Derek Ross

What is "remote signing" NIP-46…

Derek Ross — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:40:25 GMT

What is "remote signing" NIP-46 and NIP-55 Nostr key management? #HOWDONOSTR

Across Nostr's ecosystem, where decentralization and user control are paramount, managing private keys securely should be a top priority. There is no central authority to reset your "password" or help you recover your "account" if your private key is leaked. Once leaked, your "account" is essentially burned and you no longer have control.

Remote signing your social transactions with NIP-46 (Nostr Remote Signing) and NIP-55 (Android Signer Application) provides a safer and more convenient way to interact with Nostr applications without exposing your private key.

By entering your private key into multiple applications, you increase the risk of it being compromised. To protect your key, only trust a minimal number of applications and avoid entering it into more apps than absolutely necessary. Proper private key management with remote signing applications can help here.

What are NIP-46 and NIP-55?

NIP-46 (Nostr Remote Signing) and NIP-55 (Android Signer Application) allow you to use a remote signer—a separate tool or device—to approve actions on your behalf. Instead of entering your private key into every app, you authorize trusted applications to sign messages remotely. This lets you create temporary keys that can sign events on your behalf, without exposing your private key. You can limit what these keys can do, such as only allowing them to post notes but not change your profile.

Using the NIP-46 method, a user would login to a Nostr application with a long string similar to this example:

bunker://?relay=wss://relay-to-connect-on&relay=wss://another-relay-to-connect-on&secret=

Using the NIP-55 method, a user would simply tap or click a 'Login with Amber' or 'Login with Android Signer' button in their Nostr application. All of the heavy lifting and configuration items are handled by the Android signer.

Why use remote signing?

* Better Security – Your private key stays in a secure location, such as Knox, NAK, or Keycast, rather than being exposed in multiple applications.
* More Control – You decide which apps can sign messages and revoke access anytime.
* Seamless Experience – There is no need to copy and paste private keys between apps. It just works in the background.

How can you use it?

The easiest method is Amber for Android. (A new application named nowser recently launched. I have not tested or used this application. However, it supports Android, iOS, Windows, and Linux.)

* Amber: https://github.com/greenart7c3/Amber or download from Zapstore!
* nowser: https://github.com/haorendashu/nowser (Remember, I have not used this application. Please use at your own risk!)

If you're more technical and you have a Bitcoin node or a Nostr relay, you may want to consider running either NAK, Knox, or Keycast. These will require a dedicated computer or server.

* NAK (Nostr Army Knife): https://github.com/fiatjaf/nak (This requires almost no setup. You download a simple program and run it with the command 'nak bunker' and keep the terminal window open or run this on a server.)
* Knox: https://gitlab.com/soapbox-pub/knox (Alex Gleason actually wrote a great article on this nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqprpljlvcnpnw3pejvkkhrc3y6wvmd7vjuad0fg2ud3dky66gaxaqqykkmn00qkkyet5vyhjuvda)
* Keycast: https://github.com/erskingardner/keycast (JeffG wrote more about Keycast here: nostr:note1327htu9gr327h38yu5f6tueye4cajp3kc69cs3gl7w6q6rz09ufqukl74j)

Examples of Android applications with support:

* Amethyst, Wavlake, Fountain, 0xchat, Coracle, Flotilla, and more!

Examples of iOS applications with support:

...

Examples of Web applications with support:

* Coracle, Nostrudel, Jumble, Snort, Nests, Habla, and more!

Many, many Nostr applications support NIP-46 or NIP-55. However, popular applications such as Damus and Primal do not support these login methods at this time. If your favorite application does not support these login methods, you'll need to ask your app developer and zap them accordingly 😉

Happy remote signing!

Amethyst Note Discovery…

Derek Ross — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:17:39 GMT

Amethyst Note Discovery

#HOWDONOSTR
nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpuz723r9hw3jha86vfmma53as3jr0p3uhxqj4t66klf9xpez02sjqy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyrskqthvpy070xvjmmq3np2lwjhnyvffem4zmku87a857a49jler7cgwg6x

Restoring Your Contacts on Nostr - #HOWDONOSTR…

Derek Ross — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 19:44:29 GMT

Restoring Your Contacts on Nostr - #HOWDONOSTR

Managing contacts on Nostr can be trickier than it seems. Switching apps or relays can sometimes lead to accidental loss of your contact list. Thankfully, there are several ways to restore your contacts. Here’s a brief guide:

1. Using the Nostr Profile Manager / Follows Manager
Visit https://metadata.nostr.com or https://follows.nostr.com. To restore your contacts, you’ll need a browser extension:
- For Desktop: Use Nostr Connect on Chrome browsers that support extensions.
- For Android: Use Kiwi Browser with Nostr Connect.
- For iOS: Use the Nostore app extension for Safari.

