My question was simply “What is the NOSTR protocol?”
It thought for 1 minute and then this was the answer. Honestly pretty good. I cant say how good the technical side is but the rest of the explanation was clean and informative.
Answer copied below. Not sure if there is a way to format notes wth markdown to make it easier to read so it’s just pasted below.
—
## NOSTR – “Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays”
> **Short answer**
> NOSTR is a *decentralized messaging / social‑networking protocol* that lets anyone publish short text (or other data) to a set of servers called **relays**, using only public‑key cryptography for identity, authenticity and censorship resistance.
Below you’ll find a “cookbook” view: what it’s built from, how it works, why people use it, and where to start.
---
## 1. Why NOSTR was created
| Problem | Traditional solution | NOSTR approach |
|---------|----------------------|----------------|
| **Centralized control** (Twitter, Mastodon) | One server / federation can censor or shut down accounts | Anyone can run a relay; no single point of failure |
| **Identity hard‑to‑transfer** (username, email, phone) | Usually tied to the platform’s database | Identity is just a key pair – you can move it anywhere |
| **Content tampering** | Moderators / servers can alter posts | Each event is signed and immutable; relays only forward what they receive |
| **Scalability limits** | Managed by service operators | Relays are lightweight “store‑and‑forward” nodes; the network scales as more relays join |
---
## 2. Core building blocks
| Component | What it does | Key properties |
|-----------|--------------|----------------|
| **Key pair (pubkey / privkey)** | Your identity. The public key is a unique address you can share. | 256‑bit Ed25519 key; never shared. |
| **Event** | A signed JSON object that contains the content you want to publish. | Immutable, tamper‑evident (`id` = SHA‑256 of serialized event). |
| **Relay** | A server that accepts events from writers and serves them to readers. | Stateless store; can be read‑only or writeable. No central authority. |
| **Client / App** | The software you run (web, mobile, desktop) that talks to relays on your behalf. | Can choose any set of relays to publish/subscribe. |
> *Think of a relay as a “post office” and an event as a letter.*
---
## 3. The Event format
An event is a JSON object with the following fields (NIP‑01):
| Field | Type | Meaning |
|-------|------|---------|
| `id` | string | SHA‑256 hash of the serialized event (without `sig`). Guarantees uniqueness & integrity. |
| `pubkey` | hex | Your public key that signs the event. |
| `created_at` | int | Unix timestamp when you created it. |
| `kind` | int | Numeric code describing what type of content it is. |
| `tags` | array | Optional metadata tags (see below). |
| `content` | string | The main payload – plain text, JSON, encrypted blob, etc. |
| `sig` | hex | Ed25519 signature over the event fields (excluding `id`). |
### Common “kind” values
| Kind | Description | Example content |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| 0 | **Metadata** (profile) – name, about, picture URL, etc. | `{name:"alice", about:"developer"}` |
| 1 | **Text note** – micro‑blog post. | `"Hello world!"` |
| 2 | **Contact list** – public keys you follow. | `["pubkeyA","pubkeyB"]` |
| 3 | **Direct message (encrypted)** – NIP‑04 | Encrypted ciphertext + recipients |
| 4 | **Repost / boost** – reference to another event. | `tags:[["e",<event-id>]]` |
| 5 | **Reaction** – e.g., “like” or emoji. | `tags:[["e",<event-id>,,,"👍"]]` |
> *The list isn’t exhaustive; developers can add new kinds as needed.*
---
## 4. Relay protocol (subscribe / publish)
NOSTR’s wire‑level communication is a thin WebSocket API.
| Command | Payload | Purpose |
|---------|---------|---------|
| `REQ <subscription_id> <filters>` | A JSON object with filters (`kinds`, `authors`, `since`, `until`, `#e`, `#p`) | Ask the relay to stream matching events. |
| `EVENT <event_json>` | The full event (as above) | Publish a new event to the relay. |
| `CLOSE <subscription_id>` | None | Stop sending events for that subscription. |
**Filters** let you specify which events you’re interested in; e.g.:
```json
{
"kinds": [1],
"authors": ["pubkey_of_alice"],
"since": 1700000000,
"#e": ["<event-id>"]
}
```
Relays are free to ignore any filter or block events they deem spammy, but *they cannot alter the content of a signed event*.
---
## 5. Security & censorship resistance
1. **Cryptographic identity** – Anyone can generate a key pair locally; no central registry is required.
2. **Digital signatures** – The `sig` field guarantees that only the holder of the private key could have created the event. Relays cannot forge or modify events.
3. **Immutable IDs** – The `id` hash ties together all fields; any tampering changes the ID, making it obvious that the event was altered.
