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 indicate over 240,000 daily trusted pubkey events. However, the number of new users has significantly declined. Profiles with LN addresses or bios are far below the single-day numbers recorded during the same period. Public writing events have also dropped sharply, reflecting a 97% decrease. More than 12 million events have been published, with posts leading in volume at around 2 million, representing a slight 4% decrease. Total Zap activity stands at approximately 9 million, marking a 10% decline.
Additionally, 30 pull requests were submitted to the Nostr protocol, with 10 merged. A total of 44 Nostr projects were tracked, with 17 releasing product updates, and over 378 long-form articles were published, 34% focusing on Bitcoin and Nostr. During this period, 3 notable events took place, and 3 significant events are upcoming.
Nostr Statistics
Based on user activity, the total daily trusted pubkeys writing events is about 240,000, representing a slight 1.3% decrease compared to the previous period (24Nov-8Dec). Daily activity peaked at 19231 events, with a low of approximately 17467.
The number of new users has seen a significant decline. Profiles with LN addresses or bios amount to approximately 33,000, far below the single-day numbers of the same period. Public writing events total around 53,887, reflecting a 97% decrease compared to the same period.
Regarding event publishing, the total number of note events published is about 12 million, marking a decrease of approximately 20%. Posts continue to be the most dominant in volume, totaling about 2 million (a slight increase of 4%). Reposts is about 350000 and reactions (539588) saw a small decline, around 3%.
For zap activity, the total zap amount is about 9 million, showing a decrease of over 10% compared to the previous period.
In terms of relay usage, the top five relays by user count are: wss://realy.damus.io, wss://nos.lol, wss://eden.nostr.land, wss://realys.snort.social, wss://realy.current.fyi
Data source:
NIPs
first draft of NIP-79 Nostr Relay Chat
elfspice is Starting discussion of this idea for synchronous instant messaging a la IRC style leveraging ephemeral events and subscriptions. Note that this is specifically for only synchronous messaging using ephemeral message kinds. Relays should support this facility and it has not been much used by anything, but it essentially enables exactly the same protocol mechanics as used in IRC.It includes stuff about a protocol to acquire and update missing user data required to implement features also. Most of the elements of this proposal are already implemented in
add accepted and blocked mint lists
PABLOF7z is proposing that adds lists the user wants to accept nutzaps on (this should have been part of the NIP-61 PR ) and mints the user doesn't want to use.
NIP-0A discrete query messages FOLLOWS/FOLLOWERS
Jundow is proposing two discrete query messages FOLLOWS and FOLLOWERS. This “discrete query message” approach aims for the protocol to have essential and single-function query methods for quick searching response. This concept will be beneficial for the ecosystem especially if there are relays with huge numbers of accesses in the near future. “REQ” message is quite versatile and convenient, but this concept lacks a consistent approach to have a quick search response based on indexed databases or data structures.This proposal is a starter. There may be more beneficial types of discrete messages for relays and clients to deal with the huge number of accesses.
Merchant Delegation Tags
amunrarara is proposing that In the Merchant Delegation paradigm, a different Nostr account effectively controls all commerce-related events on behalf of the Merchant. The delegated account creates every Stall and Product, receives all Checkout events, and handles checkout-related communication with the Customer.
The Merchant signs a Merchant Delegate Token, which is placed in a tag on every event signed by the delegate account. Clients parse the tag, verify the signature is valid, and cause non-checkout events to target the Delegator automatically.This PR is a WIP.
nip4e: decoupling encryption from identity
fiatjaf is proposing that a system for users to share private data between their own devices that doesn't rely on all devices holding the user account private key.
The first device to come into the world will generate a random encryption key；When another device's device key is spotted, the device that knows the original encryption key encrypts that key to the target device's device key using NIP-44 and sends it out；Encryption and decryption are performed using the encryption key using the NIP-44 algorithm, skipping the first step and proceeding with conversation key set to the shared encryption key.
change NIP-01 to only allow a single filter per REQ
fiatjaf is proposing that anything that can be done with a single REQ and multiple filters can much more easily be done with multiple REQs each with a single filter.In practice the existence of the possibility of multiple filters in a single REQ has no benefit and only serves to hurt performance and increase complexity of codebases.this is a breaking change, but not a very drastic one. We can easily transition to this by having clients stop being built with this "feature" in mind, and relays can follow later. If a client sends a REQ with more than one filter to a relay that only supports one that's also ok, the client will just get less results than it expected.