2. Using Nostur (iOS)
The Nostur app notifies you when it detects a new version of your contact list and offers options to restore or approve changes.
- Important: You must already be a Nostur user before losing your contact list.
- Download Nostur: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nostur-nostr-client/id1672780508

3. Using Citrine (Android)
The Citrine relay runs locally on your phone, enabling contact restoration from a backup.
- Important: Citrine must be set up before your contacts are lost.
- Learn more: https://github.com/greenart7c3/Citrine or Zapstore.

4. Using Primal Premium
If you’re a Primal Premium user, go to the Nostr Tools section and select "Contacts Backup." You can view all backups and choose a restore point.
- More info: https://primal.net/premium

Good luck!

What is Zapvertising? #HOWDONOSTR…

Derek Ross — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:58:29 GMT

What is Zapvertising? #HOWDONOSTR

Zapvertising is a new form of advertising on the Nostr protocol. It allows businesses to pay users by directly promoting their products or services in their user's notes. When a user or business Zaps a note, they send a small amount of bitcoin to the note's creator. Since these are just payments sent over the Lightning network, the sender can attach any piece of content to the note field. This can be a link to a product image, a video, a podcast, video, etc. The creator receives a notification that they have been Zapped along with an attached note. The user's Nostr app then displays the image, link, etc. for the user to engage with, open, and view.

Zapvertising is a more direct and personal form of advertising than traditional advertising. It allows businesses to connect with potential customers on a more individual level. It is also more transparent, as users can see exactly how much money is being paid for each zap.

The benefits of Zapvertising on Nostr are as follows:

It is a more direct and personal form of advertising.
It is more transparent than traditional advertising.
It is more cost-effective than traditional advertising.
It is more effective at reaching a targeted audience.
It can help businesses build relationships with potential customers.

Zaps are sent via the Lightning Network, a decentralized payment network that is built on top of Bitcoin. This makes Zapvertising fast, cheap, and secure. All you need is a Bitcoin Lightning wallet to get started.

How much is a user's attention worth to you? The larger the Zap sent, the more likely the potential customer is to notice and see your Zapvertisement.

If you are looking for a new way to advertise your business, #Zapvertising on Nostr is a great option. It is a more effective and affordable way to reach your target audience, and it can help you build relationships with potential customers.

What is the Nostr Outbox Model?…

Derek Ross — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 19:33:42 GMT

What is the Nostr Outbox Model? #HOWDONOSTR

The Nostr Outbox Model (NIP-65) allows users to define which relays they want to use for sending notes directly within their profile, improving efficiency and relay management. By declaring this in a special event kind via their profile relay settings, users set preferences on where their events should be sent. This reduces user confusion and fuels decentralization.

The simplest take away here is that users no longer need to have a shared common relay between them to communicate. Clients handle all of the heavy lifting for them. This change simplifies both the client experience and relay coordination, aligning with decentralized social networking principles.

With the Outbox Model, users can use a variety of small and community relays, and still communicate with one another.

What does this look like and how does this work in practice? https://how-nostr-works.pages.dev/#/outbox

Here is a great article on the Outbox model by hodlbod if you'd like to learn more: https://habla.news/u/hodlbod@coracle.social/8YjqXm4SKY-TauwjOfLXS

What is Zapvertising? #HOWDONOSTR

Derek Ross — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:32:45 GMT

What is Zapvertising? #HOWDONOSTR

An entirely new market is emerging as a result of the development of Nostr and Zaps. Zapvertising has pioneered the idea of "Zaps for ads" businesses. This is an exciting development that has the potential to revolutionize the way that advertising is conducted online.

Zapvertising is a new type of advertising that is based on the use of Zaps, which are small amounts of bitcoin that can be sent to other users of the Nostr protocol. When a Zapvertisement is sent, a link, video, or text message is also sent to the user along with the bitcoin. This is a much more direct and transparent way of advertising than traditional methods, which often rely on user data and tracking. With Zapvertising, advertisers are paying users to view their advertisement.

