[INFO - DISCUSSION] Radar.Chat - private messenger with BTC lightning payments

[cygan]

yesterday, the following new open source app was released, which combines encrypted messaging with self-custodial Bitcoin lightning payments.
this app was launched by the developers of the well-known Cake Wallet. in addition, radar.chat is a fork of the Signal messenger and its built on its battle-tested encryption protocol
right now radar.chat is only available for android mobile devices:

https://github.com/radar-labs/radar-android/releases/tag/v1.0.4
https://github.com/radar-labs/Radar

[Kruw]

It doesn't use Lightning, it uses statechains (which are custodial).

[Pmalek]

Radar.Chat claims that everything is self-custodial and if you lose your seed, you lose your bitcoin. They have no way to recover anything, is what they say. But at the same time, the idea was to make the app as simple as possible. Users aren't managing the channels or the liquidity. Radar.Chat owns the nodes and take care of everything in the background. It's worth asking what would happen if all that infrastructure fails and gets wrecked? So it's probably not as self-custodial as managing your own lightning node. Feels weird saying that. Something either is or isn't (self) custodial. There is no middle.

Anyways, Radar.Chat claims they created their app with privacy in mind. There are no ads and no trackers.
At the moment it can only be installed from GitHub. The app is not yet available on the PlayStore.

[Kruw]

Anyways, Radar.Chat claims they created their app with privacy in mind. There are no ads and no trackers.

They are lying, the statechain operator can track every transaction.

[ABCbits]

Some details on their homepage really confuse me. It currently don't have FAQ section that cover common question such as how to backup and restore the wallet and LN channel.

No starting from scratch.

Radar is built on Signal’s trusted messaging network, so the people you already talk to come with you. No rebuilding your network. No new account necessary.

AFAIK Signal itself use centralized server. Since Radar is different application, i don't understand how they have access to use "Signal’s trusted messaging network", which probably refer to Signal centralized server.

On non-technical side, what happen if someone install both Radar and Signal? Will new message from other people shown on both apps?