1.13.0 matrix-conference-2026 2026-10-20 2026-10-23 4 00:05 https://cfp.2026.matrix.org Europe/Stockholm Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T10:00:00+02:00 10:00 00:10 Welcome to The Matrix Conference 2026! matrix-conference-2026-101394-opening Keynote /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/N9AQGY/image_hrefYhR.png Andy Piper en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/N9AQGY/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/N9AQGY/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T10:15:00+02:00 10:15 00:25 In which Matthew gives all the latest updates on Matrix - including ecosystem uptake, new clients, new servers, new MSCs, Hydra Phase 2 and 3 progress, P2P Matrix, MatrixRTC maturity, where (D)MLS fits in, and more! matrix-conference-2026-100443-the-matrix-state-of-the-union Keynote Matthew Hodgson en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/BVPGVY/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/BVPGVY/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T10:45:00+02:00 10:45 00:25 A fast-paced tour of everything we’ve been up to at Element in the past year, as well as what to expect in the future. This year's highlights centre on Element's work to make Matrix genuinely interoperable for governments and large organisations in the wild. We’ll cover what’s gone into ESS Pro and Element Pro, as well as the migration from Classic. We’ll also give an overview of all the goodies that have landed in Element X, Element Call, Element and Web. Not to mention our continued investment in protocol research. matrix-conference-2026-102272-element-s-year-in-review-interoperability-in-the-real-world Keynote Neil Johnson en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/SFHGBL/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/SFHGBL/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T12:00:00+02:00 12:00 00:25 An overview of the UX design and technical implementation challenges faced when implementing "live-update" support for Profile Fields in Matrix. matrix-conference-2026-101353-making-custom-profiles-in-matrix-more-useful Next Gen Spec Andrew Morgan (anoa)Aaron Thornburgh en For most of the history of Matrix, users have only been able to attach two data points to their profiles: display names and avatar URLs. This changed in August 2025 when Matrix v1.16 included support for Custom Profile Fields (specified by [MSC4133](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4133)). But while clients could now set and get arbitrary fields, there was no mechanism for getting updates to changes in these fields. That made it unworkable to display fields in timelines or any other "live" UI elements. Profile elements could only really be shown if you specifically clicked on a user. That changed this year when Element began to work on a feature designed to communicate "statuses". They desired the ability to communicate "I'm in a meeting" or "I'm on holiday" without needing to change your display name (and polluting every other room you're in with membership updates). This short talk from Andrew and Aaron at Element details the history, UX design, controversies and technical scalability constraints of designing a live-updating system for profile fields across Matrix. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/QD377V/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/QD377V/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T12:30:00+02:00 12:30 00:25 The timeline is the most interacted-with piece of any chat software. It's where messages live! It's hard to have a chat app without one. Unfortunately, the matrix protocol has... compromises... in the timeline made for the sake of federation. From the incosistent ordering between sync and history on Synapse, to the inability to jump to pinned messages from before you joined, to the mystery of what happens when you join a room your server previously left. The good news is we have a solution! The bad news is it's gonna take a while. This talk is a rundown of every step needed to get a next-generation timeline. I'll explain stitched ordering, timeline fragments, and why we need state DAGs. matrix-conference-2026-99070-a-vision-for-a-next-generation-timeline Next Gen Spec JadeGinger en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/WRGTRX/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/WRGTRX/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T13:00:00+02:00 13:00 00:25 In some environments, governments and regulated organisations can't simply put people in a room and let them talk. What can be shared, and who can read it, is governed by a formal classification policy and by the clearances held by everyone present. This talk walks through a working implementation of security labelling in Matrix using Synapse, Element Web and Advanced Identity & Access Management. We'll cover how policies are expressed, how labels attach to rooms and messages, and how the server enforces them. We'll then finish with a live demo. matrix-conference-2026-102289-implementing-security-labels-in-matrix Next Gen Spec Midhun Suresh RKieran Lane en In defence, government and regulated industry, "who is allowed to see this" isn't a matter of room membership - it's a label against the message itself. Users hold clearances, information carries a classification, and the system should guarantee the two are checked against each other. That expectation is a large part of why many of these organisations are still on older platforms, i.e. XMPP. - What security classifications are, why they're used and who uses them. - What are Security Policy Information Files (SPIF) and how are they used to express security classifications. - A brief look at the proto-MSC written that guided this implementation - A focused look at the work we did in Element Web to support message labels. - How we got synapse to enforce these policies, including talking to an authorisation service. - A live demo that shows all the pieces working together. **Who this is for**: anyone building Matrix for a regulated or classified environment, plus spec and client developers curious about how we approached implementing labelling in Matrix generally. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/XE3K3B/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/XE3K3B/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:25 Element Call already proves what is possible with MatrixRTC: decentralised, federated, end-to-end encrypted video and voice calls powered entirely by the Matrix protocol — but most of the Matrix ecosystem hasn't yet adopted it. To change this we need to build an ecosystem around MatrixRTC that is as vibrant as Matix itself. This talk outlines the vision of components for such an ecosystem and consolidates all the details required to efficiently build on top of MatrixRTC or add support to clients and sdks. This talk starts with a quick tour of MatrixRTC from the ground up. We start with the core specification ([MSC4143](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4143)): what a MatrixRTC session actually is, how participants announce themselves via `m.call.member` sticky events, and how a call across a federated network of homeservers and multiple LiveKit SFUs (Selective Forwarding Unit) works. With the foundations in place, we explore what MatrixRTC makes possible beyond video calls: low-latency data channels, real-time collaborative features, game state synchronisation, and more — all authenticated by Matrix and federated by default. The second half of the talk will be a conversation about **how** to build on MatrixRTC correctly and **why** it matters. We share our learning how to structure SDKs around MatrixRTC and evaluate possible shared building blocks. The goal is to build an ecosystem with components suited for most tasks without reinventing the wheel. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of the technology so you leave the room knowing exactly where to start, and an awareness of what components are available to make your life easier and the final products stable and compatible. Let's bring MatrixRTC to the whole Matrix ecosystem. matrix-conference-2026-101088-bringing-matrixrtc-to-the-matrix-ecosystem Next Gen Spec Timo KandraRobin Townsend en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/UV3NTW/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/UV3NTW/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:25 Matrix already provides the essential primitives for a decentralized calendar: room memberships, federated state exchange, spaces, and support for custom event and room types. This session explores the technical integration of RFC 8984 (JSCalendar) within the Matrix protocol. We will examine how the JSON-based representation of JSCalendar can be mapped to Matrix state events and what pieces are missing. The presentation concludes with a live demonstration of a working prototype within Tammy. matrix-conference-2026-101050-federated-scheduling-integrating-jscalendar-rfc-8984-into-matrix Next Gen Spec Benedict BenkenMichael Thiele en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/WWLM98/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/WWLM98/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:25 The federation protocol is how Matrix homeservers communicate between each other. In private federations this isn't particularly challenging as the network is trusted but in the public federation this isn't true. This talk dives into what protocol improvements are in the works to make the public federation more secure against Byzantine actors, particularly against "backdating": intentional misuse of the concurrency primitives to manipulate the authorisation algorithm. We'll explore why this problem is hard, what some of the failure modes are, and how we are working on addressing them. Some of this work was presented in a [peer-reviewed article](https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3806077.3806691). matrix-conference-2026-101034-project-hydra-phase-2-3-further-improving-the-security-of-the-federation-protocol Next Gen Spec Kegan Dougal en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/M3A3HK/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/M3A3HK/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T15:45:00+02:00 15:45 00:25 Currently user search can only be done locally, which would at best get a list of all users known to the server. This talk aims at explaining the research we did regarding speccing and implementing a spec change proposal for the user federated search (MSC4258). We will also explained the different solutions we thought about and the associated tradeoffs regarding data privacy, performance and complexity. This talk is also about a collaboration between 2 public sector teams from 2 different countries :) matrix-conference-2026-101803-a-common-journey-to-user-federated-search Next Gen Spec Kai A. HillerMaghen Calinghee en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/V9PXRV/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/V9PXRV/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T16:45:00+02:00 16:45 00:25 2026 has seen the resurgence of Next Generation Matrix research funded by Element, as we get back to futureproofing Matrix for the medium-long term. The main project has been the return to P2P Matrix: embedding homeservers inside modern Matrix clients, speaking the very latest Matrix room versions, supporting arbitrary overlay networks. This opens up the world of Matrix for pure mesh communications, and can radically improve metadata footprint (given in a world with no servers, there's nowhere for metadata to gather). Funded by the Dutch Government, we announced this at last year's Matrix Conference in the Matrix State of the Union, and work began in earnest in April. With first releases due in July, we should have an awful lot to talk about by the time of The Matrix Conference in October! Alongside this, there's also been a bunch of work around next generation encryption and yet more ways of marrying together Matrix and MLS, the IETF standard for group key exchange. One of the more interesting directions has been Project Tachyon: what happens if you layer all of Matrix over Decentralised MLS, using MLS to define which devices can participate in the conversation - but use clientside Matrix state resolution for decentralised authorisation having decrypted the traffic? In return you entirely solve the metadata problem: the server doesn't even know rooms exist; all it does is pass DMLS payloads around over to-device messages. In this talk, we'll do a deeper dive into the latest P2P Matrix and DMLS work - and explore how Tachyon might also provide an answer to the