The emergence of "Zaps for ads" businesses is a sign that there is a growing demand for new and innovative ways to advertise. Zapvertising is one promising solution to this problem, and it is likely to continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.

Thus far, I've witnessed at least three new businesses emerge in this space. It will be interesting to watch how these businesses differentiate between one another and what services they offer to both advertisers and to Zapvertisement recipients.

Welcome new Nostriches! Welcome to Nostr!…

Derek Ross — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 12:44:30 GMT

Welcome new Nostriches! Welcome to Nostr! Nostr has a large and passionate community with an equally diverse and thriving ecosystem. Use this note to help navigate this decentralized and censorship resistant communication protocol.

Videos:

Watch why social media is broken and how we aim to fix it by Max DeMarco
https://youtu.be/aA-jiiepOrE

Take the Nostr 101 course with Ben Wehrman
https://youtu.be/_jrkUXDReqI

Learn about Nostr's permissionless nature with jack
https://youtu.be/t-40158eRqo

Tear down your technical and social silos with myself and several Nostr developers https://youtu.be/SSFVR5ZXOuA

Podcasts:

Listen to Avi Burra and QW #40GMW☕️ on Plebchain Radio. Many of their episodes are Nostr focused and very informative.
https://fountain.fm/show/0N6GGdZuYNNG7ysagCg9

Take a more technical approach to Nostr with hodlbod on the Thank God for Nostr podcast. https://fountain.fm/show/vnmoRQQ50siLFRE8k061

Articles:

Discover the basics of Nostr from River
https://river.com/learn/what-is-nostr/

Take a thorough deep drive and learn all about Nostr from Lyn Alden
https://www.lynalden.com/the-power-of-nostr/

Guides on Nostr:

Browse the #HOWDONOSTR hashtag on Nostr and follow my notes explaining several Nostr concepts and features.

Ask your questions with the #asknostr hashtag.

NEW
These are from my recent presentations at Nostriga and Baltic Honeybadger 2024:
Nostr 101: https://drive.proton.me/urls/JVV955JXRM#auCM2PWcCBuC
Being your own algorithm: https://drive.proton.me/urls/1NQPW740V8#Lqm46NkK3Pzz

Browse the ecosystem:

Visit https://nostr.how and explore all the ins and outs of the protocol yourself.

Nostr has dozens of other applications and use cases beyond Twitter like social clients. Nostr gives us a portable digital social identity that we can take with us and hop from app to app across the ecosystem. Find your next social app here https://nostrapps.com

Welcome new Nostriches! Welcome to Nostr!…

Derek Ross — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 10:14:35 GMT

Welcome new Nostriches! Welcome to Nostr! Nostr has a large and passionate community with an equally diverse and thriving ecosystem. Use this note to help navigate this decentralized and censorship resistant communication protocol.

Videos:

Watch why social media is broken and how we aim to fix it by Max DeMarco
https://youtu.be/aA-jiiepOrE

Take the Nostr 101 course with Ben Wehrman
https://youtu.be/_jrkUXDReqI

Learn about Nostr's permissionless nature with jack
https://youtu.be/mXLK4kWFEgc

Tear down your technical and social silos with myself and several Nostr developers https://youtu.be/SSFVR5ZXOuA

Podcasts:

Listen to Avi Burra and QW #40GMW☕️ on Plebchain Radio. Many of their episodes are Nostr focused and very informative.
https://fountain.fm/show/0N6GGdZuYNNG7ysagCg9

Take a more technical approach to Nostr with hodlbod on the Thank God for Nostr podcast. https://fountain.fm/show/vnmoRQQ50siLFRE8k061

Articles:

Discover the basics of Nostr from River
https://river.com/learn/what-is-nostr/

Take a thorough deep drive and learn all about Nostr from Lyn Alden
https://www.lynalden.com/the-power-of-nostr/

Guides on Nostr:

Browse the #HOWDONOSTR hashtag on Nostr and follow my notes explaining several Nostr concepts and features.

Ask your questions with the #asknostr hashtag.

Browse the ecosystem:

Visit https://nostr.how and explore all the ins and outs of the protocol yourself.

