Beyond Centralization and Blockchains

Every modern “secure messenger” still leaves a footprint somewhere:
corporate servers, federated metadata, or immutable ledgers.
LUM eliminates them completely.

Feature / Platform	LUM	Signal	Session	SimpleX	WhatsApp
Server Model	Ephemeral relays (RAM only)	Central nonprofit	Blockchain nodes	Rotating relays	Central cloud
Data Retention	None (volatile)	Limited	Metadata minimized	Minimal	Retained
User Identity	Per‑Chat Anon ID	Phone number	Anonymous ID	Random ID	Phone number
Crypto Model	User‑defined cipher chain	Fixed Signal protocol	Fixed Signal fork	Fixed	Fixed
Metadata Logs	None	Minimal	Minimal	Minimal	High
Infrastructure Control	User‑owned, self‑deployable	Foundation‑controlled	Node network	Community relays	Meta (Facebook)
Blockchain Dependence	None	None	Required	None	None
Deployment	Docker/K8s, local‑first	Central servers	P2P nodes	Custom relays	Central cloud
Relay Lifetime	~7 days (configurable)	Indefinite	Indefinite	Indefinite	Indefinite

LUM creates a third model: an owner‑controlled, ephemeral network.
Your messages flow through RAM, not databases, then vanish on schedule.