&gt; xmpp ties your identity to the server you register with, when there&#x27;s technology to tie your identity to a cryptographic hash (you can use DHT to find people)<p>I have to disagree on this. XMPP follows the same model as email, where your identity is tied to a domain name, and I think it is about as good model as possible in our current internet. The key is that you really <i>really</i> should have your own domain, which then allows you to switch service providers at will without disrupting your identity. Of course I admit that it is bit idealistic viewpoint.