OpenPGP.
The standard underneath everything. OpenPGP (RFC 9580) defines how messages are encrypted, how signatures are made and checked, and how keys are structured — a format with decades of public scrutiny behind it.
OpenPGP is the IETF-standardized format for encryption and digital signatures, most recently specified in RFC 9580. CarrierPony uses it, with modern Ed25519 and Curve25519 keys, for every message and file it sends.
What it is
When you send a message, CarrierPony builds an OpenPGP envelope: the content is encrypted to your contact's Curve25519 key and signed with your Ed25519 key. The receiving app decrypts and verifies using the same standard. Because the format is public, the behavior can be checked against reference tools like GnuPG.
Why it matters
Proprietary messaging protocols ask you to trust their designers. OpenPGP asks you to trust math that has been attacked in public for decades. Using a documented standard also means your keys and data aren't locked to one app — CarrierPony can import a key straight from GnuPG or PGPony.
Related terms
Common questions.
Is OpenPGP the same as PGP or GnuPG?
PGP was the original 1991 program, OpenPGP is the open standard that grew out of it, and GnuPG is the most widely used free implementation of that standard. CarrierPony implements OpenPGP via PGPonyCore.
Isn't PGP old?
The format is mature; the cryptography inside it is not stuck in the past. CarrierPony uses modern Ed25519 and Curve25519 keys within the OpenPGP framework — current algorithms in a battle-tested container.
Get CarrierPony
Free private messaging and file transfer for iPhone. No accounts, no tracking, no phone numbers.