Architecture
How the pieces fit
khensu.nu has no company servers in the middle. Your devices hold your data; a network of nodes run by people carries it without being able to read it or see who it’s for.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
App (nu.khensu.ptah) | SwiftUI app for iPhone, iPad and Mac on iOS, iPadOS and macOS 26, built only from Apple’s stock Liquid Glass controls. Holds your keys, messages and private on-device AI. |
| Core library | Rust: the post-quantum MLS suite, credentials, mix network packets and the on-device search index, shared with the app as a Swift framework. |
Node (nu.khensu.tatenan) | Runs on a Raspberry Pi 5, a Mac, a laptop or desktop in the background, or an old iPhone. Mixes and forwards traffic, keeps encrypted mailboxes, relays calls and earns for the work. |
| Chain | A post-quantum ledger for the network’s token and shielded payments, where amounts are hidden and leave no lasting record. |
| Services | A public key transparency log so anyone can check that a handle’s keys haven’t been swapped, a credential issuer, and a push gateway that wakes phones without learning anything. |
| Shell | An optional titanium or brass case with a node board inside, which turns your iPhone into part of the network. |
Handles
Everyone gets a permanent handle at name.khensu.nu, resolved from the key transparency log over the mix network, so looking someone up reveals nothing.
Calls
Messages go through the mix network. Live calls can’t take a mixer’s delays, so they use two relays run by different operators, and the route changes as you talk.
Full specifications
The protocol and threat model specifications are published alongside the code, once each component’s design review is finished.