GM, Nostriches!
The Nostr Review is a biweekly newsletter focused on nostr statistics, protocol updates, exciting programs, the long-form content ecosystem, and key events happening in the Nostr-verse. If you’re interested, join me in covering updates from the Nostr ecosystem!
Quick review:
In the past two weeks, Nostr statistics show over 230,000 daily trusted pubkey events, a 3.5% decrease from the previous period. New user numbers have been a significant increase, Profiles with LN addresses or bios have marked a nearly 100-fold growth, Public writing events surpassed 2,000,000, reflecting an 800% increase. More than 14 million events have been published, with posts leading in volume, totaling about 2 million. Total Zap activity reached over 9.7 million, marking a significant 50% decrease.
Additionally, 18 pull requests were submitted to the Nostr protocol, with 9 merged. A total of 44 Nostr projects were tracked, with 12 releasing product updates, and over 434 long-form articles were published, 30% focusing on Bitcoin and Nostr. During this period, 4 notable events took place, and 4 significant events are upcoming.
Nostr Statistics
Based on user activity, the total daily trusted pubkeys writing events exceeded 230,000, representing a slight 3.5% decrease compared to the previous period (Nov 11-24). Daily activity peaked at 19519 events, with a low of approximately 16969.
In terms of new user numbers, there has been a significant increase. Profiles with LN addresses or bios have reached approximately 1,859,727, marking a nearly 100-fold growth compared to the previous two weeks. Public writing events surpassed 2,000,000, reflecting an 800% increase over the same period. The daily peak hit 304,317, exceeding the total for the previous two weeks combined.
Regarding event publishing, the total number of note events published has surpassed 14 million, marking a significant increase of approximately 27%. Posts continue to be the most dominant in volume, totaling about 2 million (a slight decrease of 5%). Reposts (353,266) and reactions (553,926) also saw a small decline, around 1%.
For zap activity, the total zap amount is approximately 9.7 million, showing a significant decrease of over 50% compared to the previous period.
In terms of relay usage, the top five relays by user count are: wss://bostr.bitcointxoko.com/,wss://feeds.nostr.band/,wss://realy.nostr.band/,wss://realys.diggoo.com/,wss://realy.lumina.rocks/
Data source:
NIPs
NIP-0A - Contact List v2
Mike Dilger is proposing that NIP-0A - Contact List v2 can prevent contact list clobbering issues.This method could be used for any other event kinds that have editable lists. He is not arguing for a contact list v2 actually, rather, the focus is on conflict-free replicated data types, in order to prevent conflicts. CRDTs aren't really necessary in practice if people always use the person's outbox relays and don't use two clients at the same time. However, many conflicts were observed early on.Contact lists are already very long for some people, and while we could compress some of this data, not by a huge amount given the printable character set nature of JSON.
Consistent “method” naming for NIP 47(NWC) Response
Gudnessuche is proposing that consistent “method” naming for NIP 47(NWC) Response adds consistency to the event structure in (NWC).Currently, requests and responses have different keys to identify their method type, which may cause confusion or misunderstandings.This change aims to standardize the key names across all request and response events, making it easier for developers to understand and implement the protocol.
NIP-34: Git Remote Nostr URL format and helper spec
DanConwayDev is proposing that add the Git Remote Nostr URL format which can be used as a normal git clone address when ngit is installed. This used by ngit and gitworkshop.dev, minus the usage of nip05 addresses which Lez is working on adding. It is also partially supported experimental WOP tools like lez's git-remote blossom and Guga implementation of git-remote-nostr. Add a wider git remote helper spec implemented by the git plugin bundled with 'ngit'. This is probably less useful for inclusion in the NIP but he is not sure where else to put it.
NIP-42 Extension: auth-by-payment
Arjen is proposing that this Extension of NIP-42 allows relays to add an extra NUT-18 argument to AUTH messages, that gives the user the option to authorize by providing a cashu payment. This allows relay operators to monetize with pay-as-you-go connections without the need to keep track of subscriptions and/or whitelists.This would allow the user to use ephemeral pubkeys to sign this message as well, giving them more privacy.
