Inspiration
Archipel was inspired by the need for secure communication without relying on the Internet or centralized servers. In many situations such as local networks, restricted environments, or emergencies, people still need a way to communicate safely. We wanted to create a decentralized peer-to-peer protocol where devices can discover each other and exchange encrypted messages directly on the same network.
What it does
Archipel is a decentralized peer-to-peer communication protocol that works on a local network. It allows devices to automatically discover each other using UDP multicast and communicate securely through encrypted TCP connections. Users can send encrypted messages, share files in chunks, and interact with an AI assistant directly from the CLI or the web interface.
How we built it
We built Archipel using Python. The system uses UDP multicast for peer discovery and TCP sockets for reliable communication. For security, we implemented modern cryptography including Ed25519 for identity signatures, X25519 for key exchange, and AES-256-GCM for encrypted messaging. The project includes a CLI interface and a simple web dashboard for easier interaction.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest challenges was implementing a secure handshake between peers without using a central server. Managing encryption, identity verification, and peer discovery in a decentralized environment was also complex. We also had to ensure that nodes could reconnect safely using a Web-of-Trust model.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud of building a fully decentralized communication prototype that works entirely on a local network. We successfully implemented secure peer discovery, encrypted messaging, and file transfer without relying on external servers. Integrating an AI assistant into the system was also an exciting achievement.
What we learned
During this project we learned a lot about peer-to-peer networking, cryptographic protocols, and secure communication. We also improved our skills in Python networking, protocol design, and teamwork during rapid development.
What's next for Archipel
Next, we want to improve the protocol by adding better peer management, stronger trust mechanisms, and more efficient file transfers. We also plan to enhance the web interface and expand the AI features to make the network smarter and easier to use.
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