eternal question of "Portable Matrix": how do you run Matrix over an existing store-and-forward protocol like SMTP, XMPP, ActivityPub, etc? matrix-conference-2026-102417-next-generation-matrix-p2p-dmls-and-more Next Gen Spec Matthew Hodgson en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/7GYBAP/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/7GYBAP/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T17:15:00+02:00 17:15 00:25 Waldur is a multi-tenant cloud and HPC resource-management platform. In Estonia it powers the state cloud (Riigipilv) and the national scientific computing infrastructure (ETAIS), where deployments routinely involve personal and sensitive data. Yet support for all of it happens across scattered channels: Slack, Signal, email, whatever a given user reaches for. The context for any single deployment is split across all of them. To debug a problem you reconstruct the story from fragments in different apps, there is no durable history tied to the project, and sensitive conversations end up sitting in third-party consumer tools. We are building a Matrix integration for Waldur using the Application Service API, giving every project its own room. Room membership mirrors project membership: members are invited and synced automatically from their existing project roles, so the people in the conversation are exactly the people with access to the resource. The chat renders directly in the Waldur UI, and for support staff who prefer it, the same chat is also available on the go. We have finished implementing the first version and are now pushing it to our first users for testing. This talk introduces the problem, walks through the solution we are building, and shares our future plans for Matrix inside Waldur. matrix-conference-2026-101171-integrating-matrix-chat-into-the-waldur-resource-management-platform-for-sovereign-conversations In Practice Hendrik Jaks en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/E9YU9X/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/E9YU9X/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-21T17:45:00+02:00 17:45 00:25 In a comprehensive digital workspace, the ultimate measure of success for Matrix is invisibility. End-users shouldn't manage a separate Matrix profile, understand what a homeserver is, or manually exchange Matrix IDs. But how do you take a protocol designed to be the center of its own universe and cleanly relegate it to a silent, powerful chat engine under the hood of a broader platform? This talk explores the architectural reality of "disappearing" Matrix into a cloud collaborative platform. We will explore how to hide Matrix-flavored concepts to users, and map platform-native user management or ACLs onto Matrix. By looking at custom identity servers, and application bridges, we will share the practical engineering required to keep the protocol completely transparent to the user. matrix-conference-2026-101196-disappearing-the-protocol-integrating-matrix-into-a-multi-app-platform In Practice Pierre 'McFly' Marty en This talk provides an architectural study of embedding Matrix seamlessly inside a larger multi-app platform. Bypassing basic integration concepts, the focus shifts directly to the specific Matrix components deployed and the automation built to prevent protocol semantics from leaking to the end-user. **Architectural Deep Dive:** * **Identity Automation via ToM (Twake-on-Matrix):** A look at a Matrix Identity Server, with some modifications integrating company-wide directories and extended profiles as well as fully automated user account lifecycle, keeping Matrix profile management entirely invisible to the user. * **State & ACL Sync via Twake Bridge:** Determining system authority remains the hardest part of integration. An application service automates synchronization between a platform's native HRIS-style user/group ACLs and Matrix's room/power-level state, ensuring overarching platform rules dictate Matrix room behavior instantly and automatically. * **The Edge of Automation:** An open design discussion on where the illusion breaks. Should Matrix room attachments share quota semantics with a platform's broader file storage ecosystem? A critical look at the unsolved boundaries of shared storage, media ownership, and sync direction. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/39DKCK/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/39DKCK/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T12:00:00+02:00 12:00 00:55 This panel discussion will gather several public sector organisations who have deployed Matrix at scale to discuss about the relevance of Matrix in public sector, the importance of cross-border collaboration / cross-border interoperability, supporting the ecosystem (and challenges thereof) and benefits of using Matrix over proprietary solutions. matrix-conference-2026-100965-matrix-in-public-sector-panel-discussion Public Sector sponsored by Element Marco HolzPatrick WeberKenneth EdwallAmandine Le PapeMathieu Velten en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/VZQLU3/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/VZQLU3/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T13:00:00+02:00 13:00 00:25 Sweden's eSam initiative(eSamverkansprogrammet) has explored Matrix as a foundation for interoperable communication across public-sector organizations. Starting with a live federation pilot between two national agencies, the work has evolved into a broader effort involving governance, security, legal frameworks, and long-term sustainability. This session discusses how Matrix can support digital sovereignty, interoperability, and vendor independence while enabling practical collaboration across organizational boundaries. matrix-conference-2026-97741-how-can-governments-collaborate-digitally-without-forcing-every-organization-onto-the-same-platform Public Sector sponsored by Element Kenneth EdwallCecilia Spiik en false eSamverkansprogrammet - How can governments collaborate digitally without forcing every organization onto the same platform https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/TQJAV9/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/TQJAV9/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:25 This talk will first present an amazing demo where someone from the Swedish Matrix public sector deployment will magically be able to talk to someone on the French one, and perhaps perhaps we will even be joined by someone from the NATO one, what an amazing time to be alive! A presentation will follow to talk about how we manage to pull this through, being on a technological or human cooperation level. matrix-conference-2026-102388-bridging-private-federations-across-borders Public Sector sponsored by Element Mathieu VeltenKenneth EdwallJeroen Franssen en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KDNVUL/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KDNVUL/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:25 To make the most of the sovereignty and interoperability enabled by Matrix, governments need to deploy at scale; across multiple organisations within their own country, between partner countries and mission partner environments. At an even larger scale, they may also need to support government to citizen communications - literally tens or even hundreds of millions of people. This session explores what’s required to deliver these types of production environments straight out of the box. We'll cover server-side interoperability, mixing and matching Element Server Suite Pro with other Matrix-based solutions without friction, and how to make federation genuinely easy to deploy and manage - within large organisations and with external partners. For example, when you federate with a partner you should be able to find your colleague in their directory. You should be able to share files with them and collaborate seamlessly, but also safely and in a controlled manner; such as checking what goes in and out of your network with proven Secure Border Gateways. Finally, we'll explore air-gapped deployments and cross-domain functionality - enabling secure communications across classification boundaries where external connectivity simply isn't an option. matrix-conference-2026-101809-server-side-functionality-for-multilateral-use Public Sector sponsored by Element Patrick Maier en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/CWLX8Z/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/CWLX8Z/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:25 Enhancing open standards and data ownership within its ecosystem, the European Commission is walking the (sovereign) talk by introducing a new Digital Workplace service powered by Matrix / Element. This talk walks you through the EC's journey from early architecture decisions to deploying a production ready communication service. We will share the practical reality of integrating Matrix into a large-scale institutional ecosystem - balancing strict security and compliance requirements with user experience and the key lessons learned along the way. matrix-conference-2026-103132-sovereignty-meets-interoperability-the-european-commission-s-matrix-story Public Sector sponsored by Element Alexandru VIGNIDEDiana GHEORGHE en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/YHV8XB/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/YHV8XB/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T15:45:00+02:00 15:45 00:25 Digital sovereignty is a board-level priority, but ambition often outpaces reality. In this session, Forrester analyst Dario Maisto presents findings from his latest report, drawing a clear line between sovereignty, privacy, and security, and examining the practical challenges organisations face in reducing dependency on dominant tech stacks, from productivity suites to communication. He explores how open standards and open source can support sovereignty goals, introducing a Minimum Viable Sovereignty framework for setting realistic targets. The session also addresses the limits of open source, including project health, maintainer sustainability, and commercial support, as key factors in mission-critical viability, leaving attendees with a grounded framework for evaluating sovereignty initiatives. matrix-conference-2026-103131-forrester-report-open-source-and-open-standards-for-sovereignty-privacy-and-security Digital Sovereignty Dario Maisto en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KZM8NW/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KZM8NW/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T16:45:00+02:00 16:45 00:25 Every organization that adopts Matrix federation makes the protocol more valuable. Every gap they hit makes adoption harder. Rocket.Chat runs Matrix federation in production for government, defence, and critical infrastructure organizations, and that work shows where the protocol already meets customer expectations, and where it can go further. This talk shares our findings from real-world implementation conversations, findings from adoption, and proposals for native capabilities. matrix-conference-2026-103106-between-the-protocol-and-the-customer-federation-expectations-in-production Public Sector sponsored by Element Renato Becker en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/3GTLFM/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/3GTLFM/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T17:15:00+02:00 17:15 00:25 Over five decades, is the largest strategic partner for common, trusted, and cybersecure digital foundations across the entire UN system. Today, UNICC serves over 100 UN entities and other international organizations, operating in a global environment where secure, cross-agency collaboration is essential to fulfilling its mandates. Therefore, UNICC is uniquely positioned to identify and promote the reuse of open-source solutions across the UN system and beyond. Operating within the UN context requires strict adherence to institutional independence, technological neutrality, data privacy, and digital sovereignty. Matrix’s open, decentralized standard has helped UNICC ensure that sensitive inter-agency communications, crisis management, and incident response operations remain under complete institutional control, protected by end-to-end encryption. This session explores UNICC’s practical journey in deploying Matrix at scale. Attendees will gain insights into multi-tenant federation, open-source governance, and how decentralized protocols provide a resilient, sovereign digital backbone for global public goods. Key Takeaways: - Strategic Evolution: How UNICC shifted to open standards for global UN collaboration. - Digital Sovereignty & Data Protection: Protecting sensitive data