Notable Projects
New Features:
- New Android Image/Video Picker
- Adds support for pronouns on profile
- Migrates Video uploads from NIP-94 to NIP-71 Video events
- Migrates Picture uploads from NIP-94 to NIP-68 Picture events
- Adds support for BUD-01, BUD-02, and BUD-03
- Adds support for NIP-22 Comments
- Adds nip05 field to the hidden words filtering by ⚡ Dee Kay ⚡🇸🇪🇬🇧🇨🇿🇧🇷🇦🇹
- Adds support for q tags with addresses
- Adds search.nos.today to bootstrapping relays for search
- Adds DM and Search default buttons to the relay screens
- Adds hidden words filter to search, hashtag and geotag feeds
- Applies hidden words even to hashtags that were not included in the content of the event.
- Adds support for saving reactions, zaps, translations user preferences on private outbox relays
UI Improvements:
- Adds animations to the zap, reaction and boost popups by @Giovanni
- Lighter chat bubbles
- Date separators on chats
- Adds unfollow to note dropdown
- Improves (Show More) presence to only when it actually makes a difference.
- Adds UI for when the location permission is rejected.
- Improves error message for the signup page when the display name is blank
- Adds extra padding for the zap setup screen
- Pre-process search to avoid showing and hiding posts after hidden words where processed by the UI.
- Rotate on full screen video if the device orientation is not locked by KotlinGeek
Additionally, this update addresses 18 bug fixes, introduces 13 code improvements, and enhances performance by optimizing thread preloading. Additionally, a new cache system for reply levels when viewing threads has been implemented for a smoother experience.
- Multi image uploads
- A video player that actually works
- Share sheet action
- Seamless scroll
- And more
For Mobile:
- All-in-One Content Hub: Create notes, articles, videos, curations, and smart widgets all in one place.
- New Media Servers: Added support for @
nostr:npub18jnd0 , Nostr check, and more. - Thread Timeline Enhancements: Smoother and clearer thread viewing.
- Nip 44 Gift Messages: Now enabled by default.
- App-Wide Improvements: Faster, smoother, better.
- Full compatibility with NWC secrets created outside the Alby wallet is now possible.
- Provide an option to scan invoice QR and pay it.
- Bug Fixes: Notifications, wallets, and feeds are now more reliable.
For Web:
- Upgraded Note Editor: GIFs, emojis, and real-time previews to enhance your creativity.
- Enhanced Long-Form Content: A fresh design to make writing a joy.
- Custom Media Uploaders: Support for more media options and servers.
- Expanded Search: Find more notes, media, and users with ease.
- Browsing Suggestions: Discover new notes, media, users, and more.
- General Improvements: Smoother performance and optimizations.
- Bug Fixes: Making things more seamless for you.
Additionally, Hot fixes for the YakiHonne Web 4.1.2
- Fixed the issue where inbox/outbox relays could not be added.
- Fixed the issue where push notifications for voice calls had no sound.
- Fixed the lag issue when loading private chat videos.
- Fixed the issue where custom emoji reactions were not displayed.
Olas 0.1.5
PABLOF7z
Olas 0.1.5 for iOS has officially shipped to TestFlight
- Reposts
- Zaps (via Nostr Wallet Connect for now)
- Swipe-to-zap
- Performance improvements
Nos 1.0.3
nos
Nos 1.0.3 is now on TestFlight for all our beta testers and waiting on Apple’s for review for our App Store users in Australia and New Zealand.
- Added support for user setting and displaying pronouns.
- Added display of website URLs for user profiles.
- Updated note header UI to make it more readable.
- Fixed galleries expanding past the width of the screen when there are lots of links or images.
- Fixed quoted note composer not expanding to fit mentions.
