Nostr News - May 2024 - with Max Webster and DK

* Max’s idea that Bitcoin startups often hold their balance sheets in USD and BTC, with varying levels of Bitcoin exposure.* The majority of Bitcoin-focused companies have some exposure to Bitcoin, and this exposure depends on the founder's preferences.* The conversation highlights the importance of non-custodial wallets and the impact of recent developments in the eCash space on Bitcoin adoption and scalability. Nostr's potential for decentralized identity and its role in the tech industry.* The value of open source software and its impact on the community* The intersection of ideology, technology, and community building within the context of Nostr and open source software.* Nostr as a public commons for metadata* open source and commercial business models* Decentralization of energy markets and the future of technology* The intersection of technology, energy, and market intelligenceThanks for reading Curious DK! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

* nsec.app is a web-based solution for key management in the Nostr ecosystem.* It implements the Nostr Connect protocol, allowing users to remotely access their keys.* The goal of nsec.app is to simplify key management for new users and make it more accessible.* Other apps, such as Amber Android app and Gossip client, also support Nostr Connect.* The conversation discusses the idea of usernames and the onboarding process for new users. nsec.app allows users to log in to various apps using their Nostr keys* nsec.app provides customization options for app developers* Nostr can be used as an identity layer for non-interactive apps* Future roadmap includes features like importing existing keys and a hosted version of nsec.app* Open source development allows for long-term focus and collaboration.* Blossom is a protocol for decentralized media serving that ensures censorship resistance and verifiability.* npubs can be used to abstract away the traditional DNS system and create a more Nostr-native internet.Thanks for reading Curious DK! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

Takeaways* eCash is a layer on top of Bitcoin that aims to improve the user experience of Bitcoin payments* Static messages in eCash allow for one-click payments without the need for complex invoice processes* Stable eCash tokens enable the representation of stable value on top of Bitcoin* Boardwalk Cash is a platform that facilitates the sending and receiving of eCash tokens Boardwalk Cash allows users to send money easily by creating tokens and withdrawing to a Lightning address or invoice.* Mints can be trusted or swapped, depending on the user's preference.* Sharing a link is a convenient way to send eCash to someone, and they can claim it by clicking the link.* Boardwalk Cash has various use cases, including incentivizing engagement on social media platforms. Nostr has the potential to be used for digital payments and tips through zaps and a zap wallet that is dollar-denominated.* Using recognizable currencies like USD in Nostr can help overcome the hurdle of understanding and using Bitcoin.* The stable cash feature of Nostr bridges the gap between stablecoins and Bitcoin, allowing for limited volatility and easy adoption.* Remittances and incentivizing engagement through payments are potential use cases for Nostr.* Platforms like Discord can benefit from integrating Nostr for easy and instant payments. Mints can be tailored to specific functionalities or user needs, ranging from mints that support all features to mints that focus on specific use cases.* Relay operators can play a role in the eCash ecosystem, potentially running mints or providing specific functionalities like storing messages.* Open source components are important for the growth of eCash, but there are also opportunities for commercial models to drive adoption and fund marketing efforts.* Targeting new users and creating experiences that demonstrate the benefits of eCash over traditional payment systems is crucial for adoption.* Potential use cases for eCash include Discord payments, game shows, and AI agents.Thanks for reading Curious DK! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

The more Nostr-specific stuff starts around 52:37.We spent the first hour catching up on the following: walks, AI/Nostr/Lightning Hackathons, Max's interest in Ancient Civilizations, n00b podcasting tips from another n00b, intros to bitcoin, bitcoin ETF, Solar/Wind/energyThanks for reading Curious DK! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

where we talk about Nostrasia, Bob's Prisms, building businesses in AI, AI to build custom software, StackerNews and Territories and The Network State, nostr search, prediction markets This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

where we talk about PWAs, Nostr Browsers, DVMs, GPUTopia and more This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

I got a chance to catch up with Hodlbod, one of the original client developers on Nostr. We started by talking about how he sees his work on Nostr through the lens of Christianity (and his new podcast Thank God For Nostr which goes deeper on that). We also went deeper to discuss how much relay selection should be visible to users and how relay commoditization and competition might work in the future. Finally we did a deep brainstorm around relays and how they could fit into a Subreddit-like/Zine-like thing on Nostr.1:05 Thank God For Nostr5:50 Ira Glass - on creative work9:51 Christianity and Nostr30:30 Relay selection and visibility39:49 Commoditization of relays51:58 Gossip model1:08:53 Subreddit-like things/Zines on Nostr This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

Minds.com is one of the original approaches to building a social networking service that seeks to empower users with more freedom (e.g., free speech, portable identities, etc.). Beginning over 10 years ago they’ve evolved the service to play a role in the modern architecture we’re exploring with Nostr. After Bill’s recent appearance talking about Nostr on Joe Rogan’s podcast we got a chance to dig deeper on the key philosophical and technical principles behind their work and how they think about Nostr. We were also lucky to include Mark Harding who is CTO of Minds.0:00 Opener0:42 DK intro to convo1:34 Minds - philosophy and exploration of nostr and other open source projects4:04 What’s important when evaluating open source technologies?4:20 3 Pillars: Sovereign Identities, Interoperability, Portability6:45 Minds history with various technology approaches9:42 adapting centralized approaches to decentralized technologies19:00 why email signup is needed for spam prevention24:28 will there be “one ring to rule them all”?28:39 web5, Dorsey30:27 schema-first approach32:34 AT-protocol35:12 fiatjaf’s feat of magic36:37 a possible Minds fit in the nostr world38:27 Verified Credentials42:23 NFTs, token-gated community44:22 making money on Minds50:00 Minds business/community funding/advertising56:30 Some final thoughts on interoperability and portability57:12 Collaborate with Minds! https://gitlab.com/minds This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com

0:00 the warm-up/welcome4:15 making zaps work without support10:55 new use-cases Max is following - Pablo’s data vending machine29:30 software development changes based on AI47:50 Nostr documentary50:09 Danny/Deezy - Astral Desert - open source ordinal mosaic53:00 lighting labs l402 - lightning payments for npm packages1:03:37 Can Threads (Facebook/Meta) be good for open ecosystems?1:11:45 Max’s broader concerns about social media1:23:15 should we be experimenting with more centralizing forces to test the edges?1:27:55 focus on UX - Primal, for example1:30:16 antibodies in bitcoin1:41:20 local, open-source, AI inference, webGPU1:48:59 quickly experiment with monetizing some data/service1:54:45 Jeff launched http://ostrich.work - job board1:55:35 Gigi/Opensats, Nostr grants announced - roll call!1:58:15 long-form video/audio content to chop to short - Highlighter relevant 💡 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.curiousdk.com