line.