About This Project
I built Vanix because digital privacy felt like a luxury rather than a right, and existing secure messaging solutions were either too complex or not secure enough.
Key Features
- Self-destructing encrypted messages with view limits
- Peer-to-peer file sharing via WebRTC with no size limits
- Client-side AES-GCM-256 encryption before transmission
- Ephemeral links with keys embedded in URL fragments
- Real-time chunked file transfer with progress tracking
- Zero-knowledge architecture - server never sees plaintext
Development Progress
Core messaging and P2P file sharing complete. Final touches on UI, deployment automation, and steganography features.
Technology Stack
The Journey Behind
Motivation
The idea sparked from growing concerns about digital surveillance and the lack of truly private communication tools. I wanted to build something that felt like it belonged in a cyberpunk movie but was actually secure and could handle both messages and large files privately.
- •Frustrated by file sharing services that scan and store your uploads
- •Wanted true peer-to-peer transfer without intermediary servers
- •Needed both secure messaging and file sharing in one platform
- •Inspired by cyberpunk aesthetics and the philosophy that 'silence is currency'
Development Journey
Started with cyberpunk UI design and Next.js architecture
Implemented client-side AES-GCM encryption using Web Crypto API
Built WebRTC peer connection system with proper STUN/TURN servers
Added chunked file transfer with real-time progress tracking
Integrated Socket.io for WebRTC signaling and connection management
Currently polishing deployment pipeline and adding steganography
Problems Faced
- •WebRTC NAT Traversal:Implementing reliable peer-to-peer connections across different network configurations required proper STUN/TURN server setup and connection fallbacks
- •Large File Streaming:Chunking large files while maintaining encryption and providing real-time progress feedback without overwhelming the data channel
- •Socket Signaling Coordination:Synchronizing WebRTC offer/answer exchange between peers using Socket.io while handling connection failures gracefully
- •Browser Memory Management:Handling large files in browser memory during encryption/decryption without causing crashes or performance issues
Key Learnings
- •WebRTC Mastery:Deep understanding of peer-to-peer networking, ICE candidates, and the complexities of direct browser-to-browser communication
- •Real-time Systems:Learned to coordinate complex state between multiple clients using Socket.io while maintaining security guarantees
- •Performance Optimization:Balancing security, user experience, and performance when dealing with large file encryption and streaming
- •Security Architecture:Designing systems where even with full server access, user data remains completely private and unreadable
Want to see more projects?
Explore my other projects to see different technologies and approaches to solving various problems.