My intention for this project was to implement encryption and authentication on Ricochet\u27s message layer. This provides two major benefits. The first is a higher level of encryption in the event that a flaw is found in the existing channel-layer encryption, or if increases in computing power make attacks on that encryption feasible. Tor is used by the military, journalists, law enforcement, researchers, and activists, whose communications may be interesting to state-level adversaries and criminal organizations with access to great amount of computing resources. Additionally, message-layer encryption would allow users to specify relay nodes that can temporarily store messages and forward them once the recipient comes online. Because the channel-layer encryption in hidden services only encrypts data between end users, the addition of authentication and encryption within messages would enable the application to conceal communication data from relay nodes
