Tingl

Challenge

Modern instant messengers are deeply flawed: they offer convenience at the price of user privacy. It’s tough to find a messenger that would be both widely adopted and didn’t harvest user data.

Many are marketed as highly secure due to end-to-end encryption or self-destructing messages, creating an illusion of security. However, most require a phone number or email to sign up and store plenty of metadata. This may include everything from a contact list and online status to the length of calls, who one communicates with, and even their device’s unique fingerprint and IP address.

The risk goes beyond data collection. Journalists, activists, and anyone targeted by authorities face the chilling reality of government surveillance, especially in countries where democracy has been eroded or is non-existent. Leaked information can expose them and even put their lives at risk.

But it’s not only governments that eavesdrop on our communication. There are multiple reports on instant messengers being hacked and malicious actors intercepting confidential information.

We saw a need for an instant messaging app that would offer anonymity and exclusive chat privacy while being easy and fun to use. Our biggest hurdle? Solving the classic “security vs. usability” dilemma and ensuring our app finds its perfect audience.

Solution

We started by prioritizing customer development. This ensured we grounded the process in data and facts. Knowing we’d likely need to pivot to find the perfect product-market fit, we embraced an iterative approach. Now, after extensive research, meetings, and conversations with potential users, let’s explore what we’ve developed!

Target Audience

Tingl targets users who value privacy and security beyond what traditional messengers offer. They understand the limitations of conventional platforms and seek a solution for secure communication.

These people are not necessarily looking for a full replacement for their current messengers but rather for an extra tool to take care of their most confidential matters. Imagine being able to discuss things you’d only share in person, but online, with the guarantee of leaving no digital trace.

Blockchain application development is often associated with a tech-savvy user base. While Tingl is designed for ease of use and effortless navigation, it requires certain technical knowledge. This includes setting up a MetaMask wallet, recovering an account with a seed phrase, grasping the app’s tokenomics, and dealing with gas fees. So, if you want to create a blockchain app, keep this in mind.

Tech Stack

Developing a blockchain application like Tingl involves some key considerations beyond traditional software development.

For the front-end, Tingl uses Flutter, a framework known for its rapid mobile app prototyping capabilities. This choice allowed us to quickly build a polished Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with its pre-built, customizable widgets. Additionally, Flutter’s ability to compile a single codebase for mobile, web, and desktop made it perfect for our vision of expanding Tingl beyond mobile.

Blockchain applications have a distinct “backend” compared to conventional apps. Instead of relying on a central server, it’s a distributed system. The core components include:

• Blockchain Network: Acts as the secure and tamper-proof ledger for storing data. We chose Polygon for its speed, efficiency, and lower gas fees.
• Smart Contracts: Define the app’s logic and automate processes on the blockchain.
• P2P Networks: Enable direct communication between users within the network.
• IPFS (InterPlanetary File System): Provides decentralized storage for large files, like images and videos, that wouldn’t be ideal to store directly on the blockchain.

In Tingl’s beta, user data and message metadata reside on the blockchain for maximum security. However, large media files are stored off-chain for efficiency. In the next versions, we plan to integrate IPFS for a fully decentralized storage solution.

Why did we opt for blockchain app development in the first place? We wanted to leverage the inherent security and transparency of smart contracts. By deploying the app’s logic on the blockchain, Tingl ensures tamper-proof, auditable transactions, significantly enhancing the overall security and user trust in our messaging platform.

Of course, this is a simplified overview of how to develop blockchain applications. Each project requires in-depth research, business analysis, and industry expertise to tailor the technology to its specific needs.

Data Transfer

Rock-solid data integrity is why you would want to build a blockchain application. To achieve that in Tingl, we developed BAMM, a layer 3 transport protocol. It is Signal’s fork that uses a distributed network of servers and onion routing to ensure end-to-end encrypted data transfer. BAMM uses the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism to validate transactions.

Here is how BAMM helps respect user privacy:

• End-to-End Encryption. Messages are encrypted on the sender’s device and remain unreadable by anyone but the intended recipient, even if intercepted.
• Data Integrity. Messages are guaranteed to arrive intact. Any tampering renders them unreadable and discarded.
• Onion Routing. This involves wrapping messages in multiple encryption layers and routing them through a network of intermediary nodes. Each node removes a layer, revealing the next destination without ever exposing the final recipient. This hides user metadata like IP addresses and device identifiers, enhancing privacy and anonymity.
• Proof-of-Stake. This ensures everyone on the network agrees on the validity of transactions and the current state of the blockchain. In our model, every node must stake currency before being allowed to join the network, which incentivizes honest behavior and discourages malicious actors from attempting to compromise user privacy.

BAMM facilitates direct, secure communication between users, both synchronously and asynchronously, without relying on a central server. This decentralization removes a single point of failure and ensures user privacy.

Anonymity

We conceptualized Tingl as an anti-messenger that defies the security risks associated with instant messaging in its traditional form.

One of the biggest sacrifices users make is giving away their personal information at registration, typically a phone number or email. Tingl takes a different approach. Users sign up with a MetaMask wallet and receive a generated username and a blockie avatar.

Features like screenshots, message forwarding, editing, and video calls can all potentially leak confidential data. Tingl deliberately omits these features to minimize such risks.

Unlike conventional messengers with year-long message storage on centralized servers, Tingl minimizes data storage, reducing the potential for compromise. It offers a limited chat history of 20 messages that are automatically burned in 6 hours.

Finally, Tingl doesn’t ask for access to one’s microphone, location, or address book.

While considering how to build a blockchain application from scratch, remember that blockchain alone isn’t enough for true user anonymity. The app’s design philosophy must complement the security benefits offered by blockchain technology.

Unique Features

Tingl is intended for quick negotiations, whistleblowing, sharing secrets, and selling digital assets like images, files, or just plain pieces of text. These use cases necessitate features that are not commonly found on other platforms. Here’s a glimpse into what we implemented for Tingl’s beta:

• Pay-Per-View Messages: Files become available only after the sender is paid. Users can securely share images and files up to 2MB.
• Guest Chat: Facilitating one-time communication, Tingl users can host a guest chat for someone without an account.
• Sale Web Link: Enabling secure transactions, Tingl users can create a web link with content previews and options for buyers to purchase the content.
• Superlike: Users can send a “superlike” with a special duck emoji via a paid on-chain transaction. The message author receives a reward for each superlike.

These features represent just a small selection from Tingl’s roadmap.

UI/UX Design

An app that boldly claims to respect user privacy and anonymity requires an equally bold design. At the same time, we wanted to make it playful, approachable, and fun. Of course, ease of use was a priority, too. In blockchain app development, usability plays an even bigger role because you want to make your app intuitive for everyone, regardless of technical expertise.

We also knew we needed a mascot to make the app easily recognizable and lay the foundations for developing its brand identity. It’s also a good way to make the app more appealing to users.

To convey Tingl’s fun and edgy vibe, we combined elements of neo-brutalism for its boldness and comic art for its playful touch. As for the mascot, we drew inspiration from the Rebel, Jester, and Explorer archetypes.

The Rebel archetype signifies a willingness to challenge the status quo, which aligns with Tingl’s focus on providing a secure alternative to conventional messaging apps. The Jester brings lightheartedness and laughter, reflecting Tingl’s commitment to a user-friendly and enjoyable experience. Finally, the Explorer embodies the spirit of venturing into uncharted territory, resonating with Tingl’s innovative use of blockchain technology.

For a seamless user experience, consistency is key. We developed a comprehensive style guide to ensure Tingl’s UI/UX design and branding remain aligned across the app, the landing page, and all our marketing channels.