The Bitcoin Street Journal. Bitcoin Market Update.
Episode 24. Week 23. Welcome to The Bitcoin Street
Journal, your daily source for live market updates,
technical analysis, and breaking news regarding
Bitcoin. Stay up to date with the latest Bitcoin
trends, market capitalization and supply, as
well as financial and economic news by subscribing
to our podcast. Join us on the journey through
the world of Bitcoin. and its impact on our daily
lives. In today's episode, we'll cover the basics
of the Noster Protocol, including how to create
an account, use clients to access the protocol,
follow friends, and browse content. We'll also
discuss the use of NIPs and relays, and offer
tips on using specific clients like Coracle and
Damus. Finally, we'll talk about how to contribute
to the success of Noster. Have you ever wanted
a truly global and sensor -resistant social network?
Well, that's where Noster comes in. Noster is
a simple and open protocol that enables just
that. It's a decentralized social network created
to empower users and allow them to connect directly
without relying on a central authority. So how
can you get started on Noster? It's simple. Create
an account and join thousands of others who are
already on the network. Once you're in, you'll
be able to see what makes the protocol so special.
The Noster protocol is based on flexible event
objects that use standard elliptic curve cryptography
for keys and signing. By relying only on WebSockets
connections from clients to relays, it promotes
software diversity and makes it easy to write
clients and relays. One of the essential features
that make Noster unique is that it is resilient.
Noster doesn't rely on a small number of trusted
servers for moving or storing data. This means
that the protocol is very resilient to censorship
or any other kind of interference. Users can
connect and publish to an arbitrary number of
relays that they can change over time. Another
key aspect of Noster is that it's verifiable.
Every Noster account is based on public key cryptography.
This feature makes it easy to verify that the
messages were actually sent by the user in question.
But why do we need Noster? Our current social
media systems are fundamentally broken. They
rely on using users' attention to sell ads and
bizarre techniques to keep people addicted. These
systems also decide what content to show you
based on a secret algorithm that you can't inspect
or change. And unfortunately, they also have
complete control over who can participate and
who is censored. The good news is that there
are resources out there to help you learn more
about Nostr and how you can use it. There are
different clients, apps you can use for the web,
iOS, Android or desktop, whatever suits your
needs best. There are also contributions you
can make to help develop the Nostr protocol or
relay implementation. So are you ready to become
part of this exciting decentralized social network
revolution? Check out the recommended external
content and micro tools that can help you navigate
and use Nostr. The possibilities are endless
and the benefits are significant. Today we're
talking about how to get started with Nostr,
and I'm here to guide you through the process.
When you create a Nostr account, it's based on
a public -private key pair. Your public key is
basically your username, and your private key
acts as your password. But with one major difference.
If you lose your private key, it can't be reset.
So be sure to store it in a safe place, like
a password manager. Now, Nostr itself is just
a protocol. a set of rules for passing messages
around on the internet. To access this protocol,
you'll need a client. Clients can be web -based,
desktop -based, or even on your mobile device.
They help you fetch data from relays, as well
as generate new data and share it with others.
The only form of data that exists in Noster is
the event, which must contain a signature to
prove who created it. To construct this signature,
the client will need your private key. For native
apps, you can paste your private key into the
app itself. While for web apps, we recommend
using a browser extension that can handle Nostr
related functionality. Ready to try Nostr for
yourself? Check out some of our recommended clients
like Coracle for the web, Damus for iOS, Gossip
for desktop, and Nostros for Android. And if
you're looking to connect with others in the
Nostr community, you can use Nostr directory
to find Twitter people that are already connected
to Nostr. Alternatively, you can start following
a few prominent Noster keys to get started. Finally,
remember that you can use your public -private
key pair on any Noster client, although not all
clients support all protocol features in the
same way. So be sure to check out our Client
Comparison Guide to find the best client for
your needs. Hey there! Today we're going to talk
about a fascinating topic. the Noster Protocol.
If you're curious about how it works and why
it's essential, keep on reading. First things
first, let's talk about what Noster is. In short,
it has two main components, clients and relays.
Each user runs a client and anyone can run a
relay. The Noster Protocol aims to make it easier
for users to share their data securely. But how
exactly does it work? Every user has a public
key that identifies them and every post is signed.
That means that every client validates these
signatures. It's important to ensure that all
data is authenticated before it's sent across
the network, and Noster takes this very seriously.
Here's how it works in practice. Noster clients
fetch data from relays of their choice and publish
data to relays of their choice. It's important
to note that relays don't talk to each other.
They only communicate directly with users. That's
Noster's way of ensuring that no unauthorized
parties can access your data. For example, if
you want to follow someone, all you have to do
is instruct your client to query the relays it
knows for posts from that public key. It's as
simple as that. In summary, the NOSTER protocol
is designed to make data sharing more secure
and easier for users. By using public keys and
validating all data signatures, NOSTER ensures
that all data is legitimate before it's sent
across the network. Hey there! Today we're going
to dive into the fascinating world of NOSTER
events. Events, as you might already know, are
the atomic unit of the NOSTER protocol. This
means that they're the only object type on the
network. But what exactly is an event and what
types are there? Well, let's answer these questions
one by one. An event is a text note that is intended
to be used in Twitter -like feeds, replies, and
comments. Each event also has a specific kind
number that determines its type. For instance,
Kind 0 is a metadata event that users can use
to give details about themselves, such as their
name and profile picture. Meanwhile, relays might
delete older versions of Kind 0 events and keep
only the latest one. On the other hand, Kind
1 events are the most commonly used and are just
plain text notes designed to be read by others.
They are also the type of events you would probably
use when building a basic social networking app
on the Nostr protocol. Now I know what you might
be thinking. If there are only two kinds of events
you need to build a social networking app, then
why are there other types? Well, other types
of events were invented to provide additional
functionalities that clients needed. You'll find
all the details on those in the NIPs. It's essential
to understand that for each new use case, a sub
-protocol must be thought of and proposed as
an NIP. This ensures maximum interoperability
with existing and future clients that might be
interested in implementing that particular functionality.
Plus, it makes sure everything is backward compatible
and has nice fallbacks for anything that exists
and doesn't want to change. Moving on, each event
also has a created underscore at property. This
is a Unix timestamp set by the event creator.
Normally it's set to the time it was created,
but there are no checks made against that. Finally,
tags are another essential aspect of NOSTER events.
They can vary depending on the kind of event,
but some of the common tags include P, which
is used to mention a public key, and E, which
refers to another event. Well, that's a quick
overview of NOSTER events and their types. Stay
tuned for more exciting tech talk. You might
be wondering what they are and why you should
care about them. Well, aside from the first NIP,
NIP -01, which describes the basic protocol,
all NIPs are optional. But what is an NIP anyway?
A NIP stands for Noster Implementation Possibilities.
Its purpose is to promote interoperability. Instead
of each developer coming up with their own solutions
to common problems and implementing it in their
own app only, it's better for everyone to implement
solutions that are compatible with each other.
NIIPs exist to coordinate this process. Think
of it this way. A new idea might look great on
one developer's app, but it will be much better
if lots of other apps implement the same standard
and they can interoperate nicely. This is why
you should care about NIPS. Noster is decentralized
and not owned by a centralized service like Twitter.
This means that the direction of the protocol
is up to all of us. We can suggest and advocate
for changes and offer feedback on ideas suggested
by others. Being an active part of the community
gives you a say in the direction of the network.
Curious where you can find NIPs? Check out the
NosterNIPs repository. It's as simple as that.
So start exploring the NIPs today and see how
you can contribute to the Noster community. When
it comes to using the Noster Protocol, clients
are your way in. Think of it as the app you use
to access and interact with the protocol, similar
to how you might use Twitter's iOS app or web
app to view tweets. The flexibility and simplicity
of the Noster Protocol means that different clients
can approach it in different ways. Some clients
try to mirror Twitter's experience, while others
focus on the importance of relays, or use algorithms
to ensure censorship resistance without overwhelming
users. If you want to try out different clients,
you can switch them or sign into as many as you'd
like, as long as they're pulling data from the
same relays. However, it's generally best not
to enter your private key into any client. While
most clients do try to keep your key secure,
there's always the potential for bugs or breaches
that could compromise your identity. If you're
looking for some client recommendations, there
are plenty to choose from. Some of our favorites
include Snort for web, Nose for iOS, and Nostros
for Android. Each client has its strengths and
unique features, so explore and find the one
that works best for you. And for a more in -depth
look, be sure to check out the guides provided
for each client. Today, we are going to walk
you through getting started with Nostr on two
different clients, Coracle on the web and Damus
on iOS. First up, let's dive into Coracle. To
get started with Coracle, open up https://coracle
.social in your browser. You'll be prompted to
either log in or sign up. If you already have
a private key, then select log in and paste it
in. If not, select sign up and Coracle will generate
a new key pair for you. Once you've got your
key pair, you'll want to start following some
people. If you click on the search option, you'll
see a list of people that you can follow. Alternatively,
you can click on the Advanced tab to paste profiles,
endpubs, or other identifiers. From there, you
can browse through your feed and click on any
note to see replies and its parent. Now let's
talk about Damus on iOS. First, head over to
the iOS app store and download the Damus app.
When you open it, you'll have the option to either
create a new account, or log in with a private
key that you've already generated. If you don't
have a private key yet, then select Create Account.
Pick a username and optionally add some other
profile details. Damus will generate keys for
you at this stage and your public key will be
your account ID. Once done, click Create and
you're good to go. However, before you start
using Daymas, you'll need to save your private
key somewhere very safe. Navigate to Settings
by clicking your profile image at the top left
of the screen and then Settings. From there,
you'll find your public account ID, your public
key, and your secret account login key, your
private key. Copy both of these values and store
them somewhere super safe, like one password
or a different password manager. Remember, if
you don't save this value, you won't be able
to recover your account. Lastly, if you already
have a private key, select login and enter in
your private key when prompted. Remember that
Damus doesn't store your private key on their
servers in any way. If you're looking to use
Gossip on your desktop, we've got a step -by
-step guide for you. The first thing you should
do is download either the Gossip Linux binary
or the Windows installable from the releases
section. Once you open the app, go to You and
generate a key pair. However, if you already
have a private key, you can import it. It's important
to get this done so your keys are set up, but
you're not following anyone yet, so your feeds
section will be empty. To start following people,
head to the People section and click Follow Someone
New. From there, you can type in a DNS ID like
fiatjoff .com or jacketcache .app. If you have
a specific NPUB1 or hex key, you can specify
a relay manually. Keep in mind that Gossip follows
specific people at specific relays and doesn't
have a global list of relays. After you're done
following someone new, you may have to restart
Gossip so that your feed shows up. After restarting,
head to the People tab and click on Refresh Metadata.
This will update the profiles of the people you're
following and show their pictures, making the
experience more enjoyable. You may notice that
Gossip won't let you write anything until you've
chosen a set of relays to write your posts on.
To get started, go to Relays and then Configure.
Pick a few relays where you want to publish your
posts and you're good to go. You can even manually
type in relay addresses if you want. Once everything
is set up, browsing the feed is easy. The Feed
tab shows all the notes from the people you're
following and only them. You can click on the
notes and read replies as long as there's enough
relay information to fetch them. The inbox section
shows your mentions and notes. To publish your
own notes, type in the text box above the feed
and add a subject. You can also mention people
by searching for them in the little text box
below. Any content like NP of one or note one
pasted in the text box should be automatically
picked and parsed into a real mention and given
a different color. Now, if you prefer to use
Nostros on your Android device, here's what you
need to do. Open the app. and generate a private
key if you don't have one. You'll be prompted
to create a sequence of words, which you should
write down if you're serious about this. If not,
you can just move forward. In the next screen,
you'll be asked to type the words again. If you
noted them down, type them in. Otherwise, there's
a skip button you can click. To follow someone,
head to the contacts screen and paste their public
key. You can also type a NIP05 address. After
that, you can see their profile information.
Your feed tab will show the people you're following.
To find other people, take a look at those with
whom they're interacting. You'll see colored
bars that represent the relays where each note
was found. That's it for our guides. Now you're
ready to use Gossip and Nostros. Have you ever
heard of relays? Well, these are like the backend
servers for Nostr. They enable Nostr clients
to send messages where they may or may not be
stored and then broadcast to other connected
clients. It's essential to note that since Nostr
is decentralized and relies on relays to store
and retrieve data, if you experience slow performance,
it's possible that the relays you're using are
at fault. So it's worth adding more relays to
your client. You're probably wondering where
you can find a list of relays. No worries, we've
got you covered. The best resource we've found
for browsing and assessing the speed of known
relays is the Nostr .Watch site. Now let's talk
about what happens if all the relays you use
stop working. If all relays you've used in the
past go offline, your posts will be unretrievable.