4. **No single point of control** – If a relay refuses to publish or serve an event, you simply use another relay. Content is available wherever at least one relay holds it.
> *Censorship resistance is only as strong as the network of relays you trust.*
> In practice, many users run multiple relays (public + private) and keep backups.
---
## 6. NIP – Implementation Proposals
The NOSTR ecosystem uses **NIPs** (“Nostr Implementation Proposals”) to standardize extensions and best practices. Some key NIPs:
| NIP | Topic |
|-----|-------|
| **01** | Basic protocol (events, relay interface) |
| **02** | Profile metadata (`kind=0`) |
| **04** | Direct messaging encryption |
| **05** | DNS‑based name verification (`alice@example.com`) |
| **07** | Delete events (`kind=9` + `tags: ["e", <event-id>]`) |
| **09** | Delete events (simpler) |
| **15** | Relay info messages (capabilities, limits) |
| **18** | Event re‑publishing / boosting |
| **23** | Nostr WebAuthN for authentication |
| **45** | Zapper integration for payments |
> *You can read the full list on the official NIP website:*
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips
---
## 7. Use cases & real‑world adoption
| Use case | How it looks in practice |
|----------|---------------------------|
| **Microblogging** (Twitter‑style) | Clients like *Zot*, *Nostrify*, *Mastodon‑like* apps let you post `kind=1` notes. |
| **Decentralized identity & profile** | Profile metadata (`kind=0`) + optional name verification (`nip-05`). |
| **Encrypted DM** | `kind=3` events using NIP‑04 encryption; only recipients can read them. |
| **Community moderation** | `kind=5` reactions, or `kind=4` reposts to amplify posts. |
| **Cross‑posting & integration** | Many crypto wallets expose a NOSTR “outbox” for posting transaction notes. |
| **Content‑censorship resistant news** | Users publish breaking news; anyone can read it from any relay that holds the event. |
| **Gaming / collectibles** | NFTs and game state updates as events (`kind` defined by game). |
> *Major clients:*
> - Web: `nostrify.com`, `zot.space`
> - Mobile: `Nostr.app` (iOS/Android), `Zot` (Android)
> - Desktop: `Nostr Desktop`, `HoloChat`
---
## 8. Getting started – a quick “Hello, world!” in JavaScript
```js
import { createEvent, signEvent } from '@nostr-tools/core';
import WebSocket from 'ws';
// 1️⃣ Create key pair (in practice you’d store the private key securely)
const privKeyHex = "YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY_IN_HEX";
const pubKeyHex = "YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY_IN_HEX";
// 2️⃣ Build a simple text note
const event = createEvent({
kind: 1, // Text note
content: "Hello NOSTR!",
created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
tags: [], // No tags yet
pubkey: pubKeyHex,
});
// 3️⃣ Sign it
const signed = signEvent(event, privKeyHex);
// 4️⃣ Publish to a relay via WebSocket
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://relay.damus.io');
ws.onopen = () => {
// Send the event (NIP‑01 format)
ws.send(JSON.stringify(['EVENT', signed]));
};
ws.onmessage = (msg) => {
console.log("Relay reply:", msg.data);
};
```
> *Tip:* Use libraries like `nostr-tools` or `nsec` to manage keys, signing, and encryption.
---
## 9. Things to keep in mind
| Issue | What it means |
|-------|---------------|
| **Spam** | Because anyone can publish, relays often implement rate limits or “pay‑to‑write” mechanisms. |
| **Moderation** | No built‑in moderation; you rely on social signals (replies, likes) and community norms. |
| **Privacy** | Public events are readable by everyone; only `kind=3` events are encrypted. |
| **Storage costs** | If a relay stores everything indefinitely, it can become expensive; many relays keep a rolling window or allow clients to “prune” old data. |
| **Interoperability** | NIP‑s ensure that different clients and relays understand each other, but you still need to pick libraries that support the NIPs you care about. |
---
## 10. Where to learn more
- **Official docs & spec:**
https://nostr.org/
- **NIP list (proposals):**
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips
- **Relay directory:**
https://relaylist.nostr.net/
- **Developer resources:**
- `nostr-tools` – JS SDK
- `rust-nostr-sdk` – Rust
- `nsec` CLI for key generation and signing
---
### Bottom line
NOSTR is a *minimal, cryptographically‑secured protocol* that lets anyone publish or read short pieces of content (notes) to a distributed network of relays. Its core idea—“identity = public key” + “content = signed event”—provides censorship resistance without a central server. As the ecosystem grows, it’s being used for microblogging, decentralized identity, encrypted messaging, and even payment‑linked content. Whether you’re building a new app or just curious about the future of social networking, NOSTR offers a clean, open foundation to start experimenting with.