through decentralized, end-to-end encrypted architecture that strengthens institutional control and reduces dependency on proprietary platforms. - Operational Value: Real-world benefits of federated communication in emergency response and automated workflows. matrix-conference-2026-103133-united-nations-unicc Public Sector sponsored by Element Sameer Chauhan en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DNNLEW/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DNNLEW/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-21T17:45:00+02:00 17:45 00:25 In our talk, we would like to give conference participants an insight into practical use cases for the Matrix solution. We will cover projects in the healthcare sector, external security, and public administration. matrix-conference-2026-101054-practical-insights-of-using-matrix-in-germany-external-security-healthcare-public-sector Public Sector sponsored by Element /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/EYBZT9/image_ts8ybgA.webp Franziska StreidtOliver Graml en We will discuss the approach taken for a Matrix implementation project. We will share insights on how to successfully execute such a complex project, using the TK Messenger and the “Bundes-Messenger/Bundeswehr-Messenger" as examples. Afterwards, we will outline the Proof-of-Concept process within the public administration (Project Neo). false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/EYBZT9/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/EYBZT9/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-21T11:30:00+02:00 11:30 00:11 Can open protocols communities learn from each other? For sure! I would like to talk about political demands from a perspective of advocating for open protocols based social networks in EUrope. And why I build the alliance “Open networks and public spheres”. I would like to learn about your political demands as the Matrix community and what common struggles are that ActivityPub or atproto communities share with you? matrix-conference-2026-102392-open-protocols-unite-common-goals-in-advocating Lightning Talks samvie en This talks wants to build bridges within our habitat of open protocols communities. When advocating for open protocols as relevant tools for so called "digital sovereignty" (that is not for states and their administrations or for purely economical interests but from a digital commons perspective that benefits all) it seems important to build networks - so we can get to know our policies goals and see if we have joined political demands therefore. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/PYSDEF/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/PYSDEF/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-21T11:44:00+02:00 11:44 00:11 A introduction to custodial / janitorial moderation and how you are already using this model, potentially without knowing it. matrix-conference-2026-106034-introduction-to-custodial-janitorial-moderation-and-why-you-are-already-doing-it Lightning Talks Cat en In this talk i will present the basics of the custodial / janitorial moderation model and the role split and go into why your already using this model potentially not knowing it and describing what the roles do in a safe manner. While the subject matter of janitorial moderation can become very content warning heavy very quickly this talk will stay away from this by having a here be dragons type of policy around this by only saying things go bump in the night and leaving defining that as a exercise for the audience. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/D9Y33R/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/D9Y33R/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T12:00:00+02:00 12:00 00:25 Join **Jim** from the Matrix.org Foundation Trust & Safety team, as he walks through the progress the ecosystem has made in building a safer network, and invites you to join us in building the future of safety on Matrix. Jim is joined by special guest **Juliet** from [ROOST](https://roost.tools), and you'll hear about their tools **Coop** and **Osprey**. We'll talk about how matrix.org is using those tools, and how we're making them more accessible for Matrix servers. Jim will also talk about **Reporting v2**, a flagship project for the Foundation Safety team, and **how you can help**. matrix-conference-2026-102416-building-a-safer-network-together Growing a Network Jim MackenzieJuliet (she/her) en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/NBMLXD/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/NBMLXD/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T12:30:00+02:00 12:30 00:25 Tools for enabling metadata privacy - which prevents network observers from inferring who communicates with whom - have technically matured over decades. Yet, despite their maturity, these tools remain absent from today's mainstream messaging platforms. This talk looks beyond technical aspects and presents research into adoption barriers focusing on potential users themselves. It presents a study with 96 messaging app users investigating three key questions: How do users understand metadata privacy? What do they perceive as benefits and risks of metadata-private features? And under what conditions would they actually adopt metadata-private features? The results reveal (1) limited understanding of metadata privacy, (2) dual-use potential as serving both legitimate and illegitimate actors, and (3) two fundamental adoption barriers. This includes a prosocial adoption gap in which despite recognizing legitimate beneficiaries (journalists, activists, whistleblowers), the majority of users would not adopt a novel metadata-private app for the sake of others' benefit. The other adoption gap we identify is a choice stigma paradox in which the optionality of metadata-private features enables acceptance but at the same time leads to social stigma, with users worrying about appearing suspicious for choosing increased privacy. Building on these insights, I discuss what these findings mean for deploying metadata privacy in practice - including why universal defaults may succeed where optional features fail. matrix-conference-2026-101186-the-adoption-gap-how-choice-and-stigma-shape-user-acceptance-of-metadata-private-messaging Growing a Network Tom Biselli en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/7TNQFM/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/7TNQFM/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T13:00:00+02:00 13:00 00:25 From user discovery and end to end encryption to push notifications: how the requirements for a matrix messenger differs if the target audiance are individuals instead of businesses. matrix-conference-2026-100909-fluffychat-creating-a-matrix-messenger-for-individuals Matrix Inside /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/DMFPLT/image_5c5K1cT.webp Krille (Christian K.) en Since 2017 I'm developing FluffyChat, first for Ubuntu Touch and since 2020 also for Android, iOS, Web and Linux. Always with one goal in mind: Target individuals instead of businesses and therefore as a non profit project. In this talk I would like to outline how I have different user groups in mind when designing new features, how to make user discovery or end to end encryption easy to use but also powerful. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DMFPLT/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DMFPLT/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:25 Air-gapped Matrix is usually treated as a deployment question. For us, it is the architecture. Axiom is Labrys’ operational platform, built for military clients and the most hostile threat models you can name: encrypted communications, verified media, shared mapping and live location. Underneath it, Matrix is NOT just the messenger. It is the transport. Homeservers, rooms and events carry the rest of the system, including across networks that never touch the public internet. This talk covers what had to move inside the boundary, why using Matrix as a transport is particularly useful in isolated networks, and what we learned from taking a live platform off the internet. matrix-conference-2026-103135-labrys-deploying-air-gapped-matrix Matrix Inside Dan WoodelLuke Wattam en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/3PYU7E/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/3PYU7E/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:25 NeoBoard, the open-source real-time collaborative whiteboard built on the Matrix protocol, has come a long way since its first appearance at the Matrix Conference. In this talk, Nordeck's CEO gives an honest account of where the product stands today — the architecture, the open-source release, the feature roadmap — and announces some surprises that take NeoBoard beyond the developer community and into everyday use. matrix-conference-2026-101042-neoboard-at-scale-demo Matrix Inside Hato Nordeck en A concise overview of the current state: the dual form factor (Matrix widget for Element Web and a standalone Matrix client), the open-source release under AGPL-3.0, the infinite canvas, CRDT-based real-time collaboration via MatrixRTC, and the product's place within the openDesk suite. This sets the stage for an audience that may know NeoBoard from previous conferences but wants to understand where the product is in mid-2026. The deployment at "DAP Digitaler Arbeitsplatz für Lehrer in Baden-Württemberg" for 86K users will be NeoBoard's largest public-sector deployment, and sits within the broader openDesk ecosystem already serving tens of thousands of users across German public institutions. We will share lessons from the discovery and evaluation process, what it takes to deploy a Matrix-based tool at this scale, and what the education sector demands from a collaborative whiteboard. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/7BLS3N/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/7BLS3N/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:25 Robrix is a "new" FOSS Matrix client written entirely from scratch in Rust, with some cool power user features like a **dockable-tabs view** of multiple rooms side-by-side, just like your favorite IDE. It's simple and flexible enough for casual chatters as well, and can seamlessly transition into a sleek mobile-friendly adaptive UI for narrow screens. Robrix runs smoothly and consistently across mobile & desktop platforms, thanks to the underlying Makepad UI toolkit and Robius abstraction crates, which we also wrote ourselves in Rust. After several years of hard work on those components, we have finally reached the milestone of publishing Robrix to major app stores. Join us to learn more, see some fun live demos, and give it a try yourself. We'll also preview some of our future ideas, such as making Matrix the best medium for coordinating and managing multi-agent workflows (even better than Telegram!). matrix-conference-2026-100881-robrix-a-pure-rust-multi-platform-matrix-client-and-a-peek-at-its-future Matrix Inside /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/PUQNED/image_uwrwbfD.webp Kevin Boos en [Robrix](https://github.com/project-robius/robrix) began as a flagship application test case and driver for the cross-platform development of [Makepad](https://github.com/makepad/makepad) and [Robius](https://github.com/project-robius), but has since become a real project in its own right. While it's not yet 100% complete, we've achieved near feature parity with other big Matrix clients, and that gap is closing every week. ### First half: current state + demo In the first half of this talk, we'll give an overview and live demo of Robrix's current design and core Matrix functionality. Beyond the goals of flexibility and productivity for users who want it, we also prioritize consistency: all UI experiences and features are available on **every device** and **every platform** – we don't restrict features just because you're on your phone. While Robrix itself is platform-independent (aka, easy to contribute to! 