VidStr - Decentralized Video Platform

Kind 21: Regular Horizontal Video

Type

Regular Event (immutable)

Orientation

Horizontal/Landscape

Editable

No

Format

Uses imeta tags for video metadata

Use Case

Standard YouTube-style videos, tutorials, movies

Kind 22: Regular Vertical Video

Type

Regular Event (immutable)

Orientation

Vertical/Portrait

Editable

No

Format

Uses imeta tags for video metadata

Use Case

TikTok/Instagram Reels style shorts, stories

Kind 34235: Addressable Horizontal Video

Type

Addressable Event (replaceable)

Orientation

Horizontal/Landscape

Editable

Yes (publish new event with same d tag)

Format

Uses imeta tags plus d tag identifier

Use Case

Videos that may need metadata corrections, URL migrations, or updates

Kind 34236: Addressable Vertical Video

Type

Addressable Event (replaceable)

Orientation

Vertical/Portrait

Editable

Yes (publish new event with same d tag)

Format

Uses imeta tags plus d tag identifier

Use Case

Editable short-form videos

Legacy Format Support

VidStr maintains backwards compatibility with older NIP-71 video events that use separate url/m/x/dim/thumb tags instead of imeta. These legacy events are automatically detected and parsed correctly, ensuring all historical content remains accessible.

Video Upload

• Upload with Nostr account or anonymously
• Anonymous uploads generate ephemeral keypair (displayed once)
• Files uploaded to Blossom servers with NIP-96 authentication
• Metadata published as Nostr events to configured relays
• Support for all video formats (browser-dependent)
• Optional thumbnail upload
• Hashtag tagging for categorization
• Content warnings for sensitive material
• Choose regular (immutable) or addressable (editable) format
• File cloning prevents permission errors on mobile devices

Playlists (NIP-51)

• Create video collections using kind 30005 events
• Support for all video kinds: 21, 22, 34235, 34236
• Reference regular videos with e tags, addressable with a tags
• Add titles, descriptions, and cover images
• Edit and delete playlists (addressable events)
• Browse global playlists or from followed users
• Add videos to multiple playlists

Reactions (NIP-25)

• Kind 7 reaction events
• Like (+), dislike (-), custom emoji
• Custom text reactions (max 20 characters)
• Toggle reactions on/off
• Real-time reaction counts
• References video with e tag (regular) or a tag (addressable)

Comments

• Kind 1 reply events with e and p tags
• Nested reply support
• Real-time updates
• Rich text with URLs and Nostr mentions
• Comment on any video

Direct Messages

• NIP-04: Legacy encrypted DMs (AES-256-CBC, metadata visible)
• NIP-17: Modern gift-wrapped DMs (XChaCha20, metadata protected)
• End-to-end encryption with NIP-44
• File attachments via Blossom
• Real-time message delivery
• Conversation management

Search & Discovery

• Full-text search via NIP-50 relays
• Hashtag browsing (#tag URLs)
• Global feed (all videos from all relays)
• Following feed (videos from followed users)
• Profile pages with all user videos
• Related video suggestions
• Client-side filtering fallback for non-NIP-50 relays

Lightning Zaps (NIP-57)

• Send Bitcoin micropayments to video creators
• Send zaps to user profiles
• WebLN browser wallet integration
• Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) support
• LNURL invoice generation
• QR code display for mobile wallets
• Zap receipts (kind 9735) for verification
• Display total sats received per video
• Requires lud16 or lud06 in profile metadata

User Profiles

• Kind 0 metadata events
• Display name, bio, avatar, banner
• Website links and social verification (NIP-05)
• Lightning address display (lud16/lud06)
• Video gallery view
• Follow/unfollow functionality
• Editable by profile owner

Step 1: Identity & Authentication

Users authenticate with a Nostr keypair. Three options available:

1. Generate New Keys: Create fresh keypair in browser. Keys stored in IndexedDB or extension.
2. Browser Extension: Use Alby, nos2x, Flamingo, or other NIP-07 signers. Most secure option.
3. Import Existing Keys: Import nsec or hex private key from another client.
4. Anonymous Mode: Generate ephemeral keypair per upload. Keys shown once after upload.

No email, no password, no central account database. Your keypair is your identity across the entire Nostr ecosystem.

Step 2: Video Upload Process

1. User selects video file from device
2. File immediately cloned to memory (prevents permission errors)
3. Video dimensions detected to determine orientation
4. User adds metadata: title, description, hashtags, thumbnail
5. File uploaded to Blossom server (https://blossom.primal.net/)
6. Upload authenticated with Nostr signature (NIP-96)
7. Server returns URL, SHA-256 hash, mime type, dimensions
8. Nostr event created with imeta tags containing all metadata
9. Event signed with user's private key
10. Event published to all write-enabled relays
11. Event ID returned, video now discoverable network-wide

Step 3: Video Discovery

Global Feed

1. Client queries all read-enabled relays in parallel
2. Filter: kinds [21, 22, 34235, 34236], limit 100, until current_time
3. Each relay returns up to 100 most recent video events
4. Events deduplicated by event ID (same video from multiple relays)
5. Events sorted by created_at timestamp (newest first)
6. Top 20 displayed to user
7. Infinite scroll loads next page with until=oldest_displayed_timestamp

Search

1. Query sent to NIP-50 search relays with search parameter
2. Also query regular relays as fallback
3. Client-side filtering for non-NIP-50 relays
4. Results combined and deduplicated
5. Matches on title, description, or hashtags

Following Feed

1. Fetch user's kind 3 follow list event
2. Extract pubkeys from p tags
3. Query videos with authors filter
4. Display chronologically

Step 4: Video Playback

1. User clicks video thumbnail
2. Navigate to video page with event ID or naddr
3. Fetch video event from relays
4. Parse imeta tags or legacy url tags
5. Load video URL in HTML5 video player
6. Display metadata: title, description, creator profile
7. Load reactions, comments, zap count from relays
8. