Overview of Nostr Protocol#
The Nostr protocol aims to create a censorship-resistant global "social" network. We have detailed it in previous articles. But in summary, it does not rely on any central server, ensuring that the network is resilient and uses encryption keys and signatures to ensure tamper-proof communication. It does not rely on peer-to-peer technology, making it work effectively. It aims to be a simple and reliable way to create a global social network.
Nostr users run a client to post and receive updates from others. Posts are signed with the user's private key and sent to multiple relays, which are servers that forward the posts to other users. Anyone can run a relay, which is a simple server that accepts and forwards posts. The signatures are verified on the client side, so there is no need to trust the relays.
Initial Discussion of Nostr#
On November 16, 2020, a group called "Nostr" transitioned from a basic group to a supergroup on Telegram.
That day, the first participants started discussing the possibility of a decentralized social network and the potential for funding such projects. They also discussed the possibility of Nostr supporting smart contracts and potential names for the organization, including "Jaffer," "Bitease," "Bitcoin Disease," "Zeusnode," and "NOSTRA," "nostradamus," or "nostra." They suggested using the name "No Strings" as an alternative.
This was also when the group discussed the possibility of Jack's interest in the group. The group also discussed the possibility of hosting relays on nostr.coinos.io and the absence of @lntxbot in the group.
Throughout the remaining time in November and most of December, the group discussed the concept of using the first half of the public key as an identity in browser-based applications. Speakers expressed concerns about the security of this approach and considered alternative solutions such as storing keys on hardware devices or using systems similar to Keybase's PGP setup. They also mentioned the possibility of using existing login names from platforms like Github or Twitter to attract users, although they acknowledged that this may not be ideal. The conversation also touched on a web application client and discussed the use of query string parameters in server-sent events (SSE).
In December, the group continued discussing the possibility of using private keys in browsers, adding standardized event types called "groups," and using relays to forward encrypted messages to destinations. They also mentioned "NIPs" (Network Improvement Proposals) and the idea of a "lite" relay.
In December 2022, Jack Dorsey, the founder and former CEO of Twitter, joined Nostr as a supporter and advocate, taking Nostr to a new level.
Due to these reasons, the protocol, which was already steadily growing, took off. Many people who were previously unaware or skeptical started taking it seriously. (The surge in stars on the Nostr protocol repository on GitHub below is evidence of this.)
Principles of Nostr's Establishment and Growth#
This aligns with some of the original principles the community considered for Nostr's growth. From the beginning, the group discussed how to socialize and promote the Nostr platform and the principles that should be promoted. One participant, Ian Oneill, believed that "promoting Nostr is similar to promoting Moneysocket or Bitcoin or Freebank... each is a 'natural force'... they grow organically not because someone wants to make a million dollars (although that may happen as a side effect in individual cases), but because the system follows natural laws and doesn't collapse, so despite political economics, they keep growing, and they were created as a gift of freedom to contemporary and especially future people." The key, of course, is that he continued, "These motivations are different from the motivations behind Ethereum and shitcoins. Their motivations are more like the founding of America in the years before banks had a say."