😊), it runs natively on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux (X11 & Wayland). Web/WASM and HarmonyOS/OpenHarmony are mostly supported but need a bit of TLC. Importantly, since we control the entire stack, we can achieve deep integration with underlying OS services and platform features, all without a heavyweight framework or web engine like Electron. Integration layers can even be customized, allowing us to improve upon known limitations of other frameworks like Flutter. Publishing Robrix to app stores has also validated our earliest objective: one can successfully distribute cross-platform Rust apps through platform-native channels despite bypassing those platforms' native UI frameworks and build systems. ### Second half: future & in-progress work In the second half of this talk, we'll explore some potential future directions. One example is leveraging Matrix as the medium for coordinating and managing multi-agent workflows, which are becoming increasingly popular. We envision an agent being able to generate or download dynamic "mini-apps" written in *Splash*, Makepad 2.0's UI scripting language, that can be safely interpreted in a streaming manner within a resource-isolated sandbox. This would enable an agent to create things like a **custom interactive status dashboard** _directly within a room_, which would be accessible on any device, even restricted systems like iOS. We could even inject custom dependencies, such as the Matrix Widget API, into a custom Splash mini-app to enable it to access room info, user context, and timelines with the existing capability-based permissions model. This combination of Robrix's rich UI and the Matrix Widget API could elevate Matrix to become the ideal choice for agent coordination, surpassing Telegram, the de facto choice for chat-room-like coordination between agents. Beyond that, we'd also like to experiment with integrating *on-device* models for simpler, more practical utility features, e.g., summarizing a few weeks of missed messages in an E2EE room (preserving privacy) or answering user questions based on room history. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/PUQNED/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/PUQNED/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T15:45:00+02:00 15:45 00:25 Introducing a new communication tool into an existing organisation or community usually means training users and addressing their common pain points as best as possible. Over the last few years, Element Server Suite (ESS) has empowered administrators to integrate Element in a way that makes sense for their organisations, through tools like Element Admin and recent improvements in the rest of the Matrix stack. This talk will go through what the Element stack has to offer in terms of administration tooling, UX improvements for onboarding new users and integration with existing user directories. This includes concrete user-facing features like QR code login and many features introduced with Matrix Authentication Service, but also leveraging new features in the Matrix spec like extensible profiles. matrix-conference-2026-102410-as-a-server-administrator-i-want-to-run-element-successfully-in-my-organisation-community Matrix Inside Quentin Gliech en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/NBEB99/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/NBEB99/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T16:45:00+02:00 16:45 00:25 The privacy paradox (the theory that people say they care about their privacy but behave as if they do not), assumes that user behaviours are irrational, uninformed, and based on choosing convenience above their own data protection. My research points to a different perspective: people do care, and they also behave inconsistently, but not always out of convenience. At its core, it seems that people behave inconsistently because they feel they have no agency and that “there is no point” in trying to protect their personal information. In this sense, we all live more in a state of privacy helplessness than in a paradox – a paradox implies a choice we don’t all have. Regulations like the GDPR can’t be the sole solution for such a widespread and structural issue, nor are they a substitute for measures which focus on actual empowerment. Geopolitical considerations are also leading private organisations and governments to more carefully ownership and control of their data, which leads to questions around autonomy and digital sovereignty. In this talk I will go through the reasons why decentralised, end-to-end-encrypted public infrastructure, built on open standards, could be the structural answer to these problems. Matrix is one of the few working examples of this kind of technology being deployed in the public sector at scale. Matrix based communications are a key case study to show why open technology is essential to address individual concerns around helplessness, as well as national level issues associated with digital sovereignty (or lack of it). matrix-conference-2026-100709-from-helplessness-to-sovereignty-matrix-as-a-use-case-for-fairer-information-infrastructure Digital Sovereignty Denise Almeida en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/QXZEQJ/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/QXZEQJ/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T17:15:00+02:00 17:15 00:25 The European Commission defines tech sovereignty as Europe’s ability to act independently in the digital world by developing and controlling key technologies, data, and infrastructure, while reducing reliance on non-EU providers. On June 3, the European Commission has published a tech sovereignty package. What’s included in the package? What’s positive? What the Commission didn’t get quite right and can it be fixed? And what’s in it for Matrix and Free and Open Source Software in general? The talk will provide a gentle introduction into some of the elements of the tech sovereignty package and try to answer all these questions. matrix-conference-2026-101298-europe-s-tech-sovereignty-what-s-in-it-for-matrix Digital Sovereignty Marcel Kolaja en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HCZ83N/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HCZ83N/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-21T17:45:00+02:00 17:45 00:25 Just days before this conference, the European Commission adopted the **European Technological Sovereignty Package**, placing open source explicitly at the centre of Europe's digital strategy for the first time. The timing is not coincidental. It is the political response to a structural dependency Europe can no longer afford to ignore: critical infrastructure — including healthcare — running on platforms controlled by others. This talk makes a practical argument: digital sovereignty has moved from political rhetoric to **procurement reality**. Across Europe, more than 20 governments have already chosen Matrix as their foundation for sovereign, vendor-agnostic communication — from Germany's Bundeswehr and BundesMessenger to France's Tchap and LaSuite, Sweden's SAFOS Chatt, and the European Commission itself. This is no longer a pilot phase. It is production infrastructure. Healthcare is where the argument becomes hardest — and most compelling. Germany's **TI-Messenger**, mandated by gematik and built on the Matrix open standard, connects over 150,000 healthcare organizations and reached 74 million statutory insured citizens in July 2025, making it the largest Matrix deployment worldwide. Yet real-world adoption reveals a tension that no technical standard alone can resolve: clinical staff default to WhatsApp not out of ignorance, but because it works and patients are already there. Studies show 82% of healthcare organizations carry significant shadow IT exposure, and the NHS has internally described WhatsApp use as a *"privacy and clinical safety timebomb"*. The problem is not the technology. It is incentives and governance. Drawing on experience as a healthcare IT vendor building on the Matrix protocol, this talk examines **three dimensions of sovereignty** — data, infrastructure, and protocol — and shows how Matrix uniquely addresses all three simultaneously, in contrast to WhatsApp, Signal, and Microsoft Teams. It traces lessons from government deployments to their implications for regulated healthcare, and covers the regulatory drivers now turning sovereignty from aspiration into obligation: NIS2 designates healthcare as an "essential entity" subject to proactive audits and fines up to €10 million; the EHDS mandates structured interoperability; and the EU Technological Sovereignty Package is beginning to shape procurement criteria directly. The talk closes with a challenge to the Matrix community: the TI-Messenger specification is a blueprint, not a ceiling. Building shared certification frameworks for healthcare across Europe — and treating interoperability between Matrix vendors as a competitive strength rather than a threat — is the next step. The window, opened by this week's EU package, will not stay open indefinitely. **Attendees will leave with:** a clear framework for positioning Matrix in regulated procurement; an honest account of where adoption stalls and why; and a concrete call to action for the Matrix ecosystem in European healthcare. matrix-conference-2026-100495-digital-sovereignty-is-no-longer-a-buzzword-it-s-procurement-policy Digital Sovereignty Jens-Uwe Thieme en The presentation argues that digital sovereignty in healthcare IT has shifted from an abstract ideal to a concrete procurement requirement, using the Matrix protocol as the case study for sovereign communication. It builds the case in three acts: 1. The problem — clinical staff still default to WhatsApp despite sovereignty rhetoric; sovereignty means independence, not isolation. 2. The evidence maps the three layers / four platforms of the sovereign-communication landscape, shows 20+ European governments have already mandated it, identifies the four drivers (regulatory, security, cost, geopolitical) turning it into an obligation, and shows what sovereignty requirements look like inside an actual tender. 3. The complication and the ask — reach still lag adoption, an August 2026 inflection point in uptake, reasons adoption remains slow, the risk that no single vendor controls the standard, and closes with four concrete asks for stakeholders before the policy window closes. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/MFBXVD/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/MFBXVD/feedback/ Workshop Workshop 2026-10-21T12:00:00+02:00 12:00 01:30 Based on Trixnity Messenger, different customization options of the Matrix messenger client are shown. We start easy with some white-labelling and re-route some parts of the app. We continue with some adaptations of the existing UI and by adding a new feature that integrates seamlessly. Lastly, we explore the possibility to re-use the messenger's UI logic to build a completely new UI layer on top. matrix-conference-2026-101008-customize-your-matrix-messenger Workshop Michael Thiele en true https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KDTBJ3/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KDTBJ3/feedback/ Workshop Workshop 2026-10-21T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 02:00 When messaging across interoperable platforms or different clients in a decentralized network, there is a common set of functionalities defined by the common protocol or API bridging the conversation, but there may also be unique functionality exclusive to each client. These differences may sometimes have important implications in the user experience and privacy of the conversation partners, but there are no design patterns or agreed standards for dealing with them. For example, imagine that someone sends a "view only once picture" but the receiver's client lacks this functionality: would you expect the receiver to simply show the picture? To show an error message saying "message not supported"? Or should the sender client prevent the use of "asymmetrical functionality" in the first place? In this design workshop, we will introduce the concept of "seamful design", briefly present cases where asymmetrical functionalities may harm user experience, and engage all attendees in a prototyping activity to explore potential workarounds through design. Based on the prototyped design ideas, we will discuss trade-offs, challenges and potential best UX practices for designing around functional asymmetries in interoperable messaging. matrix-conference-2026-101304-hello-from-the-other-side-a-design-workshop-to-bridge-asymmetries-between-messaging-clients Workshop Carla GriggioStina OlssonXinyuan LiuTom Biselli en This workshop will be run by members of the **_mInt_** research lab on user-centered messaging interoperability from Aalborg University (Copenhagen, Denmark). Workshop participants will gain knowledge on user-experience design concepts and low-fi prototyping of user interfaces. Participants will be encouraged to stay in touch after the workshop in a Matrix room and collaborate on a blog post summarizing the main takeaways. true https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/XQU8GA/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/XQU8GA/feedback/ Workshop Workshop 2026-10-21T16:45:00+02:00 16:45 01:30 I'll show you how to deploy a