Nostr is an extremely simple protocol for publishing signed messages to relays. There is no global state, no required servers, and no enforced topology—just events, keys, and relays that anyone can run or ignore. Identity is purely cryptographic.

Its simplicity is its philosophy. Nostr demonstrates how far minimalism can go in decentralized design, prioritizing resilience and composability over guarantees. While it leaves many problems unsolved, it sharply illustrates the power—and limits—of protocol-level decentralization.