# CIRCE — Cryptographic IRC Environment

> CIRCE is a decentralized, peer-to-peer, GPG/PGP-encrypted real-time
> communications platform. It combines the channel/nickname model of IRC
> with end-to-end encrypted direct messages, file transfer, voice, and
> ephemeral ("burn") messaging. All cryptography happens on the client;
> the relay never sees plaintext.

## What it is
- End-to-end encrypted chat client (web + desktop) using OpenPGP keys
- Channel-based group chat (IRC-style) with nickname registration
- Direct messages, encrypted file transfer, voice channels
- Ephemeral message TTLs ("burn after reading")
- Optional onion-routed (Tor) and WireGuard transports for metadata privacy
- Federated relay model — anyone can run a relay; the protocol is open

## What it is not
- Not a cryptocurrency, token, wallet, or financial product
- Not a centralized service — there is no company-controlled server
- Not a Discord/Slack clone — it is a successor to IRC, not a competitor to chat platforms

## Primary site
- Homepage: https://circe.sp5.io/
- Source: https://github.com/subinacls/CIRCE

## Tech
- Vite + React 18 SPA client
- Node.js + Express + ws relay (TypeScript)
- OpenPGP.js for crypto, WebRTC for voice