When @Jeff Booth says Nostr is identity, he's not wrong. But I would add something.
Identity is relational, but it's not JUST relational. Identity must include a private personal core and private personal relationships organized around it. Public identities are like the parts of the plant you see above the ground. But a seed needs soil first, to put down tender roots in the dark.
That's why seed self-custody and private relationships are just as important to the identity problem as public keys are. That's why we're building a hidden web of trust with Zsub: the part beneath the surface.
The reason strong cryptography never became properly usable for everyone is that we never built that part. We're building it.
Finally! Johnny CAN Encrypt — Zsub / StarfortDB