Nostr is Freedom for Every App.
Freedom Tech
Nostr is the ONLY social protocol that offers freedom for all apps to operate independently on a network of shared users, with unrestricted access to engage directly with every one of them.
User Controlled
Nostr puts users in control of their own identities and data, while apps never lose access either. This is an ideal arrangement that minimizes risk and maximizes the value proposition for user-centered apps.
Decentralized
In this digital age dominated by big tech and big government jockeying for power, Nostr is already established with deep roots in the Bitcoin ethos. Nobody owns the network or the protocol on which apps are built.
Open Protocol
Simply by existing as an open protocol of user-controlled keys and distributed storage for social apps, Nostr provides something precious that every app needs … if only they knew about it.
Free Your App
Become Non-Custodial
Holding custody of user accounts and data is more of a legal liability than a profit model for independent apps.
The primary target of Digital Privacy and ID Verification laws is apps that control user data and user accounts.
Smaller companies have fewer resources to handle and secure privately controlled user data in a legally compliant manner.
The emergence of big tech corporations making profit on user data has made it near impossible for independent apps to operate in any other way.
Until Nostr, simply NOT controlling user data (and reducing regulatory exposure) has not been a viable business model.
Nostr is the ONLY social protocol that allows apps to become FULLY non-custodial of user accounts and user data, and to thrive because of it!
On Nostr, apps can release custody of user accounts and user data, WITHOUT EVER losing access to them.
Regulatory exposure is greatly reduced, ALONG WITH the cost of compliance and secure data management.
For apps that DON’T control user data, the entire risk exposure from data loss, corruption, and database attacks is eliminated.
Simply by NOT controlling user data, apps are immunized from the anti-competitive practices of regulatory capture by big tech monopolies.
On Nostr, apps can afford to maximize their user-centered profit models BECAUSE these other risks are minimized.
Free Your App
Access a Shared Social Layer
Independent apps have a harder time reaching new users and driving deeper engagement, either because they don’t have access to a shared social layer OR they have to pay big social for access to one.
Apps with a private social layer require a LOT of development and maintenance of boilerplate code JUST for handling user data and user interactions.
Cold starting an app with a private social layer (and zero users) is a non-trivial and distinct problem for user recruitment and engagement.
Apps CAN benefit by having access to user data from other apps, but this is typically only possible via big social APIs.
Big social APIs, like Facebook and Twitter, have been shut down or restricted in the past, breaking thousands of apps overnight.
Nostr is the social layer for every app. It allows independent apps to access ALL of the users (and to request ANY of their data) from ANY other app on the network.
No gatekeepers or platform restrictions. Nobody owns the Nostr protocol.
The network brings its own users. Cold starts are a thing of the past.
No need to DIY a private social layer. The responsibility for user data persistence and management is passed on to the relays.
It’s impossible to be canceled or kicked off of Nostr. Nobody owns the network.
The network discovers itself. Users can find your app as easily as finding their own friends.
Free Your App
Reduce Infrastructure Bloat
Traditional app backends require complex infrastructure and constant maintenance just to keep their data secure and highly available for end users.
Multiple servers, databases, load balancers, and a full-time team of engineers are often required to keep everything running 24/7.
Security threats, data breaches, and unexpected traffic spikes add layers of complexity and risk.
Either hire professionals in-house or outsource these services from a cloud provider, but precious resources will still be diverted from your app’s core value proposition.
Nostr’s relay architecture eliminates the need for any app to manage its own cloud infrastructure. Every app has access to the entire network of user-specified independently operated relays by which all user data can be redundantly stored and reliably accessed with minimal latency.
Greatly reduced infrastructure and cloud expenditure for your app.
Offload the risk and cost of data storage onto the relay network.
Update app functionality effortlessly without changing APIs or cloud services.
Have more resources available to build better apps for your users.
Free Your App
Distribute Your Security Model
Traditional apps, both large and small, run on private infrastructure, with single points of failure that can compromise millions of users.
Centralized systems create honeypots for attackers - when they’re breached, all user data is exposed.
The 2021 Facebook leak of 533 million users’ personal information demonstrates how centralized architectures put both users and businesses at risk.
Nostr’s decentralized approach to data storage and encryption eliminates single points of failure by distributing user data across a global network of independently operated relays, with access controlled by user-owned private keys.
Distributed and redundant storage means data will never be lost.
Client-side encryption provided by user-owned private keys.
Zero reliance on any one company for security.
Free Your App
Discover Webs of Trust
Moderating user-generated content is a thankless responsibility that many independent apps struggle to keep up with.
From spam ratings and reviews to bad actors preying on your users, it can be difficult to stay ahead without an army of moderators and also criticism from affected users.
Centralized moderation teams struggle with scale, consistency, and accusations of bias.
The 2020s have shown how content decisions can spark intense controversy, with platforms caught between free speech concerns, regulatory pressures, and the mental health impact of harmful content.
This creates a no-win situation where no matter what decision is made, someone is left unhappy.
Nostr’s Web of Trust engines offload content curation to the users while delivering higher quality protection and more personalized filtering than centralized moderation ever could.
By analyzing each user’s social connections (follows, likes, zaps, etc.), these decentralized algorithms calculate trust scores based on proximity to identify bots and bad actors on the network.
Modern versions allow each user to customize and share their own filters, turning decentralized content curation into an impenetrable barrier for spam and bad actors.
Quality content is more available across multiple cultures, at a fraction of the cost for apps, than with centralized moderation tools.
Free Your App
Monetize Without Borders
Any ‘in-app’ transferring of funds from users for services OR to other users is a sensitive matter that requires third-party payment processors to handle liability and legal compliance.
Most independent apps rely on third-party payment processors which can carry a 15–30% service fee depending on program and product.
iOS and Android generally require using their platform billing services or they charge twice the fee for apps using external services.
These fees and policy requirements materially reduce margins and can push teams toward higher scale or alternative monetization models.
Apps building their own payments infrastructure could potentially qualify as a money transmitter, which itself is complex and expensive.
Leveraging Bitcoin payments over the Lightning Network, Nostr’s native Zap protocol enables users to transfer funds directly to anybody on the network, without the need for a payment processor.
Low-fee, near-instant payments without card processors.
Lower liability by avoiding custody and payment processing.
Global by default; no bank rails or borders.
Flexible monetization options: tips, micropayments, paywalls, and P2P payouts.
Build direct relationships with your customers, free from platform restrictions.
We are Nostr Integration Experts
Nostr4 offers consultation, bespoke services, and free resources for any app to integrate more deeply with Nostr. Send me a DM over Nostr to inquire.