Imagine handing someone a dollar bill, except the dollar bill is Bitcoin and the handshake is two phones tapping together. That’s essentially what Cashu just pulled off.
The open-source Chaumian ecash protocol demonstrated a new NFC tap-to-pay feature on July 7, allowing users to send Bitcoin-backed ecash tokens between mobile devices without either party needing an internet connection. The sender’s side requires zero connectivity. It works on both iOS and Android using standard NFC chips already built into modern smartphones.
How tapping your phone becomes a cash transaction
The system works through bearer-style ecash tokens. These are digital tokens that function like physical cash. Whoever holds them, owns them. No account needed, no identity verification at the moment of transfer, no blockchain confirmation delay.
The tokens themselves are minted by third-party “mints” that hold actual Bitcoin or Lightning Network deposits as backing. When you want to spend, you simply tap your phone against another device. The NFC chip handles the rest, transferring the token from one wallet to another in the same way you’d tap a credit card at a coffee shop.