working Matrix server, live, in just a few minutes using Continuwuity. Then we'll get down to brass tacks and set up everything that makes Matrix great: - Native, next-generation video conferencing - Moderation bots, and all the tooling you need to manage and scale a public Matrix community - Bridges beyond Matrix to message family on Whatsapp and signal or merge communities on Slack or Discord - Bots, bots, bots! Ping racing, reminders and handy custom tools I've got a plan, but this sessions is for you, so we'll go off the rails to follow what you want to know. The intention is that everyone has something useful to take home! matrix-conference-2026-99064-matrix-in-minutes Workshop JadeNexGinger en true https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/WDFVAP/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/WDFVAP/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T10:00:00+02:00 10:00 00:25 The Matrix.org Foundation is the key to Matrix' independence from any commercial vendor. It exists to protect the neutrality of the Matrix protocol, promote Matrix as an open standard, give a voice to the members of the ecosystem and ensure trust and safety within the open network. This keynote will give an overview of the latest about the Foundation and will include a presentation from the Governing Board on the activities led by the various Committees and Working Groups. matrix-conference-2026-100236-foundation-governing-board-update Keynote Amandine Le PapeNicoNeil Johnson en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/FYKJMY/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/FYKJMY/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T10:30:00+02:00 10:30 00:25 Last year we started the endeavour of bringing Matrix and MLS together. The work on this subject led to some pretty exciting developments. Here you will be the first to learn about them! matrix-conference-2026-103858-matrix-and-mls-the-next-step-of-the-evolution Keynote Niklas ZenderTimm Behner en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/G9XJTA/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/G9XJTA/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T11:45:00+02:00 11:45 00:55 Intended for people who don't know much about encryption or Matrix, this session will give an overview of how your messages are kept safe, using end-to-end encryption. We'll very briefly review what we are trying to do: be sure who we're talking to, and be sure no-one else can read our messages. Then we'll discuss how Matrix does this: devices talk to each other with something called Olm, and messages in rooms use Megolm. By the end of this session you should be confident talking about how Matrix keeps your data safe, and you should know enough that you are able to dig deeper when you need to. matrix-conference-2026-98869-how-encryption-works-in-matrix Cryptography Andy Balaam en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DDYYQW/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DDYYQW/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T12:45:00+02:00 12:45 00:25 At Element, we've been thinking about how you can be sure you are chatting to the right person, not an intruder, without reading out numbers or emoji over a video call. One approach we've been experimenting with is the use of X.509 certificates issued by a trusted certificate authority. I'll be talking about how this helps (and when it doesn't), as well as covering some technical details of the implementation. This talk is aimed at people interested in how we can improve the user experience of encryption of Matrix. I'll assume familiarity with concepts around encryption in Matrix such as user identities, but you won't need detailed cryptographic knowledge! matrix-conference-2026-100422-new-phone-who-dis-user-verification-using-x-509-certificates Cryptography Richard van der Hoff en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/A8MVMH/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/A8MVMH/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:25 When you operate communication infrastructure for one of Europe's largest defense organizations, "good enough" is never good enough. At BWI, we do not just run Matrix. We trust in the idea behind it: that secure, open communication should be a public good. When we introduced Matrix into the Bundeswehr, we made a deliberate decision: everything, always, end-to-end encrypted. No exceptions, no fallbacks. That single switch revealed the hard problems. Olm and Megolm, built on the Signal Protocol, are the gold standard of modern encryption, but they were not designed for large rooms with thousands of participants at government scale. Those cracks are what brought us to MLS, the IETF standard built for exactly those harder problems: scalable group key management, stronger forward secrecy, post-compromise security. MLS does not just change how keys are managed. It changes how little the server needs to know. And that is not a side effect. It is a design goal. The less the server knows, the less it can leak, and required by VS-AP0024, the BSI guidance we operate under. That settled the what. Rust settles the how. Not as a language choice, but as the foundation that makes formal verification of the functional core possible, and memory safety everywhere else a given. We wrote MSC2546 ourselves, defining how MLS integrates into the Matrix protocol at the spec level. Now we are ready to share what happened next. In this talk, Timm and David from BWI will show you what it takes to bring MLS into a real production stack: what changes in the SDK, what it means for backend modules, and how Rust becomes the common thread that holds it all together. Expect no polished success story. Expect honest engineering: what was built, where it broke, and what it cost. And at the end, the first thing they shipped with it. A new way to have a conversation that leaves no trace. Come find out when to change the locks. Join our journey. matrix-conference-2026-93688-when-to-change-the-locks-in-your-matrix Cryptography Bjoern ReinersTimm BehnerDavid Lassig en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/8ZCYUQ/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/8ZCYUQ/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:25 This presentation outlines the development experience of a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) extension for the vodozemac library, tailored for its use in MSG GOV, a Matrix-powered E2EE messenger for the Brazilian federal government. Our hybrid design is adapted to support multiple PQC algorithms, including ML-KEM and Brazil's state-mandated cryptography. The talk details the practical software engineering challenges associated with the hybrid integration of flexible PQC features into the Matrix protocol, extending both the key agreement and the Double Ratchet algorithm while preserving compatibility. matrix-conference-2026-102429-towards-a-post-quantum-matrix-protocol-a-hybrid-design-adapted-to-the-brazilian-scenario Cryptography Paulo A L RegoRodrigo Pacheco en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/TZ8ZYX/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/TZ8ZYX/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:25 This talk is about how feature asymmetries between interoperable messaging apps may disrupt users' online self-presentation, that is, how they choose what features to use with different groups of people to control the impression they form of them. Most users of messaging apps have their strategies to uphold some specific “persona”, if it is sending GIFs to add a humorous tone to the conversation, intentionally using dots at the end of messages to seem more intelligent or professional in front of their boss, or how they resonate when choosing a Snapchat avatar versus their profile picture for Teams. However, in interoperable messaging, some features are sometimes presented in different ways across clients. For example, one app may offer the sender to react to messages with an emoji, so they can reply to messages fast and with low effort, but the receiver app may attach animations to these reactions, bringing a more effortful and playful tone to the conversation. So how do these asymmetries affect users' self-presentation, when may they experience a conversation differently to how the receiver sees it? In this talk, I present a research study on how feature asymmetries across different protocols and clients may affect self-presentation and what this means for interoperability as a means for mitigating network effects. matrix-conference-2026-101087-feature-asymmetry-in-interoperable-messaging-a-barrier-for-mitigating-network-effects Growing a Network Stina Olsson en The study was done together with the _mInt research lab on user-centered messaging interoperability_ at Aalborg University. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/XTFYUT/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/XTFYUT/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T16:15:00+02:00 16:15 00:25 Matrix was created with the idea of federation at the core, but nowadays there is matrix.org which contains a majority of the users of the wider matrix network, nullifying the benefits of it. This has since also started generating significant cost for The Matrix Foundation and lead to shutdown of some previously offered bridges. The Homeserver Decentralisation Working Group aims to improve the situation. matrix-conference-2026-98015-homeserver-decentralisation-working-group-report Foundation Nicolas Da Mutten en One of the co-chairs of the Homeserver Decentralisation Working Group go on a little journey through the history of the WG, how it formed, what challenges it tries to master and what lies ahead. After a little introduction, you'll hear - about the events that lead to the creation of the Working Group, - how the initial members met, - what problems The Matrix Foundation was already facing, - what goals we have, - what challenges lie ahead of us, - our produced documents, governance proposals, tooling and general milestones achieved - offering a look into the future, on what we aim to do in the near future and what we hope the far future will look like. This talk is intended for Matrix contributors, homeserver administrators, community organizers, client developers and anyone interested in the governance and long-term sustainability of the Matrix ecosystem but also bigger organizations, that want to learn about the real benefits of federation and consider opening up their instance. _In case you don't know about the Working Group, you can find all our information [here](https://github.com/cleverer/matrix-wg-promote-alternative-homeservers) or ask in our [matrix room](https://matrix.to/#/%23homeserver-decentralisation:matrix.org)._ false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HKSYET/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HKSYET/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T16:45:00+02:00 16:45 00:25 Matrix Widgets have been part of the Matrix universe for years — But: What is a Widget? What is its definition, taxonomy and specification? Why Widgets makes sense in times of AI? Why Widgets make sense while matrix is getting more complicated on the client side? The newly founded Matrix Widgets Working Group of the Foundation is tackling this: aligning on definitions, mapping use cases, and building the foundation for a flourishing widget and app ecosystem across all Matrix clients. In this talk we share the Working Group's goals, current status, and latest results — and invite anybody to get involved. matrix-conference-2026-101043-widgets-working-group Foundation /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/ZAMKVT/image_sGswqZf.webp Hato NordeckYan Minagawa en Matrix Widgets have long been an underutilised part of the ecosystem — powerful in theory, but held back by fragmented definitions, limited discoverability, and inconsistent client support. At Matrix Summit 2026, a group of community members came together to change that. The newly founded Matrix Widgets Working Group of the Matrix Foundation is taking on the challenge: establishing a shared taxonomy for what a "Widget" actually is, mapping user needs and use cases, and laying the groundwork for a thriving app ecosystem — including a widget catalogue or App Store that makes widgets accessible and trustworthy for all Matrix clients and users. In this talk, we will share: - Why we founded the WG and what problem we are solving - Our working definition of Matrix Widgets and how it differs from what exists today - The key topics the WG is working on: Discovery & Distribution, Developer Experience, Mobile Support, and more Current results, open questions, and how you can get involved Whether you are a client developer, a widget builder, or simply curious about the future of apps in Matrix — this talk is for you. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/ZAMKVT/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/ZAMKVT/feedback/ Sofya Talk 2026-10-22T17:45:00+02:00 17:45 00:25 Review and outlook matrix-conference-2026-101395-closing Keynote Andy Piper en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/ZB8TVD/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/ZB8TVD/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T11:45:00+02:00 11:45 00:25 Matrix was designed around strong end-to-end encryption and user-controlled trust. While this model is ideal for private communication, large public-sector and critical infrastructure deployments face additional requirements that go beyond traditional E2EE. This talk explores the challenges of operating Matrix within one of Europe's largest sovereign and security-critical IT infrastructures, where legal archiving obligations, compliance requirements, incident handling, automation and long-term information governance must coexist with modern encrypted communication. We discuss why classic end-to-end encryption is not always sufficient in enterprise environments and examine the concept of End-to-Organization Encryption (E2OE) as a potential architectural approach. Rather than focusing solely on technical implementation, the session evaluates the trade-offs between confidentiality, organizational trust, operational resilience and regulatory compliance. Topics include message archiving, eDiscovery, compliance scanning, bot integration, fall handling, key recovery, device loss, and organizational access models. We will also discuss how these requirements influence Matrix client architecture, headless clients, encryption key management and federation. The presentation is intended for Matrix developers, infrastructure architects, security professionals and public-sector operators interested in deploying Matrix at national scale while balancing sovereignty, usability and compliance. matrix-conference-2026-102423-challenges-of-matrix-within-europe-s-most-sovereign-most-secure-and-largest-it-infrastructure Public Sector Richard Schlögl en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/RERS8J/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/RERS8J/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T12:15:00+02:00 12:15 00:25 Governments increasingly need messaging that is secure, federated, and independent from foreign proprietary platforms, but turning an open protocol into a deployable government tool raises hard questions about sovereignty, infrastructure, and identity. This talk presents MSG GOV, a Matrix-based messaging platform for the Brazilian federal government. Today, it targets a defined set of public servants rather than the entire population or every government employee — a deliberate, controlled scope as the platform matures. We plan to share the factors that drove the need for a sovereign messaging app in the first place and to dig into how MSG GOV is built and run. The solution is designed to operate on SERPRO's sovereign cloud, the Brazilian government's own cloud infrastructure, with all the operational and trust implications that entail. At the center of the talk is identity: how MSG GOV integrates with gov.br, Brazil's national single-sign-on system, through a dedicated user management module we developed to bridge gov.br authentication with Matrix accounts. matrix-conference-2026-102431-msg-gov-building-brazil-s-sovereign-government-messaging-platform-on-matrix Public Sector Diego SerpaJose Macedo en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/LNVNTW/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/LNVNTW/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T12:45:00+02:00 12:45 00:25 When you operate communication infrastructure for one of Europe's largest defense organizations, "good enough" is never good enough. At BWI, we do not just run Matrix. We trust in the idea behind it: that secure, open communication should be a public good. This talk traces that journey. It begins with our decision to adopt Matrix as the sovereign communication backbone for the German armed forces, and the architectural ambition that drives our work: a communication stack where the functional core is formally verifiable, and memory safety is a given everywhere else. An engineering target we are actively working toward. As a first step toward that goal, working with Element, we brought a Rust-based cryptographic SDK into existence, the Matrix Rust SDK, a unified crypto platform shared across all our client applications, born from our security requirements and built to last. Rust was not an aesthetic choice. It was a deliberate decision rooted in memory safety, auditability, and the practical requirements of formal verification tooling. Our work did not stop with the SDK. The same questions that shaped our cryptographic foundation led us to ask **harder** ones about the **backend**: what would a homeserver look like if security and formal verifiability were first-class requirements from day one, not afterthoughts? We have been exploring that question, and in this talk we want to share what we have learned so far, the decisions we faced, and where those explorations have taken us. Join our journey. matrix-conference-2026-93687-why-is-there-rust-in-our-matrix Public Sector /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/8EBDVB/image_XBMNyVS.webp Bjoern ReinersNicoDavid Lassig en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/8EBDVB/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/8EBDVB/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:25 Convincing users to move to NI2CE messenger and move away from the tools they are used to working with remains an issue. I would like to share my thoughts and discuss how other organisations where the use of Matrix messengers is optional deal with this. matrix-conference-2026-101195-ni2ce-network-effects-in-a-voluntary-adoption-paradigm Public Sector Jeroen Franssen en NI2CE is a messenger solution that we deployed for NATO users to provide a safer and more private alternative for the widespread use of Whatsapp and Signal. The use of NI2CE is optional as users need to install it on a personal device for mobile use. I had hoped that reaching a critical mass of users would increase adoption and lead to a quick growth of users. This has not materialized unfortunately. In this talk, I would like to show how we tried to convince users to migrate and would like to get the points of view of other organisations that might deal with this. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DFBNCV/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/DFBNCV/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:25 Digital Sovereignty is on every lips, however whilst the tech is here, we have yet to find a financially sustainable solution to it. The tragedy of the commons of open source is not new, but we’ve got to the point of needing to solve it if we really want organisations to be sovereign and resilient whilst use secure and polished products. We all know (or will know by the end of the conference!) that Matrix is the ideal answer for any organisation looking to break free from vendor lock-in for their communications, not only because of its intrinsic properties of decentralisation and end-to-end encryption, but because it is an open standard. An open standard brings neutrality and an ecosystem which allows multiple vendors to thrive, creating a healthy competition to raise the bar of product quality and target specific markets. This makes Matrix the perfect microcosm to get concrete examples on how digital sovereignty can be preserved in a financially sustainable manner in order to build products which can compete with the vendor-locked incumbents: from the governance of the standard to the various vendors via the open source community, this talk will use concrete examples to highlight the best and most efficient practices to contribute back for everyone’s benefit. matrix-conference-2026-105092-sustainable-digital-sovereignty Digital Sovereignty Amandine Le Pape en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/UZT7QE/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/UZT7QE/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:25 A vanilla matrix deployment already offers a lot options and is part of many digital sovereign communication solutions (and for good reasons). It can solve some of its tech dependency issues and can be a great alternative to Teams, Slack, WhatsApp etc. However, some organizational requirements still require more careful thought and planning than one might expect at first glance. This talk summarizes some of our experiences with often overlooked challenges, decisions with potentially far-reaching consequences and possible solutions/approaches when trying to implement a Matrix-Deployment for bigger organizations like schools, universities or other public organizations and similar projects. matrix-conference-2026-101286-common-challenges-for-organizations-when-deploying-matrix Public Sector Jan Krammer (Janonym)Philipp Monz en Among others things, we will take a (somewhat quick) look at: - User provisioning: - why not just OIDC? pre-populating users from user identity stores, chat integration into different systems (moodle, addressbook) - matrixID: human readable or not? (approaches to namechanges and account lifecycles, the state of portable identities) - mapping of the organizational structures into matrix: spaces, rooms, using existing providers like LDAP and its pitfalls, room/member sync/provisioning etc - Law: GDPR and misconceptions, federation, data retention, E2EE settings and auditability - Administration tools (ketesa, synadm) and challenges (MAS migration, DB, media-store, reports) - Moderation: community tools and policy server (draupnir), admin actions (reporting, suspend, redact, shadow/ban, block, delete, clean up spam), precautions (media handling, draupnir+antispam module, room discovery) - Viable matrix clients - potentially useful plugins/extensions: - collaborative whiteboard (Neoboard), meetings organizer (NeoDateFix) - bots, integrations, services: - bots: AI/LLM bots (baibot), auto-translations, helpdesk, etc - webhooking (hookshot): alerts, jira-tickets, git notifications, feeds - bridges (mautrix) - Videocalls: livekit/BBB, Jitsi, selfhosting the SFU - Challenges for users: E2EE, room permissions (deopping, admin/mods), clients (+client configs), usability/accessibility - Typical infrastructure challenges: storage, monitoring, logging, hosting, deploying (k8s, ansible, ESS), scaling, typical performance bottlenecks - Some of our custom made solutions: - custom search injection and ranking (maiden) - problems with the matrix vanilla spec (deopping of chatrooms, invite permissions) - fluffychat client for schools at RLP (addressbook, tools for teachers) - custom-tooling for RLP (IDM-proxy, dashboard) false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/37GLHX/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/37GLHX/feedback/ Katherine Talk 2026-10-22T16:15:00+02:00 16:15 00:25 How do you start a sovereign, secure chat project in the public sector? Together with the Dutch Ministry of Defence, we are launching a Matrix-based solution to enable interoperable, archivable, and decentralized communication. In this talk, we share our early experiences, including the challenges of compliance, archiving, and adoption, as well as the lessons learned so far. Join us to explore how Matrix can support sovereign, future-proof communication for government organizations. matrix-conference-2026-101713-starting-a-sovereign-chat-project-in-the-dutch-government-early-lessons Public Sector Manfred ZielinskiGideon Bleumink en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KS3A8F/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/KS3A8F/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-22T11:15:00+02:00 11:15 00:11 In 2026, Element's Integrations team set out to make Matrix the productivity layer for sovereign workplaces, the place where your files, documents, projects, and calendar don't just link out, but live alongside your conversations. We'll walk through what we built, how we approached the hard problems, and what it means for organisations already running open-source workplace stacks. We'll also look at where this is headed and what it'll take for the wider Matrix ecosystem to build it together. matrix-conference-2026-102369-integrations-at-work-bringing-workplace-apps-into-element Lightning Talks David