nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprx6rk40kt0cmt69qpfnewnfkez6lgx27ufkudqmuxmx5t57t0wcqq24xcedd98ny535tue8wargxquy732x29f8xwxqkrv
I think discovery and key delegation are real problems for Nostr and I am afraid to see the mutation they birth just to avoid fixing it in some known way.
Otherwise, Nostr didn't stop Bluesky from reaching 30M users, right? All that is emergent so far is that Bitcoiners think Nostr is interesting and Lefties think Bluesky is a safespace.
Will millions of people use Pubky someday? I really think so. But I can't predict the future, so meanwhile we will do everything we can to keep our priorities straight and make our work as compatible with reality as possible.
Not in any terribly useful way, but yes? The problem is that Nostr uses an incompatible elliptic curve for the DHT.
So, you could technically use the same seed to generate a Nostr key and also a Pubky, and then you could use whatever discovery system in each to list the key of the other (put your Nostr key in your Pubky data, and vv).
Otherwise, these are two separate networks with separate URLs, separate data methods, etc, so bridging them isn't super-practical.
Nostr could change this, and start using our PKDNS method, but it would be a breaking change. (They should though, it's a strict upgrade.)
It seems like a competitor for sure (to me) especially given the discussion John Carvalho had on Bitcoin Audible Chat_124 https://fountain.fm/episode/OKYgMOLAhI91TvmxL6Me
You could use both! ;)
its still a bunch of promises, yet
the main idea is to allow a DNS similar indexing capable of indexing every single pukey that will exist which is totally feasible (similar to DNS) these indexes allow users to reach the content of a particular user, although we have this functionality here in a simpler nprofile link that refers to the read/write relays behind the scenes
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/611b6351863e128f470576586f0e2b9a75f19039/19.md
but from my POV what seems as the big promise of Pukey is that through this all of this indexing stuff they might allow for a weighted graph relationships between users, posts and interactions (Semantic Social Graph as - they call it https://docs.pubky.org/Explore/Concepts/Semantic-Social-Graph ) which is cool and considered the best approach to data in social-media due to the dynamically infinite possibilities for curated personalized experience as its used by facebook (all meta apps)
but as i said that's still a promise
The DNS capabilities you mention are already open-sourced and live. You can check out the PKDNS, MAINLINE and PKARR repos at github.com/pubky
The Nexus Indexer is also open-sourced and running live.
The only thing private is a new app we are building, which we will open-source in June.
We did not include signing all data for a reason. It doesn't actually fix anything.
Some of the problems people quote to justify signing everything are only theoretical problems (you never hear about trusted servers mutating data really,, despite it being possible). And all of the problems signing introduces are ignored.
If you want attestation or proofs there are better ways to do it either incidentally or inherently with tree structures.
I'd rather have a mirror/watchtower than a bunch of floating signed messages inconsistently available across relays.
Hi! I'm not toxic, I'm just honest ;)
I kind of like how I can just delete or edit any post of mine in Pubky anytime. It makes me the real authority on my data.
People have been arguing about IP law lately, and I think this is a good primitive to discuss any remotely rational alternative to the current system.
If I am the authority on my data, it means that any version of it that is copied can be strictly identified as such. You could even establish provenance in deep ways with tagging, social graph, and some sort of signing/stamping or structured data trie or such.
We can add versioning, tree-based data structures, and even per-event signing like Nostr if we want, but for now, it feels nice being in control, even when I am trusting a homeserver.
Pubky vs Nostr - Under the Hood
Here's an AI-generated breakdown of the key differences under the hood between Pubky and Nostr, focusing on architecture, protocols, and design principles:
🔑 1. Identity Model
Pubky:
- Uses PKARR (Public Key Addressable Resource Records) to map pubkeys to resources (e.g., profile, index, feed, etc.) via the Mainline DHT.
- Treats a public key like a domain name, with multiple associated records (like DNS).
- Emphasizes self-custodial identity with keychain-style apps (like Pubky Ring) to manage access.
Nostr:
- Identity is simply a public key.
- No native support for structured resource discovery—clients infer structure (e.g., via nip-05, which is optional and centralized).
- No native key management or delegation system.
🧠 2. Data Architecture
Pubky:
- Data is hosted via homeservers, which can be self-hosted or federated, but data belongs to the user, not the host.
