Signal is not for anonymity.

It's for security.

For some anonymity is security. Better to say it’s for message confidentiality.

It is not meant as a anonymous messager, but an encrypted one, you can trust to not sell you out.

What is the basis of that trust?

Open source client AND open source server. And a quite transparent non profit running it.

But personally I actually would prefer a federated alternative like matrix.

> I guess maybe I'm missing the purported point of signal, attaching your phone number to use it notwithstanding, but attaching payment identity to it as well? Like, what's the point of going through the pain required to use it?

Your payment info is not connected to your account.

https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360031949872-Do...

The suggestion here is to use your iPhone to pay through Apple Pay.

Does Apple have any records connecting your recurring Apple Pay payment to your iPhone's phone number?

If you want to avoid that you can also donate through https://signal.org/donate/.

Most people using Signal - and particularly most people likely to donate - are not using it to hide their identities, but to decrease the chance of unknown parties reading their conversations. My Signal account has my full name on it, and checking my top contacts, most of them do too (some only have their first name).