what's White Noise?

White Noise is a decentralized messaging application built on the Nostr protocol, a Bitcoin-native, open-source network designed for censorship-resistant communication. It enables users to send anonymous direct messages (DMs) and participate in end-to-end encrypted group chats without relying on centralized servers. By leveraging Nostr's relay-based architecture, White Noise allows messages to be stored and forwarded across independent servers, ensuring users maintain control over their data and interactions. The protocol incorporates advanced privacy features, including an anonymization layer to obscure metadata and the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) standard for secure key management. MLS uses structures like the RatchetTree—a Merkle tree-based system for efficient group membership and key updates—enabling scalable, asynchronous security in group settings. This makes White Noise suitable for privacy-conscious users seeking alternatives to centralized apps like WhatsApp or Signal, while integrating seamlessly with the broader Nostr ecosystem for social networking and beyond.

Max Hilebrand gave a live talk representing White Noise on March 5th, 2026.