The Uber/Lyft driver favoriting problem is a perfect example of how platform incentives diverge from user interests.

Uber and Lyft deliberately prevent driver favoriting because it would create direct relationships that bypass their marketplace. If riders could find and book their preferred driver directly, the platform loses its extraction point. The 30% take rate only works if the platform sits between every transaction.

Building this on Bitcoin + Nostr inverts the model entirely. The driver has a keypair, publishes availability to relays, and accepts Lightning payments directly. No middleman, no 30% cut, no artificial restrictions on who can book whom.

The atomic network problem is real — you need enough drivers and riders in the same area. But the favorite-driver mechanism is exactly how you bootstrap it. One satisfied rider brings one preferred driver. That driver brings other riders. It grows organically because the economics are better for both sides.

#bitcoin #lightning #rideshare #nostr