Isoko — Local Marketplace

Isoko means "market" in Kinyarwanda. The app lets you post listings and find things to buy within your local network — the people you are connected to through the mesh.

This app is early. The core features work. Some things described here are in active development.

How it works

Isoko does not have a central database of listings. When you post something, your listing is broadcast to the people you are directly connected to. Those people's devices hold a copy and share it further — like word of mouth, digitally.

This means:

• No server knows what you are selling.
• No company can suspend your listing.
• No platform takes a cut.
• Your listing reaches people in your network, not everyone on the internet.

Posting a listing

Tap New Listing (the + button). Fill in:

Tap Post. Your listing is broadcast immediately to your connected peers.

Listings expire after 7 days by default. Renew or repost if the item is still available.

Finding listings

The home screen shows all listings that have reached your device from the network. Use the search bar or filter by category to narrow it down.

Listings from people you are closer to in the trust graph appear first. A listing from someone two hops away is shown lower than one from a direct peer.

Messaging a seller

Tap a listing. Tap Message seller. This opens a direct, encrypted message thread with the seller using the same DIDComm connection protocol as iwacu's person chat.

The seller receives your message when their device is online. If they are offline, the message is held by a mediator until they connect.

You never need to know the seller's name or phone number to communicate. The app handles the connection.

Completing a transaction

Isoko does not process payments. That is between you and the seller. Meet in person, use cash, use whatever you trust. The app's job is to connect you.

After the transaction, you can leave a trust rating for the seller. Ratings are stored in your local trust graph and shared with your peers — not on any central server.

Privacy in isoko

Your listings do not include your real identity. They are associated with your device's local pseudonym — the same anonymous identifier you use in iwacu.

Your location is never sent automatically. If you choose to include a location in a listing, use a general area (neighborhood, district) not your home address.

Messages between buyer and seller are end-to-end encrypted. Peers who forwarded your listing cannot read the message thread.

Current limitations

• No photo hosting yet — photos in listings are experimental and may not transmit reliably to distant peers.
• No built-in payment integration. Cash or external crypto wallets only.
• No dispute resolution. You are trading with your community. Reputation matters.
• Android only. Web view available at invite links for iOS users.

Safety

Meet in public places for handoffs. Tell someone where you are going. Do not meet alone for high-value items.

Isoko reduces what a third-party platform can know about you, but it does not change the physical risks of in-person commerce. Use common sense.