One reason why Nostr allows users to connect
with many relays is to guarantee some degree
of backup. However, if you're very interested
in being uncensorable, you can run your relay.
For most people, this may seem daunting, but
for those who want to ensure that their speech
is entirely unsensorable, then running your relay
is recommended. You may be wondering how someone
can access you in a personal or obscure relay.
If you want to hint where you're publishing to
people that might be interested, you can use
the NIP19N profile code or the NIP05 relays field.
You can also publish a list of the relays you
use to multiple other relays you don't use. Finally,
you might be asking yourself whether any public
relays exist in the ecosystem. Well, the Nostr
.Watch website keeps a very comprehensive list
that has lots of valuable information about each
relay, not only their address. So, there you
have it, relays and how they work. Hey there!
Today we're talking about relay implementations
for the Nostr Relay Spec. This list includes
all known implementations and is helpful if you're
thinking of running a relay yourself. To start,
let's discuss what relays are. So far, they're
application agnostic. This means you can either
run your own relay or use any or all of the public
instances. Now, on to the most used relays in
the wild. First up, we have Nostrars Relay. It's
a minimalistic optimized relay written in Rust
that uses Sklite. Next, we have Nostream. a NOSTA
relay written in TypeScript that's optimized
for load balancing and fault tolerance, and backed
by PostgreSQL and Redis. Another great one is
me, Untether at NOSTA Relay, which is written
in Clojure, very strict and performant, and uses
Sqlite. And finally, Stirfree is a relay written
in C++, which is very performant and uses LMDB
for data storage. It also comes with a built
-in set reconciliation mechanism for syncing.
Now, let's move on to the other implementations.
First is Relayer Basic. which is a simple reference
relay backed by Postgres. It's written as a demo
on top of the Relayer Go framework for building
custom relays. Next is Inoster, a relay written
in C hash. Then we have Soster, which is a Noster
relay designed for a single writer pub key. There's
also the Minds Noster relay, a relay for Minds,
an open source social network. Another one is
Noster underscore relay, a Noster relay written
in Python and backed by skew light. If you're
using LnBits, you can launch LnBits Relay in
your own server with just one click or two. Wrapper
over Nostr underscore relay. And last but not
least, we have Nostr Poster Relay. It's written
in Kotlin and supports both Skulite and PostgresQL.
And if you like metrics, Nostr is a Nostr relay
implemented in Kotlin with support for Postgres
and Metrix. So there you have it, a comprehensive
list of the Nostr relay implementations. So you're
interested in contributing to the success of
Noster? Fantastic. There are plenty of ways you
can get involved and help promote decentralization
and ultra interoperability. One way to contribute
is by working on your favorite client. Try to
come up with approaches that are both fun and
useful while keeping the principles of Noster
in mind. If you have new ideas that don't fit
in an existing app, you can even start a new
client all on your own. Check out bouncer .com
for things that might interest you. You may come
across some bounties that you could contribute
to. Of course, you could always simply use Noster
and tell others about it. Let them know what
you like about it and what you think can be improved.
Don't forget to give feedback to client authors.
However, when you do so, be patient. If you're
feeling generous, you can donate money to people
doing things you think are good. Another way
to contribute is by writing explainers and curated
resources for Noster. Put them online so that
others can learn from them. If you want to get
even more involved, check how your skills can
help Nostr software or the mission of spreading
the Nostr world. You can partner with others
who may be searching for that type of assistance.
Or if you have a real life example of how Nostr
has helped you and you think others might be
interested in building on it, bring it up. You
never know who else you might inspire. Finally,
if all else fails, annoy your favorite content
creators, people banned from social media. or
other personalities you follow until they check
out Nostr for themselves. Who knows, they might
thank you for it later. In today's episode, we
talked about the Nostr protocol and how it enables
an open and censorship resistant social media
experience, as well as the importance of clients,
relays, and NIPs. We also discussed different
ways to access and interact with Noster, including
recommended clients such as Coracle and Damus.
Finally, we touched on the importance of contributing
to Noster's success. Thanks for listening to
today's episode. I'll see you guys at the next
one and don't forget to subscribe.