Mountain View, California - For all the hype around cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, they all share one huge flaw: the amount of resources they require to function.

The power needs of the technical processes that make currencies like Bitcoin possible surpass even the energy consumption of entire countries like Ireland, according to estimates.

Now Signal, the messenger app known for its emphasis on privacy, has introduced what it says is a more environmentally friendly means of digital payments that is just as anonymous as other crypto options: Mobilecoin.

Users of the messenger app Signal can now receive and send Mobilecoin payments in the app, following a global launch of the company's foray into digital payments.

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Mobilecoin aims to achieve higher transaction speeds than blockchain currencies and, above all, claims to be able to be operated in a significantly more energy-efficient manner.

The function can be found in the settings under Payments and is still marked as "Beta," which means it's still in its testing phase.

To be able to use this feature, you'll need to have bought MOB from a trading platform and transferred it to a wallet, a kind of account for cryptocurrencies. Your wallet is then linked to the Signal account.

Payments can be initiated in the settings under "Payments/Send payment" or directly in the chat. There, you have to tap the attachment symbol (plus sign) and then select "Pay".

While payments can be tracked with digital blockchain currencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, Mobilecoin transactions are supposed to be confidential. According to Signal, the sender, recipient, transferred amount and message are all private.