LangleyHalf-Shot en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/JVU9AL/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/JVU9AL/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-22T11:29:00+02:00 11:29 00:11 In April 2025, a new homeserver burst onto the scene. Soon enough, hundreds of servers were running this mysterious new software - and the momentum didn't drop. Today, more than one and a half thousand servers on the public federation run [Continuwuity](https://continuwuity.org/). That leads to some questions. Where did it come from? What happened? Where is it going? Well, We've got anwers for all of that. Right here. Exclusively. This is a breakdown from the team behind the ~~mystery~~ well-regarded open source project, going over all of that and more. You know you're interested. matrix-conference-2026-99063-a-year-and-a-half-of-continuwuity Lightning Talks JadeNexGinger en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/9KHRGR/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/9KHRGR/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T11:45:00+02:00 11:45 00:25 The hardest part of modernizing healthcare communication is not building a new platform. It is preserving decades of existing integrations while enabling an entirely new communication model. Germany's healthcare sector currently relies on two communication systems with very different characteristics. KIM is the widely adopted communication backbone of the healthcare system. It enables critical workflows such as electronic certificates of incapacity for work and is deeply integrated into healthcare information systems. However, its architecture is based on traditional email technologies and on infrastructure that will have to evolve significantly in the coming years. The TI-Messenger, based on Matrix, provides a modern communication architecture that already aligns with many design principles of Germany's future health infrastructure. It enables secure communication between healthcare professionals and also includes insured persons as participants in the communication ecosystem. Nevertheless, adoption has not yet reached the level required to achieve strong network effects. Instead of operating two independent communication ecosystems, we are pursuing a convergence strategy: a unified communication platform that preserves existing integrations and workflows while modernizing the backend infrastructure and enabling interoperability across user groups. This talk presents the architectural challenges, migration strategy and interoperability concepts for transforming a nationwide, mission critical healthcare communication ecosystem towards a Matrix based future. matrix-conference-2026-98326-preserving-integration-rebuilding-the-core-matrix-for-healthcare-communication Healthcare sponsored by CGM Jan Kohnert en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HVRHVW/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HVRHVW/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T12:15:00+02:00 12:15 00:25 Famedly talks about the developments in the Austrian healthcare market and the adoption of matrix as the messenger protocol of choice. Leaning into the similarities and differences between Germany and Austria. matrix-conference-2026-102356-ti-messenger-goes-europe-austrian-healthcare-adopts-matrix-protocol Healthcare sponsored by CGM Phillipp Kurtz en On January 1, 2025, Austria officially discontinued the use of fax machines for exchanging patient data. While a necessary digital milestone, this abrupt shift initially led to a highly fragmented landscape of disconnected replacement solutions. Recognizing the looming interoperability crisis as early as 2024, state and federal institutions began searching for a unified, scalable alternative. Drawing inspiration from Germany, the TI Messenger was quickly identified as a highly promising blueprint for a nationwide fix. This catalyzed a wave of regional innovation. In Salzburg, an informal pilot successfully connected the state hospital holding company (Salzburger Landeskliniken) with regional doctors' offices. This was achieved through a collaboration between industry partners Famedly and x-tention, alongside "Medspeak," a grassroots Matrix server initiative hosted by two local physicians. Simultaneously, Austria's national regulatory authority (Elga GmbH) began drafting a standardized specification for adopting the Matrix protocol in healthcare communication nationwide. Famedly was awarded the contract to consult on the foundational version of this specification. Currently, the State of Vienna is conducting a major pilot to validate this standard, working closely with industry partners such as Famedly, x-tention, and Cloudflight. This talk explores the evolution of Austria's transition toward a unified, Matrix-based healthcare communication infrastructure, offering unique insights and lessons learned from Famedly’s perspective as a driving industry partner. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/AWDD8K/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/AWDD8K/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T12:45:00+02:00 12:45 00:25 Side effects of modern healthcare communication: data breaches, €1.2 billion in GDPR fines last year, and a group chat with 47 nurses. The treatment is a messaging app. The one you're thinking of isn't it. Walk into any ward, GP surgery, home care team, or therapy practice in Europe and you'll find the same thing: clinicians on WhatsApp. Not because they don't know better — because it works, it's fast, and the secure alternative breaks the workflow. This talk is a frank look at why Europe's most-used clinical tool isn't a clinical tool. The answer cuts across the entire care continuum: from large hospital trusts wrestling with security friction to mobile nurses no IT policy ever quite reaches. GDPR enforcement is tightening. AI may be the first thing that genuinely tips the balance between convenience and compliance. This talk takes a European perspective and asks what it will genuinely take to move healthcare off WhatsApp: better products, smarter regulation, open standards, or all three. The side door works. The fortress doesn't. matrix-conference-2026-100595-side-effects-include-data-breaches-gdpr-fines-and-a-group-chat-with-47-nurses Healthcare sponsored by CGM Patrice Zoe Brend'amour en This is a talk about three people. Amira is a home care nurse. Her "ward" is eleven living rooms and a car. Nobody from IT has ever been in any of them. Mateo is a hospital nurse on night shift — issued a phone, a pager, and a login that expires every 8 hours. Dr. Chen is a doctor. Always reachable, never has time. Three people, three employers, three different IT policies. Same behaviour: they all use WhatsApp. Not because they don't know better. Because the secure alternative is slower, harder, and breaks the workflow that actually keeps patients safe. This talk walks through the data. What the research says about clinician use of consumer messaging apps. What regulators have actually done about it (€1.2B in GDPR fines last year, healthcare enforcement up 26%). And why dedicated solutions built on open standards like Matrix — including the CGM Messenger and CGM TI-Messenger shipping into European healthcare — are still sitting at ~20% adoption. Every country, same pattern. The fortress works. The side door works better. And patients got better care through the side door. The talk closes on AI. Ambient documentation, intelligent message routing, AI-assisted triage. The first time convenience and compliance may be pointing in the same direction. But AI processing patient data inside messaging platforms also raises urgent new questions about data sovereignty and consent. We can't skip the conversation just because the technology is finally convenient. For Matrix developers shipping healthcare products, healthcare IT professionals, and policy makers who want to know what it will genuinely take to move healthcare off WhatsApp — and what role open protocols play in getting there. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/8LWQES/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/8LWQES/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:25 Are you operating a large server, bridge or bot? Are you managing lots of spaces or rooms? Do you sometimes need to modify rooms outside of your regular account? Try Matrix Wrench. It's is a powerful, open-source web app to view and edit room states. It works with access tokens from users and AppServices. matrix-conference-2026-92092-matrix-wrench-an-admin-tool-for-operators-and-community-managers In Practice Christian Paul en In my time at the Matrix.org bridges team, I had worked on a few of the largest bridges operated at the time. Routine tasks included supporting the community leaders, e.g. when room admins had made mistakes or became inactive. With the administrator role of the bridge bot, we we're able to modify the room state, revoke rights and promote new community leaders to administrators. What started as a lot of manual, error-prone work in the terminal with curl became a web app written for the job. It allowed us as operators and community managers to tweak the rooms easier and faster. Wrong permissions? View them. Fix them. Wrong room visibility? Easy fix. Lots of unwanted accounts? Kick them at once. Migrate a community to a new room? Copy the state and members you want. Matrix Wrench is closely built around the Matrix API endpoint. Most buttons only fire one network request. Many actions have simple forms, so you don't need to look up the Matrix Spec in a hurry. And if you want to replicate any of the actions in Matrix Wrench, e.g. for an automated script, you can have a look at its Network Manager which shows a curl command for all performed requests. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/RAJEHG/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/RAJEHG/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:25 The Matrix Rust SDK has grown from an experimental client SDK into the foundation that powers Element X and other Matrix applications. Along the way, it has gained support for major Matrix features while tackling some interesting engineering challenges. In this talk, we'll explore recent additions to the SDK, including threads, spaces, QR code login, shared encrypted history, migration from Element Classic to Element X, and the centralized redecryption mechanism. We'll look at the problems these features were designed to solve, the architectural decisions behind them, and some of the lessons learned along the way. matrix-conference-2026-100912-what-s-new-in-the-matrix-rust-sdk In Practice Damir Jelić en This talk is aimed at Matrix developers and contributors who are interested in the evolution of the Matrix Rust SDK. The focus will be on the design and implementation behind several major features that have recently landed in the SDK. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/QEQAZY/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/QEQAZY/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:25 The Matrix Rust SDK is one of the most complete, mature, and performant SDK in the world. To illustrate our point, we will show off how to develop a Matrix CLI client from scratch with the Rust SDK live on stage, step by step, up to having a fully functional client, with a room list, a timeline, the ability to send and to receive messages, along with full end-to-end encryption support. matrix-conference-2026-100919-speedrun-client-with-the-matrix-rust-sdk In Practice Ivan Enderlin en The Matrix Rust SDK is one of the most complete SDK in the world. It's becoming really mature: more and more clients are relying on it due to its great features, stability, and performance. Maybe you want to give it a try for your own great client? To illustrate our point, we demonstrate how to develop a Matrix CLI client from scratch with the Rust SDK, step by step, up to having a fully functional client, with a room list, a timeline, the ability to send and to receive messages, along with full end-to-end encryption support. We will use the following components: `SyncService`, `RoomListService`, `Timeline`, `SendQueue`, `EventCache` and so on. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/BQUNNE/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/BQUNNE/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T16:15:00+02:00 16:15 00:25 A notification seems simple: a message arrives, and the phone vibrates. But in the Matrix ecosystem, a single "ping" triggers a complex chain of events involving E2EE decryption, push rule evaluation, and state synchronization. This talk dives into the architectural challenges of implementing a robust, privacy-respecting, and energy-efficient notification engine in Trixnity. matrix-conference-2026-101046-the-engineering-behind-matrix-notifications In Practice Benedict Benken en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/87JMFS/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/87JMFS/feedback/ Peter Talk 2026-10-22T16:45:00+02:00 16:45 00:25 At FOSDEM 2026, we presented our plan to move Element Web to be powered by the Rust SDK by rewriting incrementally into reusable components. In this talk, we'll share our progress and insights so far, showcasing our prototype version of the client based on the Matrix Rust SDK along with improvements this has allowed us to bring to the web and desktop version we all know. matrix-conference-2026-100950-a-faster-rustier-element-web In Practice Dave BakerFlorian Duros en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/FAJUZD/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/FAJUZD/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-22T17:15:00+02:00 17:15 00:07 Have you ever wanted to use Matrix as a backend for privately shared notes, workout tracking, expense management, task lists, or even local LLM memory storage? Matrix is a surprisingly strong fit for these use cases. It offers end-to-end encryption, solid SDK support, multiple homeserver implementations, and effortless redundant storage — simply join a room with two accounts on different homeservers. All of this makes Matrix an ideal backend for CRDT data structures, particularly for apps that store personal data with owner-controlled collaboration and sharing. In this talk, I will present what requirements Matrix needs to fulfill to be the perfect container for CRDT data, where it currently falls short, and why the path forward is bright — requiring only minimal changes to the spec. This talk grew out of discussions at the Matrix Conference 2025. At the Matrix Community Summit 2026, those topics were revisited and iterated across multiple widget and integration workshops. matrix-conference-2026-101036-matrix-as-a-crdt-backend-the-perfect-container-for-private-structured-data Lightning Talks Timo Kandra en false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HDSVJB/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/HDSVJB/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-22T17:24:00+02:00 17:24 00:07 BreakFree is an app blocker with a texting layer built on Matrix, it block Instagram's Reels and feed, keep your DMs. Most blockers make you nuke the whole app and lose messaging too. BreakFree routes DMs through mautrix-meta / mautrix-instagram so texting survives. This talk is about what broke when a puppeting bridge went under thousands of non-technical users: unfamiliar-login flags, ban warnings from Instagram. Tead-receipt and reliability quirks, media storage, proxies, and the changes I made to the bridge and my Matrix setup to keep it standing. Plus the trust and privacy tradeoffs, and whether consumer-facing bridges can hold up as real infrastructure. matrix-conference-2026-101303-when-the-bridge-looks-like-an-attacker-building-a-focus-app-on-matrix-instagram-bridges Lightning Talks /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/TDZNKE/image_yHqxQMa.webp Roshan KattilThai An Le en The problem: why a focus app needs to keep messaging at all, and why "just open Instagram" defeats the purpose. Why Matrix: choosing puppeting bridges over alternatives, and how the app sits on top of mautrix-instagram / mautrix-meta. What broke: the collision with Meta's anti-abuse systems: unfamiliar-login flags, ban warnings reaching real users, read receipts, proxy and session-handling changes, and reliability under active pushback, scaling issues. trust and privacy tradeoffs of routing user sessions through a bridge, and what shipping to thousands of non-technical users revealed about whether consumer-facing bridges are durable. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/TDZNKE/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/TDZNKE/feedback/ Peter Lightning Talk 2026-10-22T17:33:00+02:00 17:33 00:07 Gua is an experimental Matrix-based messenger built around a deliberately provocative question: can a federated, end-to-end encrypted network feel as simple as WhatsApp, and what do you have to centralize to get there? The project is an experiment built around the Matrix ecosystem. It builds on Element clients for iOS, Android, and Web, Synapse, and Matrix Authentication Service, with targeted Gua-specific forks where the user experience requires it. Around those components, it adds Java/Spring services such as identity-service and gua-resolver, plus gua-idp-web, a web frontend for the identity provider login flow. The goal is to keep the robustness of Matrix federation while hiding the complexity that usually scares off everyday users: homeserver choice, full Matrix IDs, server-specific login details, and federation topology. The public demo uses phone-number login with OTP, similar to WhatsApp-style onboarding. Returning users can be protected with a 6-digit account PIN or passkeys, and the OIDC/MAS architecture makes it possible to extend the same login model to government identity providers, institutional identity systems, or other trusted authentication sources. The talk focuses on the architecture behind this abstraction: Gua Identity Service, Gua’s MAS fork, gua-idp-web, and gua-resolver. Together, these components let a client start from a simple user identity, route login or registration to the correct homeserver, and maintain a trusted federation of authorized homeservers without exposing those details to the user. Gua is not presented as a finished product, but as a case study in making Matrix more approachable for mainstream and institutional adoption. matrix-conference-2026-102447-making-matrix-feel-like-whatsapp-without-centralizing-it Lightning Talks /media/matrix-conference-2026/submissions/FEBUFM/image_1jk58BK.webp Sarah L. Silva en Matrix gives us federation, interoperability, end-to-end encryption, and the possibility of communication networks that are not controlled by a single vendor. But the average user does not want to think about homeservers, server names, Matrix IDs, login methods, federation topology, or trust boundaries. In many countries, messaging products such as WhatsApp became dominant partly because onboarding is extremely simple: enter a phone number, receive a code, and start talking. Gua explores whether a Matrix-based messenger can offer that kind of simplicity without giving up the federated architecture underneath. The project is a distribution and product experiment built around the Matrix ecosystem. It forks Element clients for iOS, Android, and Web, forks Synapse and Matrix Authentication Service where needed, and adds Gua-specific Java/Spring services such as identity-service and gua-resolver. It also includes gua-idp-web, a web frontend for the identity provider login flow. The design makes several deliberate UX and architecture choices: - users see usernames, not full Matrix IDs or homeserver names; - clients do not ask users to choose a homeserver; - the public demo uses phone-number OTP onboarding; - returning users can use a 6-digit account PIN as two-step verification; - passkeys and other identity providers can be added through the OIDC/MAS pattern; - the resolver decides where a user should log in or register inside the Gua federation; - trusted homeservers are admitted and verified through a resolver-controlled roster. The talk will walk through how Gua Identity Service acts as an OIDC provider for MAS, how the Gua MAS fork reduces login friction for first-party clients, how gua-idp-web drives the phone -> OTP -> PIN/profile flow, and how gua-resolver ties the model together by resolving identities to homeservers and maintaining trust in the federation. It will also discuss future potential directions: institutional deployments, login through SSO providers, and eventually bridging the user experience beyond the Gua-controlled federation toward the broader Matrix federation or other controlled Matrix federations such as Tchap. Gua is an early-stage architecture and product-design case study about making Matrix federation usable for people who would otherwise never adopt a federated messenger. false https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/FEBUFM/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/FEBUFM/feedback/ Workshop Workshop 2026-10-22T11:45:00+02:00 11:45 01:30 Hey! You may have just seen our talk about the future of integrations, or didn't see the point and hung around the bar. No matter! You will want to come to this workshop where we will teach you how to sculpt Element Web into the perfect client. We will impart the wisdom, hear the feedback and make dreams become reality. matrix-conference-2026-102391-the-element-module-workshop Workshop Half-Shot en You may be a budding engineer looking to hack on something cool, you may have a sexy looking fork of Element but want to cut the maintenance, you may be a disruptive influence wanting every application on your desktop looking like the [Windows Hot Dog stand theme](https://blog.codinghorror.com/a-tribute-to-the-windows-31-hot-dog-stand-color-scheme/) (oh god why!). Whoever you are, **this workshop is for you**. We will spend the beginning of the 'shop talking about the new improvements Element has made to it's module API. We will then dig into a short demo of how to build your own integrations, and then you shall go wild with your imagination and build something very cool. There may even be a prize for the best integration built! true https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/CJXTB9/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/CJXTB9/feedback/ Workshop Workshop 2026-10-22T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 01:30 Federation is working. But does the experience reflect it? The goal of this collaborative workshop is to understand how interoperability and federation translates inside the product. Together we’ll look at search, directories, shared rooms and how the experience can be tailored for users. We want to test our assumptions, hear what resonates and understand what we're missing. Your input will directly shape the product. matrix-conference-2026-102303-a-vision-for-interoperability-in-element Workshop Gaëlle Hunt en true https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/MY8PLV/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/MY8PLV/feedback/ Workshop Workshop 2026-10-22T16:15:00+02:00 16:15 01:00 What if I told you that Matrix — the protocol you use to send memes and coordinate sprints — is secretly one of the best foundations for building interactive, stateful games? This talk walks through the construction of a Matrix Treasure Hunt Bot: a Rust-based game engine where players solve riddles in DMs to unlock invites to new rooms, progressing through a story that lives entirely inside a federated chat network. But this isn't just a fun project showcase. Under the hood, it's a solid example in the real challenges of building reliable bots on a federated protocol: The Join Problem: Why room joins fail 30% of the time across homeservers — and how exponential backoff with jitter makes your bot resilient without hammering the federation. The Ghost Problem: How bots silently accumulate thousands of orphaned rooms, and the automated housekeeping patterns that prevent it. Stateful Sessions on a Stateless Stream: Mapping Matrix's event firehose to persistent player sessions, with versioned JSON state that survives reboots and code deploys. A Trait-Based Shell: Building an extensible command system inside a chat bot — so adding !hint or !stats is just implementing a single Rust trait. Whether you've never touched matrix-sdk or you're knee-deep in your own bot project, you'll leave with concrete, production-tested patterns for building bots that are as resilient as they are fun. The code is open-source (GPL3) and the bot is live. You can play it today. matrix-conference-2026-95216-your-chat-app-is-actually-a-game Workshop nohkumado en 1. How to use matrix-sdk for multi-room, stateful interactions — beyond the basic event handler tutorial. 2. Why federation latency is your bot's worst enemy, and how rate limiting with jitter defeats it. 3. A trait-based architecture for extensible bot commands that scales without turning into spaghetti. 4. Practical patterns for state persistence, session cleanup, and bot housekeeping in production. true workshop pruned version of the tresurehunt bot https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/RXVU33/ https://cfp.2026.matrix.org/matrix-conference-2026/talk/RXVU33/feedback/