Documentation
Technical documentation for the Zentalk decentralized messaging protocol.
What is Zentalk?
Zentalk is a privacy-first messaging protocol built on three pillars:
- End-to-End Encryption - Signal Protocol with post-quantum cryptography
- Decentralized Infrastructure - No central servers, peer-to-peer mesh network
- Self-Sovereign Identity - Your keys are generated and kept on your device; no email is ever required
Sign-Up Options
There are three ways to create a Zentalk account:
| Option | What it needs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Connect a wallet | An existing Ethereum wallet | MetaMask, WalletConnect and others; one signature approval |
| New account | Nothing but the device | Zentalk generates a 12-word BIP-39 recovery phrase |
| Phone number | Phone number + password + SMS code | Only where the operator has enabled an SMS provider; invited numbers only during the closed beta |
Connecting a wallet is the default option in the app. The recovery-phrase flow also restores an existing account from its phrase. An email address is never required or collected.
Core Technologies
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Key Exchange | X3DH + X25519 |
| Message Encryption | Double Ratchet + AES-256-GCM |
| Post-Quantum | Kyber-768 (NIST FIPS 203) |
| Signatures | Ed25519 |
| Network | P2P mesh with 3-hop relay routing |
| Storage | Distributed mesh with erasure coding |
| Authentication | Wallet signature (secp256k1), device-generated recovery phrase, or phone + password |
Quick Links
Getting Started
- Getting Started - Installation and first steps
- Features - Full capabilities overview
- Architecture - System design overview
Security
- Protocol - Cryptographic protocol specification
- Cryptography - Encryption details
- Threat Model - Security guarantees and limitations
Infrastructure
- Run a Node - Become a relay operator
- Full Node - Run a full node
- API Reference - Backend API documentation
Security Model
| Threat | Protection |
|---|---|
| Message interception | E2EE (Signal Protocol) |
| Server compromise | Zero-knowledge architecture |
| Past message exposure | Forward secrecy (Double Ratchet) |
| Quantum computers | Kyber-768 hybrid encryption |
| Traffic analysis | 3-hop relay routing + padding |
| IP tracking | Onion-style routing, stealth addresses |
| Metadata collection | Hashed addresses (zh1_) |
Source Code
All components are open source under MIT license:
| Repository | Description |
|---|---|
| zentalk-web | Frontend (React/Next.js) |
| zentalk-api | Backend API (Go) |
| zentalk-node | P2P infrastructure (Go) |
| zentalk-validator | Validator scripts |
Need Help?
- Help Center - FAQs and troubleshooting
- GitHub Issues - Bug reports
- Support - Contact the team