NIP 74 - NWS
asmogo defines a specification on how to send TCP messages trough NOSTR.TCP messages can be received by exit-nodes. This also introduces a Domain Name System to announce exit nodes to NOSTR clients.Exit nodes will further forward the TCP connection to a desired destination (static service or chosen by the client).NIP-74 enables people to use HTTP, SSL, SSH and many more protocols built on top of TCP trough NOSTR.The example implementation uses a SOCKS5 proxy as a client. This client publishes signed Nostr events for the exit node using the Nostr relays from the resolved domain.
NIP-G0 for Geospatial Tagging Standardization
SwBratcher is proposing that Introduction of NIP to standardize event geospatial tagging for location of event origin and location area of event relevance, with both being hierarchical, offering flexibility for users and systems to filter and improve content relevance to user interest when proximity, politics and geography matters.
Update NIP-51 for software applications
franzap is proposing that Introduce app curation sets, used to group applications (for curation, recommendation, organization, backup). Minor fixes to release artifact sets, reflecting current usage.Both kinds 30063 and 30267 have been heavily used for months in Zapstore.
NIP-0A - Contact List v2
Mike Dilger is proposing that Contact List v2 could be used for any other event kinds that have editable lists. He is not arguing for a contact list v2 actually, arguing for 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. But we saw a lot of conflicts early on. One problem is the size. 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 to Add 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 to add the Git Remote Nostr URL format which can be used as a normal git clone address when ngit is installed. This is 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. We are now collaborating together. See this public discussion of the format on Nostr.Add wider git remote helper spec implemented by the git plugin bundled with ngit.
Notable Projects
- Moves to NIP-22 to reply to Interactive Stories.
- Adds amount and personalizations labels to the DVM feed
- Fixes Satellite's blossom upload
- Fixes incorrect reply order when the direct reply is also included as a quote.
- Fixes image upload tests
- Fixes the bug on not having the video feed at the top when loading the app from scratch.
- Fixes screen mispositioning when rotating the phone on full screen video/image dialogs.
- Fixes images on DVM profiles
- Fixes badge crash
- Fixes missing reactions on video feeds
- Improves performance of the Hex encoder.
- Improves the layout of the discovery feed items
- Updates jackson, secp256k1 and AGP
Coracle 0.5.0
- “Undo” via delayed send can be enabled in Coracle's settings. This allows you to quickly correct those typos you notice just as you press “send”.
- Login and onboarding have been completely re-worked to walk the delicate balance between flexibility/security and a comprehensible UX.
- Feeds are now faster, especially relay-based feeds. The controls for feeds should also be incrementally improved.
- The note create/reply inputs are now powered by nostr-editor for a smoother editing experience
- The HUD (which you can access in the left sidebar on desktop) now has information about relay connections and NOTICE messages.
Flotilla 0.2.0 is out, which brings provisional support for NIP 29 groups — this means that flotilla is now interoperable with chachi, highlighter, and groups.nip29.com.
- Render Gif and video files while composing posts
- Add profile info text in stretchable banner with follow button
- Paste Gif image similar to jpeg and png files
- Improved UX around the label for searching words
- Improved accessibility support on some elements
- Fixed issue where the "next" button would appear hidden and hard to click on the create account view
- Fix non scrollable wallet screen
- Fixed suggested users category titles to be localizable
- Fixed GradientFollowButton to have consistent width and autoscale text limited to 1 line
- Fixed right-to-left localization issues
- Fixed AddMuteItemView to trim leading and trailing whitespaces from mute text and disallow adding text with only whitespaces
- Fixed SideMenuView text to autoscale and limit to 1 line
- And more
For Web:
- Resolved issues causing the article editor to appear malformed.
- Added support for both LTR and RTL languages in the article editor.
- Enhanced the messaging box to support long text writing.
- Secure DMs (Nip44) can now be enabled globally via the messages and settings pages.
- General bug fixes and improvements.