Nostr has dozens of other applications and use cases beyond Twitter like social clients. Nostr gives us a portable digital social identity that we can take with us and hop from app to app across the ecosystem. Fine your next social app here https://nostrapps.com

It's been a while, so…

Derek Ross — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:00:13 GMT

It's been a while, so I felt it was time to share my list of Lightning wallets that support receiving Zaps to help with the on-boarding process #HOWDONOSTR

First what are Zaps? Simply put, they are a value for value exchange or a way for you to send and receive money for your content. They're the best form of feedback that we have. They're better than likes and reactions, as Zaps have real world value.

To get started, you'll want to choose one of the Lightning wallets, websites, or apps below and then copy your Lightning address from that wallet and paste it into your Nostr profile.

If you're a complete technical noob, then I will just suggest to use the Primal Nostr client. Primal has a built in wallet and makes it very simple and easy to user. Otherwise, you have a plethora of options below to choose from. Enjoy.

NIP-57 Zaps compatible wallets:

Strike.army (deprecated)
Vida.page
Stacker.news
Bitcoin Jungle
LightningTipBot (ln.tips)
Geyser
Bitcoin Beach (Blink)
Current (Client+Wallet)
Wallet of Satoshi
Zebedee
Alby
AnonSats
Strike
Primal (Client+wallet)
Coinos
Machankura (8333.mobi)
vipsats.app
lifpay.me
npub.cash
minibits.cash
Fountain (fountain.fm)

Self Custody:
BTCPay Server (your own domain)
nostdress (your own domain)
LNBits (your own domain)
Thunderhub (ghst.to)
Zeus (zeuspay.com)
Voltage
Ligess (your own domain)
Mutiny Wallet

Please note that this list may not be completely accurate as new services are being added with support all of the time. If you happen to know of any changes, please let me know. Thanks!

#HOWDONOSTR - How do I use Nostr?

Derek Ross — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 19:19:33 GMT

#HOWDONOSTR - How do I use Nostr?

Nostr is much, much more than a Twitter alternative. Nostr allows us to have portal digital social identities that we can use in various applications and capacities. For this next iteration of #HOWDONOSTR I'll focus on a few of the applications that I use and the various ways that I use Nostr.

Since we know that Nostr uses a public and private key pair and keeping our private key safe is of utmost importance, we'll start this off with the basics and then move on to relays, before discussing applications.

* On my desktop, to login to and utilize the various applications, I'll use the Alby web browser extension to manage my private key. This works with Chrome, Brave, Firefox, etc. You can install it here: https://getalby.com
* On my Android phone, I'll use the Amber application to keep my private key safe when using native applications that support it. You can download Amber here: https://github.com/greenart7c3/Amber
* I'll also use the Kiwi web browser for accessing many web applications. With the Kiwi browser, I'll use the Nostr Connect extension because it's more lightweight than Alby. You can download Kiwi Browser for Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiwibrowser.browser
You can install the extension here: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/nostr-connect/ampjiinddmggbhpebhaegmjkbbeofoaj

Nostr allows us to be in-charge of our digital social identity and allows us to be in-charge of our entire social graph. We can accomplish this by running our own relay. I do this in two parts.

* I run a private local relay on my Android phone. This allows me to easily write offline notes and save all of my drafts to my phone where they are not accessible by anyone but myself. I do this with the Citrine application. You can download it here: https://github.com/greenart7c3/Citrine
* I also run a publicly accessible relay that only my wife and myself and have write access. That means that no one else can save their social information to my relay, but everyone in the world can access my relay to read our notes and events. I use the Nostream relay for this. You can get started with Nostream here: https://github.com/cameri/nostream

Do I need to run two relays? Maybe not, but I do, because I can. Nostr allows me to easily do these more technical things if I want to do them, allowing me to be fully in control of my entire social graph and social identity.

Now that I have my private key being secured and managed and my notes and events are stored on my personal relays, I'm ready to start using various Nostr applications!

My number one daily driver is Amethyst for Android. It allows me to login via Amber to keep my private key safe. It allows me to easily use my private relay that runs on my smartphone. I use Amethyst because of the number of features that it supports, integrating with many other Nostr clients and various aspects of the protocol. From AI generated feeds of notes, to a bitcoin powered marketplace, to live streams and more. However, Amethyst does suffer from some stability issues and causes me headaches from time to time. Because of this, I also use Primal. Primal is smooth and stable. It lacks some of the extras that Amethyst has, but if I want an experience that just works, I choose Primal.

