The Decentralization Myth and Hidden Power Pyramids
The decentralized principle of the Nostr protocol is systematically betrayed by the implementation of clients, relays, and algorithms. The most popular clients implement social graph algorithms that, instead of reflecting an organic network, mechanically recreate the same influence hierarchies and echo chambers of traditional social media. These algorithms, opaque and undocumented, are controlled by client developers and imposed on users without their knowledge. Instead of a flat network, a pyramidal structure is being created where a few dominant clients, the most popular censoring relays, and a handful of technical influencers de facto dictate everyone's experience. This is not a failure of the protocol, but a failure of the ecosystem to respect it, transforming a decentralized utopia into a power game amplified by the absence of any oversight.