All Primal apps have just been updated. Here’s what’s new:
iOS 2.0.134:
- Improved onboarding
- Profile screen improvements
- Feed rendering improvements
- App shell cosmetic improvements
- Various bug fixes
Android 2.0.28:
- Improved onboarding
- Feed rendering improvements
- Profile screen improvements
- Various bug fixes
Web 2.0.11:
- Profile screen improvements
- Feed rendering improvements
- Various bug fixes
- 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.
- New Highlighter Studio for long-form writing：
- Much more reliable draft support
- Checkpoint support (restore to a 10-revisions-ago draft)
- Blossom
- Proposals
- And a ton more things cooking.
- NIP-07 login (NIP-46 coming)
- View-only
- NIP-22 comments
Gossip Release 0.13.0
Gossip Client
This is a major release with the following changes:
- File Metadata support (NIP-92 / NIP-94)
- Blossom support (BUD-01, BUD-02)
- NIP-89 Support - Recommended Application Handlers
- Search on relays (NIP-50): you must choose your search relays first
- on the Person page, you can view who someone follows, and who follows them (including for yourself). Computing who follows them is expensive and inaccurate
- Undo Send - for 10 seconds (or whatever you configure) you can undo sending
- Thread replies now sorted by date, except author replies come first
- Cancelling a draft asks if you are sure, so misclicks don't erase your carefully crafted manifesto.
- Inbox indicator showing how many messages are waiting
- Feeds no longer inject new events and scroll while you are trying to read
- Every feed has it's own separate "include replies" switch now
- Relays can now be tested to see whether they are fit for purpose
- Zap amount can now be typed in (or slid with a slider)
- Support for pubkey hints in 'e' and 'q' tags
- Support for 'E' and 'A' tags and kind 1111 Comments (NIP-22)
- Font update to support more unicode codepoints
- NIP-46 replies with NIP-44 encryption if the client used it.
- NIP-44 encryption now used for private contacts and private lists.
- FFMpeg 7.1 support
- Relay URLs now rendered as links to the relay config page
- Build.sh script to help users choose features when compiling
- New command line commands: delete_by_kind, disable_relay
- Subscription batching for naddr searches
- Database compacting reduced to once per week, and handles out of space error
- Some theme color changes
- Relay scoring adjusted
- Likes and zaps data updated more frequently than before
- Default relays for new users have been tested and updated
- Many fixes
- Move to a dedicated forms nip
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/issues/1190 - Encryption for response submission upgraded to nip-44.
- Users can now add multiple admins to a form
- Users can limit participants to a form (all accesses shared as giftwrap events)
- Users can encrypt form content.
- Added a “login” button.
- Form IDs are now “naddrs” to a form event.
- Added image upload buttons to question and options
- New Dashboard view instead of tables on the home screen
- Tabs for "on device" , "shared with me", "my forms" & "drafts" added.
- Relay acceptance view on form publish is now added.
Plebeian Market
Plebeian Market
- Better logs and reporting
- Avoid de-bouncing grand total calculation
- Make categories urls case-insensitive
- Sales are listed oldest first
- Blank space on product explorer page
- Return pleb if role cant be found
- Admin actions appear for everyone
- (Beta) Direct Messages: Chat privately with other users anytime, anywhere.
- Feed Filtering: Customize your feed by choosing the content you want to see.
- Fixed NWC issues for Lifpay to ensure smoother transactions.
- Resolved NWC zapping timeout issues, improving reliability for payments.
- Resolved incorrect date display issue showing “January 1970”.
- Add appName parameter for web apps using nip 55
- Try to fix bunker requests showing up again after accepting/rejecting them
- Fix loading screen
- Fix racing condition when using bunkers
- Better pin entry screenAdd a close application config in the ui
- Separate the service notification in a group
- Always return a hex key for the get_public_key method
- 0-amount invoice support
- Migration to dynamic backups setup
- LND channel notifications
- Better relay connectivity
- Interface improvements and minor fixes, all listed at their GitHub
- Fixes issue with blocking relays, and since we used relay.nostr.band (that has been down) it froze many requests
- Fixes issue with unnecessary relay initialization, which may be a source of slow performance in some cases
- Embedded Node: LND v0.18.4-beta
- CLNRest: fix display of destination addresses on txs
- Display keysend messages in Activity and Payment views
- Open Channel view: UI tabs for Connect Peer
- LND: optimize payment path calls after payments
- CLNRest: add ability to paste connection strings
- Channels: restore sort by Close Height
- Networking improvements
Long-Form Content Eco
In the past two weeks, more than 378 long-form articles have been published, including over 102 articles on Bitcoin and more than 28 related to Nostr, accounting for 34% of the total content.
