About Nostr
Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays) is an open, censorship-resistant protocol for publishing and subscribing to events. It’s not a platform or company—it's a simple, extensible standard that anyone can implement.
Core Concepts
- Identities with keys:
- You are your keys. A private key signs your messages; a public key identifies you.
- No accounts, emails, or servers required.
- Events:
- The atomic unit of data (notes, profiles, likes, zaps, etc.).
- Each event is a JSON object signed by the creator’s private key.
- Relays:
- Dumb servers that store and forward events.
- You can publish to many relays and read from many relays.
- Relays don’t authenticate; they verify signatures and apply their own policies.
- Clients:
- Apps that let you create, sign, publish, and read events.
- You can use multiple clients with the same keys—your identity is portable.
Why Nostr?
- Censorship resistance: No single relay or company can silence you.
- Portability: Your identity and data travel with your keys.
- Interoperability: One protocol, many apps—social, chat, marketplaces, media.
- Simplicity: Minimal spec, easy to implement, composable extensions.