September 17, 2026 · 4 min read
How does Wormhole work
Wormhole, explained as a booth with a policy, not as a miracle.
David KrugManila · @realDavidKrug
There is no trick. You upload a file. You get a link. You send the link the way you already talk to the person. Everything people argue about is policy.
What Wormhole decided
Wormhole (the browser one at wormhole.app) encrypts in the browser and tries very hard not to know what you sent.
The mechanism is fine. The product is the afterwards.
It is free in the way a good protocol demo is free. Files are end-to-end encrypted. They do not linger.
There isn’t a business costume. You do not get a logo, a team, or a receipt.
The policy, not the magic
| Wormhole | |
|---|---|
| Free size | What the browsers can hold |
| Free expiry | Short, on purpose |
| Account to send | No |
| Password | Encryption is the door |
| The top end | No brand page, no receipt |
Why you would like it, and why you might not
If the threat you actually worry about is the server reading the file, this is the honest design.
You cannot brand it, you cannot see that the client downloaded it, and a huge file still depends on both browsers behaving.
If you dislike the policy, a smoother upload will not save you. The mechanism has been fine for years. The product is the afterwards.
Written by
David Krug
Twenty-plus years of building cute little websites, and big ones, with an independent footprint. In the Philippines since 2016. Based in Manila, with two children and one amazing partner.
Follow the build · @realDavidKrug