Nostr really shines on the web. Most of Nostr's Other Stuff clients are not native applications for Android and iOS, they're web applications - regular websites powered by Nostr. Remember, to securely use these applications, you'll need one of the web browsers and extensions that I mentioned above. Alternatively, you can also use many of these with nsec.app. This website runs a Nostr nsecBunker in your web browser, allowing this application to function as a secure key management application.

* Snort.social or Iris.to are popular clients, but not performing for me as well as they used to, so now I'm using Primal.net and Coracle.social more and more. Primal is very stable and simple, but Coracle is loaded with features that keep bringing me back. Coracle's new custom feeds feature is a game changer, however the UI is a bit much and may seem overly complicated.
* For audio chats, I listen to NostrNests.com where people chat with friends and Plebchain Radio hosts their weekly podcast. I used to do weekly shows here every Monday, but it's been a while for me.
* Zap.stream is a Twitch or YouTube alternative for video consumption. Here, I watch friends and streamers here, interacting with them live, chatting, zapping, and consuming all that they have to offer. Sometimes it's weekly podcast shows, sometimes it's gamers playing video games, or sometimes it's just developers hacking away at code during a live coding session.
* I use Highlighter.com for reading long form notes or blog posts, but I also use Highlighter for sometimes writing my own. Content creators can also use Highlighter to create subscription tiers, similar to Patreon. I don't use that feature, but it's nice to have for those looking to fund their content in other ways similar to what exists elsewhere on the web.
* I use listr.lol to manage my Nostr lists, to help me organize npubs that I follow.
* I use metadata.nostr.com to restore my Nostr profile, including my contact list, if a rogue client accidentally deletes or alters my contact list in a way that I didn't intend. This does happen from time to time. We're early.
* I use w3.do to create Nostr powered shortlinks for sharing with others.
* I use Wavlake to listen to music, supporting artists in a value for value manner. I use this application on the web and I use this application on my Android phone too.
* I use Shopstr.store to sell items, such as old Android phones. I've sold 3 via this Nostr powered marketplace.
* Tunestr.io is a website similar to Zap.stream, but it's specifically for live musical performances.
* I use Zap.store to manage applications on my Android phone as an alternative to Google Play or Obtainium.

I use these applications the most, but many more applications exist across the Nostr ecosystem. I encourage you to check out https://www.nostrapps.com from time to time and see what's available.

What are Nostr badges? #HOWDONOSTR

Derek Ross — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 20:49:29 GMT

What are Nostr badges? #HOWDONOSTR

Badges are simply cosmetic enhancements for your Nostr profile. They may be awarded to users for recognition, for participation, or in appreciation of a certain task, goal or cause. Users may choose to decorate their profiles with badges for fame, notoriety, recognition, support, etc.

Some badges are common, some are more rare, and others are extremely rare, only being awarded to small groups of people.

Badges can be created and managed from https://nostrbadges.com and https://badges.page

Several clients will show badges on user profiles such as Iris, Snort, Amethyst, Nostrudel, etc.

Examples:
Attendees of the very first Nostr conference were awarded a unique #Nostrica badge.

Participation in various memes and fun activities on Nostr may yield badges for survival of a #hellthread, making a typo, or collecting a lot of badges. The possibilities are endless here.

Badges may be awarded for subscribing and supporting a Nostr relay, a Nostr client, or service such as NostrPlebs.com, Nostrcheck.me, Nostr.land relays, NoBSBitcoin.com, and more.

Achievements in video games from THNDR yields Nostr badges showcasing your gaming skills.

Supporting and backing crowdfunded projects on Geyser results in a variety of badge rewards.

Since anyone and everyone can create badges, some badges and even badge providers will be more reputable than others.

In the end, badges are fun, but also can provide or showcase some utility as well.

#HOWDONOSTR

Derek Ross — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:08:01 GMT

#HOWDONOSTR

What is a Nostr address?

It's a human readable identifier for your public key. It makes finding your profile on Nostr easier. It makes identifying your Nostr profile easier. A Nostr address is much easier to remember than a long and confusing Nostr public key. A Nostr address, also referred to as a NIP-05 ID, additionally provides you with a shiny verified checkmark on many Nostr clients.