These articles about Nostr mainly explore the protocol’s potential for decentralization, privacy, and emphasizing its role as a revolutionary tool in combating centralization. They highlight various use cases, such as using Nostr for blogging, personal websites through platforms like Npub.pro, and innovative projects like Fountain Radio. Tutorials delve into functionalities like custodial zapping with tools like Coinos.io and Amethyst, while reflections discuss adoption challenges, user insights, and the broader implications for internet freedom. The reviews and discussions also consider the usability of website builders and the emergence of unique features like the GM filter, painting a picture of Nostr as a versatile yet evolving ecosystem.
The Bitcoin articles discuss a broad spectrum of topics surrounding the cryptocurrency ecosystem, exploring its role as a revolutionary technology and an economic disruptor. They delve into Bitcoin's multifaceted applications, from being a store of value and a medium for escaping traditional systems to its potential as a tool for social and political empowerment. The articles highlight ongoing debates about Bitcoin's environmental impact, governance, and scalability, while also reflecting on its cultural significance through literature, poetry, and historical analogies. Several pieces examine technical developments, including advancements in mining, Lightning Network innovations, and self-custody strategies.
Thankyou, Win Ko Ko Aung ဝင်းကိုကိုအောင်, DamageBDD, Bitcoin Infinity Media, darashi, Mike Dilger, HGW39, ごまだれ（どぐせぇ庁検閲済み）, OKR, MadMunky2140, Oyl Miller,
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.
The Africa Bitcoin Conference 2024 took 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 hosted nearly 70 distinguished speakers, including Noelyne , Renata Rodrigues , Jack Dorsey ⭐️, John Dennehy, who focused on topics such as Bitcoin adoption, regulation, innovation, and security. This conference offered attendees valuable opportunities for in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing.
The Dadas Bitcoin Workshop was held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. This event was open to everyone and invited several changemakers who are driving innovation in the Bitcoin ecosystem, including MouxDesign and Ella Hough, among others. The workshop featured guest speakers sharing how Bitcoin has transformed their lives and careers. The event delivered major surprises, along with gifts and rewards, and fostered vibrant discussions and connections that left a lasting impact on participants.
Bitcoin Layer 2's vs Bitcoin Sidechains took 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, delved into the differences between Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions and sidechains, highlighting their applications in smart contracts and DeFi.
Here are the upcoming Nostr events in November that you might want to check out.
The Adopting Bitcoin Capetown 2025 conference will take place on January 24-25, 2025, at Workshop17 in Cape Town's Waterfront. The event will focus on how Bitcoin can reshape the financial system and revitalize communities against the backdrop of South Africa's ongoing decline in governance and infrastructure. It will feature dozens of prominent figures from the Bitcoin ecosystem, including Frank Corva, Djuri, bizzle, SowetoBtc, Nathan Day, Sabina, Tando.me, Bitcoin Diary, Hodl_poet, and others, to discuss Bitcoin's practical applications and its impact on financial infrastructure.
The Bitcoin Beach Circular Economy Summit will take place from January 27 to 29, 2025, in El Zonte, El Salvador. This will be the first gathering of global Bitcoin circular economy leaders, with 20 invited Bitcoin circular economy organizations participating. The summit will focus on leadership training, Bitcoin education, and facilitating exchanges and collaboration among 15+ global Bitcoin circular economies. As an exclusive, invitation-only event, it offers Bitcoin adoption and economic development leaders worldwide a valuable opportunity for learning, networking, and cooperation.
The Awake Earth Festival will take place from February 20 to 24, 2025, at the Awake Center in Uvita, Costa Rica. This unique event combines music, learning, and Bitcoin themes. The festival is divided into two parts: from February 20 to 23, it will focus on live performances by internationally renowned artists, healing workshops, educational talks, and ceremonies. On February 24, the focus will shift entirely to Bitcoin, featuring related talks and discussions.
Bitcoin Jungle
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.
