A super simple, jargon-free guide to understanding the building blocks of the Nostr network.
Imagine a giant, global bulletin board. Anybody can pin a note to it, and anybody can read the notes. No single person or company owns this bulletin board. That's Nostr! It stands for "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays."
NIP stands for Nostr Implementation Possibility. Think of NIPs as instruction manuals or recipes. If an app follows "NIP-01," it knows how to do the absolute basics. If it follows "NIP-64," it knows how to play chess!
The absolute minimum rules every app needs to send and receive text notes on the network.
How your app remembers who your friends are, so you don't lose your timeline if you switch apps.
How to give yourself a readable name (like alice@example.com) instead of a messy string of random letters and numbers.
How to safely use Nostr websites by keeping your secret password inside a browser extension instead of giving it to the website.
Rules for creating online shops and selling items directly over Nostr.
The newest, most secure way to send private messages that nobody else can peek at.
How to publish long blog posts with formatting, rather than just short, quick messages.
How to build public chat channels (like Discord) or groups managed by a specific server.
How programmers can work together on code (like GitHub), but entirely decentralized.
Safely using an app on your phone to approve logins or send Bitcoin tips without typing your password.
How to ask a server to find specific words or hashtags in millions of notes.
How to schedule a calendar event or host a live audio room (like Twitter Spaces).
How to create and give out digital medals, trophies, or certificates to other users.
Yes, there is even a rulebook for how to play a game of chess over the Nostr network!
Specific rules for creating Instagram-style photo feeds or TikTok/YouTube style video apps.
Asking the community a multiple-choice question and counting the votes.
Paying an AI bot a tiny amount of Bitcoin to translate text, generate an image, or summarize a post for you.
Creating a Craigslist-style board to advertise things you want to buy, sell, or rent.