What Is Status?

Status (SNT) is an open-source messaging platform and Web3 browser built on Ethereum. Co-founded by Jarrad Hope and Carl Bennetts, who had a six-year working relationship before the project, Status aims to provide a censorship-resistant communication tool that combines encrypted messaging, a cryptocurrency wallet, and a decentralized application browser in a single mobile and desktop application. Hope and Bennetts previously operated a software distribution network that drove over 20 million installs and generated the profits that funded Status's early development. The project raised over $100 million in an ICO in June 2017, distributing Status Network Tokens (SNT) at a rate of 10,000 SNT per 1 ETH, which at the time was one of the largest token sales in Ethereum history.

• Overview - Table of Contents
• What Is Status?
• Getting Started With Status
• How To Get A Status Wallet?
• Status Resources
• How To Buy Status?
• Latest Status News

The messaging layer of Status originally used Ethereum's Whisper protocol (SHH) for peer-to-peer communication, but the team developed Waku as a more scalable and practical successor. Waku provides end-to-end encrypted, censorship-resistant messaging without relying on centralized servers. Messages are relayed through a distributed network of nodes, making it difficult for any single entity to block or surveil communications. A key challenge the team solved was decentralized push notifications -- because there are no central servers to send alerts when a message arrives, Status created a market for push notification providers where users can deposit SNT with a node operator who stores offline messages and delivers notifications, giving users the choice of provider rather than defaulting to Google or Apple services.

Status includes a built-in Ethereum wallet that allows users to store, send, and receive ETH and ERC-20 tokens directly within the app. The integrated Web3 browser enables users to access Ethereum-based decentralized applications (dApps) such as Uniswap, Aave, and others without needing a separate browser or wallet extension. The messenger-as-a-platform approach was inspired by the success of WeChat in China, where a single app serves as a gateway to payments, services, and social interaction -- but built on decentralized rather than centralized infrastructure. Status requires no email, phone number, or personal information to create an account; identity is based on cryptographic key pairs.

The SNT token serves multiple utility functions within the ecosystem. It is required for registering human-readable ENS (Ethereum Name Service) usernames within Status, replacing long hexadecimal addresses with memorable names. SNT powers the "Tribute to Talk" feature, which requires new contacts to stake SNT before initiating a conversation, acting as an anti-spam mechanism. The token is also used for governance over the Status client's development direction, community curation, and access to the Status Sticker Market. Status Communities, a feature for group organization, uses SNT for membership management and moderation.

Beyond the Status app itself, the Status Network develops several important Ethereum infrastructure projects. Nimbus is a lightweight Ethereum consensus client designed to run on resource-restricted devices like phones and embedded hardware, contributing to Ethereum's client diversity. The Keycard is an open-source, contactless hardware wallet (a smart card form factor) that integrates directly with the Status app for secure private key management. The Waku protocol is maintained as a standalone project with applications beyond Status, serving any application that needs decentralized, censorship-resistant communication.

Getting Started With Status

1. Step 1: Download Status. Download the Status app from status.app for iOS, Android, or desktop. The app is free and open source.
2. Step 2: Create Your Account. Set up your Status account with a display name and a cryptographic key pair. Status does not require email, phone number, or any personal information to create an account, preserving your privacy.
3. Step 3: Start Messaging. Send encrypted messages to other Status users, join public channels for community discussions, or create group chats. All messages are encrypted end-to-end using the Waku protocol.
4. Step 4: Explore Web3. Use the built-in wallet to manage your Ethereum assets and the browser to interact with decentralized applications. You can also register a custom ENS username using SNT tokens.

How to Get a Status Wallet?

Status App

The Status app includes a built-in Ethereum wallet that is created automatically when you set up your account. This wallet supports ETH, SNT, and all ERC-20 tokens, and can interact with Ethereum dApps through the integrated browser.

MetaMask

SNT is an ERC-20 token and can be stored in MetaMask or any Ethereum-compatible wallet. This is a good option if you want to hold SNT separately from the Status application.

Hardware Wallets

Ledger and Trezor support SNT as an ERC-20 token. Status also developed the Keycard, an open-source contactless hardware wallet that integrates directly with the Status app for secure key management.

Status Resources

• Official Website
• GitHub Repository
• Documentation
• Official Blog
• Community Discord
• Status on X
• Status Reddit

How to Buy Status?

SNT tokens can be purchased on centralized exchanges including Binance, Coinbase, and KuCoin. Create an account, complete verification, deposit funds, and trade for SNT.

For decentralized options, SNT can be swapped on Uniswap and other Ethereum-based DEXs by trading ETH or other ERC-20 tokens. You can also use the Status app's built-in wallet to interact with DEXs directly.

Latest Status News

Status's largest recent initiative has been Status Network, a Layer 2 built with Consensys on the Linea zkEVM stack. The partnership was announced in August 2024, and in July 2025 Status launched a testnet for what it described as the first natively gasless Ethereum Layer 2. Rather than charging gas fees, the network was designed to fund itself from yield on bridged ETH and stablecoins and return net yield to the community, with SNT buybacks subject to governance approval. A second testnet phase adding spam protection and native yield routing followed, and in July 2025 Status also became a founding member of the Linea Consortium alongside Consensys, ENS Labs, and Eigen Labs.

Status Network will not ship as a standalone chain. Mainnet had been targeted for the first quarter of 2026, but on April 30, 2026 Status announced that Status Network would instead merge into Linea, folding its codebase into Linea's infrastructure so that gasless execution becomes an option for any rollup built on the Linea stack. By that point the gasless system had been audited by Cyfrin and Cantina and had processed more than 30 million testnet transactions. Pre-deposit vaults opened ahead of the planned mainnet were kept fully backed and migrated to Linea Mainnet, with a reward pool of 20 million SNT and 20 million LINEA for depositors. Withdrawals for the SNT and ETH vaults opened on May 20, 2026, followed by the LINEA and stablecoin vaults on May 26, 2026.

Work on the Status app continued alongside the Layer 2 effort. Version 2.38, released in June 2026, added a built-in mobile browser so users can open links and interact with dApps without leaving the app, private push notifications on Android and iOS, and wallet support for eight additional Ethereum Layer 2 networks including Scroll, ZKsync, Unichain, Blast, and Ink. Status also continues to maintain Ethereum infrastructure projects such as the Nimbus consensus client and the Waku messaging protocol.