- Add a Repost tagging system.
- (Technical) Refactored code for the mods and mod page
- Design tweaks for the "view more" part of a Mod post's page
- Design tweaks for blog posts
- Games added:S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
WasabiWallet 2.3.1
Wasabi Wallet
This version is a stability release packed with bug fixes and preparatory changes for upcoming features:
- Bug Fixes
- Settings Layout
- Tor upgraded to v13.5.9
- Buy Anything Button Disabled
UI Improvements：
- The service list view is now more visually engaging, it displays additional information in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. Both filtering and searching functionalities have been optimized for speed and user experience.
- Service pages have been also redesigned to highlight key information at the top, with the KYC Level box always accessible. The display of service attributes is now more visually intuitive.
- The new self-made Captcha is robust, addressing the reliability issues encountered with the previous version.
Terms of Service Summarizer：
- A significant upgrade is the Terms of Service summarizer/reviewer, now powered by AI (GPT-4-turbo). It efficiently condenses each service's ToS, extracting and presenting critical points, including any warnings.
- processing over 40 ToS pages via the OpenAI API using a self-crafted and thoroughly tested prompt.
Additionally, updates and upgrades have been implemented across Nostr Comments, Database, Scoring, Listings, API, and Pages.
notedeck
- Update user relay-list via polling
- Add user mute list sync via polling
- Skip muted content
- debug: add crate features which enable egui DebugOptions
- ci: fix linux packages
- Release v0.2.0 - Notedeck Alpha
- fix linux packages again
- ui: use proper response in wide-rendered note
- ui: fix quote repost hitbox
- ui: fix duplicate hitbox widget ids
- anim: smoothly animate delete button from 0 size
- nav: refactor title rendering for flexibility
- column: switch to simplified strings for column headers
- column: use simplified column string titles for now
- column: switch to profile pictures in header
- column: improve nav style
- column: only show delete button when not navigating
- column: reduce bounciness when navigating
- New design (still a work in progress)
- Removed the push notification server
- Open the permissions page with the correct account
- Fix crash when signing in with ncryptsec
- Fix icon size on notifications
- Fix relay connection when changing the default relays
- Option to setup a custom pin for the app
- Button to copy your public key
- Fix layout on Android < 15
- Fix multi event screen
- Fetch profile data
- Show relay message when event is rejected
- Fix profile icon size
- Don’t close app when using nostrconnect arcade
- Better check for valid relays
- Fix padding and scrolling
- Support for secret when using nostrconnect
- Fix empty relay notice，and more
- Fix rotation resetting the app state when downloading your notes
- Fix timeout when downloading your notes when you have a lot of notes
Long-Form Content Eco
In the past two weeks, more than 434 long-form articles have been published, including over 84 articles on Bitcoin and more than 43 related to Nostr, accounting for 30% of the total content.
These articles about Nostr thoroughly explore its transformative role in decentralized social networking, highlighting its potential to revolutionize communication, provide censorship-resistant platforms, and promote the free flow of information. They delve into Nostr's technical aspects, including the integration of Nostr SDK across platforms, building high-performance relay networks, and innovative uses in micropayments with ecash wallets. The articles also examine the dynamic growth of the Nostr ecosystem, covering key statistics, community expansion, and strategies driving global projects. In addition to reflecting on Nostr's current achievements, they envision its future potential in areas like content creation and data sharing, while addressing challenges related to scalability and privacy.
The Bitcoin articles discuss its transformative role in the global financial ecosystem, emphasizing its potential as a store of value, a decentralized currency, and a driver of economic freedom. They explore Bitcoin's historical evolution, technical innovations, and its impact on broader financial systems, including comparisons with CBDCs and other cryptocurrencies. The articles highlight key developments, such as Bitcoin hitting significant price milestones, its integration into everyday financial practices, and the challenges posed by regulatory and market dynamics. Additionally, they delve into topics like mining sustainability, self-custody, the importance of education, and the cultural and ideological implications of Bitcoin in fostering decentralized trust and financial inclusion.
