The Rise of Nostr Protocol and Damus App: A New Chapter in Decentralization Social Media

On February 1, 2023, a social application based on the Nostr protocol, Damus, officially launched on the Apple App Store, attracting widespread attention and discussion from the cryptocurrency community. The launch of this application is seen as an important milestone for open protocols, with many community members sharing their Nostr public keys on various platforms. Some even believe that the Nostr protocol could become a strong competitor to traditional social media platforms.

Introduction to Nostr Protocol

Nostr is a minimalist protocol designed to create a censorship-resistant global social network. Its full name "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays" translates literally to "Notes and Other Content Transmitted by Relays." Users can broadcast messages by connecting to relays and signing with their private keys, while anyone can send messages to specific users using their public keys.

The protocol also supports end-to-end encrypted private message transmission, allowing users to encrypt messages using the public key of the intended recipient, ensuring that only the person holding the corresponding private key can decrypt it. This mechanism is similar to the encryption method used in Bitcoin transactions, demonstrating that the Nostr protocol is designed with core ideas from Bitcoin in mind.

Damus Application Experience

Damus started its internal testing in April 2022 and is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Users only need to set a username for registration, without providing any personal sensitive information. After registration, the system will generate the user's public key (starting with npub) and private key (starting with nsec).

The application interface is simple and resembles traditional social media platforms, divided into four main sections: home page, private messages, search/square, and message alerts. Users can post unlimited-length posts, supporting comments, likes, re-shares, and sharing features. The private messaging feature uses end-to-end encryption to ensure communication security.

Damus also supports the Bitcoin Lightning Network tipping feature and integrates multiple payment wallets. In addition, users can use bots to achieve certain automation functions.

However, as a newly launched product, Damus currently still has some issues, such as unstable functionality and slow loading speed. But considering its recent release, it is believed that these issues will be improved in the future.

Comparison with Other Decentralization Social Protocols

Compared to the Lens protocol based on Ethereum, Nostr chose to build its infrastructure on Bitcoin. The Lens protocol has been running for a year and has a relatively mature ecosystem, while the Nostr ecosystem is still in its early stages.

In terms of user data processing, Lens has implemented on-chain data assetization of user attention, forwarding, and other information. Nostr has not yet launched a similar feature.

In terms of access thresholds, the two adopt different strategies. Lens sets a certain threshold, requiring users to hold a Lens handle to use the ecosystem products. In contrast, Nostr is completely open with no restrictions. This difference has also led to Nostr achieving a faster spread and higher popularity in the short term.

The Potential Impact of Nostr

Although Nostr is currently still a niche project, it has great potential as an open, censorship-resistant, and permissionless communication protocol. With the launch of applications like Damus, Nostr is expected to reach a broader user base.

In the future, the Nostr ecosystem may introduce features such as private key custody, further lowering the user barrier and increasing the likelihood of large-scale adoption. Although the threshold for building protocols and tools has been significantly reduced, operation remains key. The support of several well-known industry figures will undoubtedly accelerate the development and popularization of the Nostr ecosystem.

With the maturation of technology and changes in user demand, the Nostr protocol is expected to play an important role in the field of Decentralization social media, providing users with a safer and freer social experience.