Some of you may already be aware that SanR is a platform to practice trading without risking real crypto or money, it also has some other features. One of which was recently released — direct private messaging or the ability to send peer-to-peer encrypted messages to other users through the blockchain on the SanR platform itself.
This is quite an exciting feature if you ask me. I can probably send a private message to Tito Ed (@tengolotodo) when I feel like it without having to go to Discord and with the messages being encrypted according to SanR, that means only we can see them, no third party can take a peek into them, yeah?
I hope so.
Anyhow, this feature is only available on desktops as it uses the browser extension of the Metamask wallet and not on the Metamask application itself.
How to Use the Messaging Feature
Login to your SanR account with your Metamask wallet. Make sure of course that the network is set to SanR.
You will see the feature on the landing page. Click on "Enable" and approve the request on your wallet.
It asks for your wallet's encryption public key. Although it is generally safe, it is better to be wary and make sure you are using a wallet that doesn't hold your crypto assets.
Once approved, you will be able to see other users or players who have enabled the feature. It is to note that messages sent through this channel cannot be deleted since it's on the blockchain so they are permanent.
To send a message to another, just click on the name of the person and type your message in the box then click on "Send."
I tested the feature to check what it looks like. I'm the curious gal, you know.
After typing the test message and clicking on "Send" a pop-up appeared asking me to confirm the transaction on the wallet. Clicked on "Sign" obviously.
It's been confirmed and the encrypted message appears like this.
If you want to decrypt the message, just click on "Decrypt this message" and confirm or sign the transaction on your wallet, and the message displays in a more readable format.
And that's it!
So simple, easy, and quite fun too!
Accordingly, SanR is "utilizing eth_getEncryptionPublicKey and eth_decrypt to enable secure messaging in their platform. And whilst these have limitations, they are considering checking on other alternatives in the future."¹
You might want to check it out. Do join the LeoFinance SanR Club and let's practice the art of trading cryptocurrency without risking actual funds.
We are currently on Epoch 36 and there are only 86 members on the LEO Club. Join us for a chance on the prize pool of SAN and LEO tokens.
Conclusion
It's good that SanR has thought about this feature and added it to their platform, providing their players with an accessible application to directly contact (or message) one another in a more secure manner. The downside is that one needs to confirm on the wallet each time a message is sent and/or received (to decrypt). But that doesn't take a lot of time so I think it's still okay.
Would I keep using the feature? Probably, if I make enough friends amongst the users so it would be more comfortable saying hello without becoming an intruder, lol! SanR indicated that the data are "end-to-end encrypted" so I'm taking their word for it.
For infotainment only. For security purposes, please note to use an empty wallet.
Lead image created on Canva. Photo & screenshots from SanR and Metamask. No copyright infringement intended. 03082023/09:38sanrplatformph