Nostr has the g tag for geohash indexing (NIP-52, NIP-99) but no standard for privacy-preserving location discovery, consent-based sharing, or real-time tracking. Every app that needs more than a static geohash tag reinvents the same thing.
NIP-LOCATION defines two ephemeral kinds:
kind 20500 (Presence Beacon): coarse geohash-indexed presence. Subscribe to a cell and its 8 neighbours. You see who is roughly nearby; they don't see you.
kind 20501 (Location Update): NIP-44 encrypted coordinates shared only with specific recipients after consent. Bearing, speed, altitude, accuracy; the works.
The progressive reveal model means precision increases only when trust does. Public discovery at city-block level, precise sharing at street level, all controlled by the publisher.
Useful for delivery tracking, field service dispatch, event coordination, fleet management, or any Nostr app that needs "who is near me?" without a centralised location server.
Build with this: a Nostr meetup app that shows who's nearby without exposing exact locations. A wildlife tracking network where researchers share sighting coordinates with collaborators. A food truck finder that shows live locations without a centralised app. A geocaching game where clue proximity is revealed progressively.
https://github.com/forgesworn/nip-drafts/blob/main/NIP-LOCATION.md
