rethinking payments and centralized systems with lightning and nostr
Original: https://bitkarrot.substack.com/p/the-dad-decentralized-autonomous
NOTE: this is a post that’s been in draft since Nov 2025, and I forgot to post it, but its still relevant so we are publishing it now.
Centralized directories face a “single owner” problem, leading to bottleneck issues and potential biases.
Nostr offers a decentralized solution, but effective implementation requires understanding how to leverage the technology.
Additionally, decentralization could help mitigate spam, providing users with accurate information.
One obvious example of a centralized directory is nostr.net
It is the largest nostr apps directory and curated by 1 person.
The entries are centralized on github and every PR has to be managed by the maintainer.
Over time this can become quite the burden. We also have a risk of a single maintainer leaving or disappearing.
So you might be wondering, “Where can we seek good advice to solve this problem?”
Well, the answer is simple—let’s ask DAD.
Alright, let’s delve into the concept of the Decentralized Autonomous Directory, or “The DAD.”
swarm.hivetalk.orgLet’s talk about this flow for managing a Nostr App directory.
In order to list a new app, the app creator must “Zap to List”. The amount is paid to the relay owner and is the first level of defense against spam posts.
Each app posted to the relay is owned by the app creator and future edits are controlled by the same person, which distributes the maintenance across multiple users instead of just one maintainer in a centralized directory.
App Developers that have successfully post an app to the directory can earn “Zaps”. This encourages engagement but also acts as a signal for how others value the app.
Next, let’s talk about the Relays and their Web of Trust, or “WoT.” Relays are pivotal as they help manage and verify data flow, ensuring that users can trust the information they receive. Their reputation is built on a network of trust indicators.
The WoT can take many forms, it can be relay dependent. For example, it might be a European only relay with a small group of moderators that curate who can or cannot post listings to a directory.
You’ll notice the “1984 flag” and “Ejected Note”—these elements symbolize the WoT’s ability to identify and remove spam or malicious content.
Depending on how the relay is setup, notes can be ejected automatically or after a certain number of flags have been made.
The First manifestation of the DAD protocol is a Hivetalk Business Directory.
substackcdn.comThis platform acts as a bridge, connecting traditional e-commerce with modern decentralized market places.
Well, think of the English teacher who teaches courses on Hivetalk. He already has a website where he sells course material and other services.
By adding a business listing here on this directory, he just simply adds a link to his website, and if he chooses to migrate to Nostr style marketplaces (NIP-99) such as plebeian market later on, he can do so.
In this video, we see the DAD in action.
Pay to post an app costs 500 sats. Every entry that is posted is editable and managed by the original creator. The note is also replicated across other nostr relays so if this website disappears, the data is still present on the nostr network.
Note that every post also has the “fraud flag” option. Depending on the relay host, the note can be removed if flagged by multiple community members or by the relay’s web of trust.
With Lightnin.games, I have an existing shopify store, so that link is added to the post.
I’ve also connected to my plebeian market stall. Currently there are no items listed on plebian market, but just a link to back to the shopify store. What’s Plebian market? It is one instance of a Nostr native decentralized marketplace. The protocol spec is NIP-99.
If i have 5 items to sell, it would be fairly simple to port them all over to plebeian market, but if i have a deep shopify integration and 300+ items, it makes a bit more practical sense (at least for now) to just link the market to the existing website.
The Lookup is available for anyone to copy and use for their own custom nostr directory. If you want to create a special directory for just English teachers or Yoga classes, you can use this.
A version of the lookup is also running on beta.nostr.net As some of you may know, nostr.net is the largest collection of nostr apps, also known as the “awesome nostr” directory hosted by Aljaz.
We collaborated to push this beta version out and hopefully one day nostr.net will do something like this.
Feedback is welcome!
Original Talk Slides covering this topic in the 2nd half of the deck at: https://slides.hivetalk.org/bitfest25
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