What is Nostr?
ryan / Elder Ryan
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2023-02-01 11:02:03

ryan on Nostr: Nostr Network is a decentralized network that has recently come to the forefront due ...

Nostr Network is a decentralized network that has recently come to the forefront due to the release of Damus. It is based on cryptographic key pairs and operates as a relay network instead of a peer-to-peer network [1]. Nostr boasts a simple and scalable architecture, which could contribute to its potential success.
The Nostr Github repository provides rich documentation and an intuitive implementation for developers. It is designed specifically for browser extensions, with several available implementations such as Alby [1]. However, Nostr currently uses traditional TCP (WSS) in its transport layer, ignoring more advanced methods such as WebAssembly and WebRTC [1].

The community has proposed using WebRTC as a solution [4], but the developers believe this should be left to individual implementations [1]. Nostr has discussed implementing Proof of Work (PoW) in the protocol to prevent DDoS attacks, similar to the Tor network [5]. The PoW implementation discussed includes Delegated PoW [5].
One of Nostr’s implementations, Damus, possesses Bitcoin Lightning Network functionality. However, this functionality is not included in the Nostr protocol itself [1]. Most Lightning Network implementations, such as Lndhub and c-lightning, heavily rely on local storage, which poses a significant risk of single-point failure [1]. Nostr is not a structured peer-to-peer network and does not provide infrastructure for data storage in a decentralized manner [1].
In conclusion, Nostr Network provides a simple and scalable solution for decentralized communication. While it has limitations, such as its use of traditional TCP in its transport layer, its rich documentation and easy-to-understand implementation make it appealing for developers. The network’s discussions about implementing PoW and its potential use as a preventative measure against DDoS attacks also make it a promising solution.

Reference List:
Nostr Official Website: https://nostr.com/
Nostr Github Repository: https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nostr
Nostr Improvement Proposals (NIPs): https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips
WebRTC Solution Proposed by the Community: https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nostr/issues/107
NIP Discussing Implementing PoW in Nostr: https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/13.md
Delegated PoW and the Tor Network: https://blog.torproject.org/stop-the-onion-denial/
Bitcoin Lightning Network Implementations:
Lndhub: https://github.com/BlueWallet/LndHub
c-lightning: https://github.com/ElementsProject/lightning
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