- Each pubkey publishes signed records (e.g., profile, index, posts) to their homeserver or a DHT-announced URL.
- Homeservers act like mirrors, not gatekeepers—enabling credible exit.
Nostr:
- Data is broadcast to relays
- Relays decide what to store and serve; users must trust relays to propagate and preserve content.
- No built-in credible exit or ownership enforcement.
🔄 3. Data Discovery & Routing
Pubky:
- Uses PKARR + Mainline DHT for decentralized discovery.
- You can find the correct endpoint for any key without a centralized index or bootstrap.
- Promotes semantic discovery through social tagging and pubkey-indexed resources.
Nostr:
- Discovery relies on centralized relay lists, nip-05 (centralized domains), or third-party indexers.
- No native DHT or structured discovery mechanism.
- Feeds are mostly ephemeral, requiring external tooling to rebuild context.
🗂️ 4. Content Structure and Graph
Pubky:
- Native support for tags, semantic relationships, and custom indexes.
- Embraces a semantic social graph, where users create and share meaning through tagging and trust.
- Tagging is relative, not objective—enabling things like contextual moderation, reputation, and filters.
Nostr:
- Content is flat and unstructured beyond event.kind and tags[], which are simple arrays.
- Social graph is inferred from follows and zaps but lacks higher-level structure.
- No built-in semantics—interpretation is client-dependent.
🔒 5. Censorship Resistance & Exit
Pubky:
- Promotes a credible exit by allowing users to self-host or mirror their data.
- Homeservers can be replaced or migrated without losing history or identity.
- All records are cryptographically signed and portable.
Nostr:
- Resilience depends on relays honoring your writes.
- If major relays drop you, there's no native fallback unless you're running your own.
- No migration tooling for moving across relays or restoring full history.
⚙️ 6. Protocol Complexity
Pubky:
- Uses existing infrastructure (Mainline DHT, HTTP, JSON, etc.).
- Structured, with clear roles: PKARR, homeservers, apps.
- More modular and composable by design.
Nostr:
- Simple and minimalistic by design.
- One protocol to rule them all—relays serve everything, and clients decide what to do with it.
- Easier to bootstrap but harder to evolve without fragmenting.
🧭 Philosophy Differences
Pubky is systematic and protocol-first.
Nostr is minimal and spec-last.
Pubky builds a structured semantic graph.
Nostr uses a freeform event stream.
Pubky relies on decentralized routing via the DHT.
Nostr relies on centralized or trusted relays.
In Pubky, a public key is like a domain with structured records.
In Nostr, a public key is simply a handle for a feed.
Pubky focuses on providing users with a credible exit.
Nostr focuses on censorship resistance through broadcast redundancy.
Pubky uses a multi-role network with nodes, homeservers, and apps.
Nostr has a flat network with only relays and clients.
Rare opportunity for talented web devs here:
https://bitcoinerjobs.com/job/1410370-senior-front-end-web-developer-synonym/
As we build Pubky, I have a sidequest of preventing it from being a weird cesspool of niche socially dysfunctional morons and nihilistic perpetually traumatized losers. That's hell.
Signal, relevance and authenticity are of high importance, and I think that will show in our design choices.
I am talking about this: https://yakihonne.com/article/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqwe6gtf5eu9pgqk334fke8f2ct43ccqe4y2nhetssnypvhge9ce9qq4kzar0d45kxttnd9nkuct5w4ex2ttnwashqueddamx2u3ddehhxarj956z7vfs9uerqv34lkfrfv
If you would like to swap GMs with me just go to https://gm-nostr.vercel.app/
This is just cryptogymnastic bullshit. No one needs this and even if Pubky users did need this, they could just generate a secp key from their Pubky seed instead of an ed key... and then make the same claims about Pubky.
There is no magic or exclusivity here, sorry.
wut are you even talking about? atomic swaps across blockhains? which has nothing to do with nostr or pubky, right?
What are the fun things to do on Nostr that I cannot do elsewhere?
Bitcoin can't be a "uniquely special feature of Nostr" because it is not contained by Nostr, right?
Any platform anywhere can add Bitcoin features like Nostr apps do.
Zapping being only in Nostr-compatible apps is partly cultural and probably also partly a lack of demand or interest elsewhere.
No?
Does that mean you aren't coming?