Thankyou, elsat, TKay, gandlaf21, SwBratcher, Terry Yiu, BLOCKCHAINYOGI ₿ 丰⚡, Bitcoin Well, Pilgart Explores, nostr.build, Rebecca Knight,
and others, for your work. Enriching Nostr’s long-form content ecosystem is crucial.
Nostriches Global Meet Ups
Recently, several Nostr events have been hosted in different countries.
BtrustGathering successfully took place in Kenya on December 4-5, 2024. This annual event brought the Btrust team together to collaborate and lay a solid foundation for the future of open-source Bitcoin development. Over two days, the team outlined their vision for 2025, discussed strategies for funding engineers and sustaining open-source projects, and shared updates on the Bitcoin Open Source Software (₿OSS) program to better support builders.
The Nigeria Bitcoin Conference was successfully held from December 5th to 7th, 2024, at PopHAUS in Lagos, Nigeria. The event brought together global and local participants from the Bitcoin industry, including exchange founders, developers, investors, policymakers, miners, artists, and more, for three days of in-depth discussions and learning. The conference featured a variety of activities, including keynote speeches, interactive discussions, educational workshops, and a three-day hackathon challenge focused on technical innovations in Bitcoin Core and the Lightning Network.
The Bitcoin Africa Story Meetup successfully took place on Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Lagos, Nigeria. The event offered an engaging platform to explore Bitcoin's role in Africa and foster discussions and interactions among participants.
Bitcoin Africa StoryBtrust Developer Day took place on Sunday, December 8, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the Africa Bitcoin Conference (ABC 2024). This event provided a platform for African developers to explore Bitcoin technology, learn from industry leaders, and collaborate on projects. It featured lightning talks, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, project showcases, and networking opportunities, making it a valuable experience for Bitcoin developers, open-source developers, technologists, and Bitcoin enthusiasts.
Here are the upcoming Nostr events in November that you might want to check out.
The Africa Bitcoin Conference 2024 will take place from December 9 to 11, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, featuring key programs such as Btrust Developer Day, TBD Hackathon, ABC Social Impact Award, Afro Bitcoin Fellowship, and Africa Bitcoin Day. The event will host nearly 70 distinguished speakers, including Noelyne , Renata Rodrigues , Jack Dorsey ⭐️, John Dennehy, focusing on topics such as Bitcoin adoption, regulation, innovation, and security. This conference offers attendees valuable opportunities for in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing.
The Dadas Bitcoin Workshop will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. This event is open to everyone and invites several changemakers who are driving innovation in the Bitcoin ecosystem, including
nostr:npub1urhnkns9rt4c9mk6t9xctjkzmlkawxkdpzjnxdxhx82mqm7hfpuq0j7ue , Ella Hough, among others. The workshop will feature guest speakers sharing how Bitcoin has transformed their lives and careers. The event promises major surprises, along with gifts and rewards, and will foster vibrant discussions and connections that will have a lasting impact on participants.Bitcoin Layer 2's vs Bitcoin Sidechains will take place on December 10, 2024, at 7 PM CAT, hosted by Rootstock on X Space. This online discussion, featuring guests such as Kilian and others, will delve into the differences between Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions and sidechains, highlighting their applications in smart contracts and DeFi.
The 5th Bitcoin Educators Unconference will be held on April 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. This event is specifically designed for educators, meetup organizers, community leaders, and grassroots experts, aiming to provide a platform for Bitcoin educators to collaborate and share insights. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss best practices in Bitcoin education, and help drive the adoption and application of Bitcoin.
Additionally, We warmly invite event organizers who have held recent activities to reach out to us so we can work together to promote the prosperity and development of the Nostr ecosystem.
Thanks for reading! If there’s anything I missed, feel free to reach out and help improve the completeness and accuracy of my coverage.
