Strtalk - FAQ
Communication encryption and VOBP
1. What is VOBP and how does STRTALK keep my messages private?
VOBP, or Voice Over Blockchain Protocol, is STRTALK’s proprietary encryption and validation framework developed by CryptoDATA. It ensures that every message, call, and file you send using STRTALK is secure, private, and inaccessible to anyone but you and your intended recipients — not even STRTALK can read or listen to your communications.
2. What does end-to-end encryption mean in STRTALK?
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) means that your messages and calls are encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted by the recipient’s device. No one else — not STRTALK, not your internet provider, and not any servers in between — can read or listen to your communication.
STRTALK’s VOBP encryption:
• Generates encryption keys on your device only
• Never stores or transmits keys to STRTALK or any central server
• Uses end-to-end encryption for text messages, voice/video calls, file transfers, and shared locations
• Makes it impossible for STRTALK to decrypt your communication
3. What does peer-to-peer architecture mean?
STRTALK is designed to use a peer-to-peer (P2P) communication model by default. This means your messages, calls, and files are transmitted directly between devices, rather than being routed through a central server.
This approach offers several important privacy and security advantages:
• Communication doesn’t pass through servers that could be compromised, monitored, or misused.
• Since the data travels directly between endpoints, there’s less metadata collected and fewer intermediaries involved.
• Each device maintains its own data — your messages are stored only on your devices, not on a shared infrastructure.
While certain network conditions may require the use of relays to help establish connections (e.g. in the case of firewalls or NAT traversal), the content of the communication remains fully encrypted and inaccessible to the relay.
By using P2P architecture along with end-to-end encryption via VOBP, STRTALK minimizes reliance on centralized infrastructure and strengthens user privacy by design.
4. Does STRTALK ever see my messages, files, or location?
No. STRTALK never has access to the content of your communication.
• The encryption and decryption happen entirely on your and your recipient's devices
• STRTALK does not store messages or call data on its servers
• STRTALK does not hold your encryption keys
• Shared locations and files are encrypted just like messages — only accessible by the intended recipient(s)
5. What happens to my encryption keys?
Encryption keys in STRTALK are:
• Automatically generated by your device when you install and use the app
• Stored locally on your device and never uploaded to STRTALK servers
• Deleted permanently when you uninstall the app, reset your device, or erase your data
Because STRTALK never has access to your encryption keys, we cannot decrypt, view, or recover the content of any communication. If you lose your device or delete the app, your data cannot be restored — it remains fully under your control.
6. Why do you need to accept the first contact of another user?
Before secure communication can begin, your device and the other user’s device must exchange encryption keys. The initial message request must be accepted so that this key exchange can happen properly. This step is necessary for technical reasons — without it, your device cannot decrypt any incoming content, even if it has been delivered.
This process ensures that both devices have the necessary keys in place to establish a secure, end-to-end encrypted session using the VOBP protocol.
7. The Role of Blockchain in VOBP
VOBP (Voice Over Blockchain Protocol) is not only an encryption protocol — it also integrates blockchain technology to reinforce the integrity, transparency, and decentralization of communication in STRTALK. Here’s how blockchain supports secure communication within the VOBP framework:
a) Identity validation and session integrity
• Blockchain is used to register the establishment of a secure session between two devices. While the actual message content is not stored on the blockchain, session metadata (e.g., session initiation, key exchange events) can be logged immutably.
• This prevents man-in-the-middle attacks by ensuring that the identity of each device is cryptographically verifiable.
• The use of blockchain adds tamper resistance, ensuring that any attempt to spoof or modify session metadata can be detected.
b) VOBP uses blockchain as a trust layer to anchor cryptographic operations — for example:
• Ensuring that public keys are authentic and associated with a specific user/device.
• Logging device key rotations or session changes immutably, without revealing private information.
• This approach allows for distributed trust without relying on a central certificate authority or authentication server.
c) Decentralization of communication infrastructure
By combining blockchain with a peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture Blockchain provides a distributed ledger that coordinates identity and integrity verification across nodes, helping users establish trust in a decentralized way.
d) No Message Content on the Blockchain
Importantly, messages, calls, and files are never stored or transmitted via the blockchain. These communications remain:
• End-to-end encrypted
• Exchanged directly between devices (peer-to-peer)
• Stored only locally
Blockchain is used to support communication security — not to carry it.
8. Why does STRTALK offer end-to-end encryption and what does it mean for keeping information safe?
Security is essential to the service STRTALK provides. We've seen multiple examples where criminal hackers illegally obtained vast sums of private data and abused technology to hurt people with their stolen information.
STRTALK has no ability to see the content of messages or listen to calls that are end-to-end encrypted. That’s because the encryption and decryption of messages sent and received on STRTALK occurs entirely on your device. Before a message ever leaves your device, it's secured with a cryptographic lock, and only the recipient has the keys. In addition, the keys change with every single message that's sent. While all of this happens behind the scenes, you can confirm your conversations are protected by checking the security verification code on your device. You can find more details about how this works in our white paper.
Naturally, people have asked what end-to-end encryption means for the work of law enforcement. We review law enforcement requests strictly and on a case-by-case basis, and only respond where we are legally obligated to do so under applicable laws and with proper documentation. Our ability to assist is extremely limited due to our commitment to privacy and the technical design of STRTALK, which does not allow us access to message content or encryption keys.
We may prioritize emergency requests where there is an immediate risk to life or safety, but all disclosures are subject to legal scrutiny and data minimization principles.