Please be aware though, that this is not the same type of verification that you'll find on centralized platforms. The only item that's being verified here is that an npub on Nostr corresponds to a particular username and domain. The checkmark shows that a Nostr address is valid and that's it.

This checkmark helps put a stop to spammers and scammers on clients that showcase valid and invalid Nostr addresses. For example, if you're looking to follow Derek Ross on Nostr, you'll see many different Derek Ross profiles exist. If you're not sure which one is correct, you should look for the profile that has a valid checkmark besides the Nostr address derekross@nostrplebs.com.

For certain well known individuals or well known companies with their own popular or well known website, it makes sense for them to use the website or organization that they're representing for their Nostr address. For example, maybe a Nostr user works at Tidal. They would use user@tidal.com. This shows that the user works for or is employed by the popular music service Tidal.

For other users that don't have the technical knowledge or the time to set up their own personal Nostr address, they may choose to use a Nostr address service provider. The first and most popular Nostr address service provider is NostrPlebs.com. Many other service providers now exist and offer similar services.

For more information, visit the Nostr NIP-05 official documentation. https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/05.md

#HOWDONOSTR

Derek Ross — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 19:20:52 GMT

#HOWDONOSTR

What are Zapathons?

Zapathons are unofficial events that happen on nostr which consist of rapidly Zapping as much sats or as many people as possible. The main focus of the event is to have fun all the while stress testing many Lightning wallets and clients across the nostr protocol.

Zapathons organically came about as a way to stress test various Lightning wallets that many users were using. During the early days of Nostr and Zaps, Zapathons broke Wallet of Satoshi and Alby several times each during these events. These stress tests allowed these vendors to make their service offerings more robust and able to handle the increased traffic that Nostr was bringing to the Lightning network.

While Zapathons can occur at any time throughout the day and throughout the week - they can be completely random - most Zapathons happen used to happen weekly on Thursday and Friday at 5pm Eastern Standard Time.

You'll find hundreds of people Zapping every single note they come across or they'll be targeting specific notes or even targeting specific individuals. (Zap the devs!) You'll see memes and animated GIFs flooding your main feed as everyone celebrates, produces content to be Zapped, and wants to partake in the fun and excitement.

Some Nostriches like to hold their best memes, GIFs, or even announcements for Zapathons. Posting your content during a Zapathon could mean a healthy boost of eyeballs and Zaps for your note.

All you need to do to participate is have a Bitcoin Lighting wallet and like to have fun. That's it. You can also follow the #Zapathon hashtag for an extra dose of excitement if your own personal feed is a little bland during a Zapathon time period.

#HOWDONOSTR

Derek Ross — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 16:46:40 GMT

#HOWDONOSTR

What are relays?

Nostr relays are decentralized servers that are used to store and transmit notes and events on the Nostr protocol. They are essential for the operation of Nostr, as they allow users to communicate with each other without having to rely on a central server. Nostr relays are sometimes referred to as the "dumb" powerhouses of the protocol.

Nostr relays are run by volunteers all over the world. This makes Nostr censorship-resistant, as it is not possible for any one entity to control all of the relays.

When a user creates a note or event on Nostr, clients broadcast this information to the user's relays to be stored and later retrieved by other clients. Nostr relays are also responsible for verifying the authenticity of notes. This is done by using a cryptographic signature that is attached to each note. When a user receives a note, their client verifies the signature to ensure that the note has not been tampered with.

Nostr relays are a critical part of the Nostr protocol. They allow users to communicate with each other censorship-resistantly, securely, and anyone can run one.

What relays should I use?

You want to use a diverse set of relays along with relays that your friends, family, and people you know use. If you do not share at least one relay in common with someone, you may not be able to communicate with one another across the nostr protocol.

Nostr clients will either bootstrap a list of pre-configured, default relays for you to use or recommend relays for you to use. These are a good place to start, but it's recommended to reach out to your friends to see what relays they are using or to join a local community or interest based relay.

A list of all nostr relays can be found at https://nostr.watch

Should I run my own relay?

Yes.

This puts you in charge of your social data and your entire social graph for the very first time.

This helps you stay censorship resistant. If a relay would happen to censor you, ban you, or disappear, you still have all of your data on your own personal relay.