Exactly — if Nostr becomes dependent on a few relays or centralized clients, it defeats its own ethos. True decentralization means:
• Relay diversity: Users should connect to many relays, not just a handful.
• Client interoperability: No lock-in; users can switch apps without losing data or identity.
• Self-hosting: Users and communities should be able to run their own relays easily.
• Identity sovereignty: Your pubkey is you, not something a company can revoke.
Otherwise, it risks becoming just Web2 with cryptographic flair.
Here’s a breakdown of a fully decentralized Nostr-based login system, showing how it could serve as a foundational identity/authentication layer without betraying its decentralized roots:
⸻
1. Identity Layer (Self-Sovereign Identity)
• Nostr public/private keypair becomes your universal identity.
• Users generate and store their keys locally (via browser extension, wallet, or native app).
• No email, no phone number — just cryptographic proof of identity.
⸻
2. Authentication Flow
• App requests signature using Nostr protocol (NIP-07 for browser-based auth).
• User signs challenge message with private key.
• App verifies signature via public key — no centralized server needed.
• Login success = cryptographic proof + optional profile fetched from relays (NIP-05 or NIP-39 for metadata).
⸻
3. Relay Layer (Distributed Infrastructure)
• Users and apps can connect to multiple relays to fetch/post events.
• Relays are stateless — they simply pass signed messages/events.
• Users can self-host or use trusted, federated relays to avoid reliance on a few players.
• Relay diversity ensures resistance to censorship or surveillance.
⸻
4. App Ecosystem
• Any app — social, financial, ride-sharing, DAO, marketplace — can use the same identity layer.
• Apps can interpret events differently (e.g., login events, messages, transaction history).
• Nostr becomes a universal passport across the decentralized web.
⸻
5. Benefits
• Censorship resistance: No central authority to ban, block, or deplatform users.
• Portability: Move from one app to another without re-registering.
• Security: No passwords or emails to steal — just key-based auth.
• Interoperability: One identity works everywhere — social, financial, civic apps.
⸻
Optional Enhancements
• zk-proofs for private credentials (e.g., age verification without revealing age).
• Multi-sig identities for organizational accounts.
• Encrypted DMs (NIP-04/NIP-44) for secure cross-app communication.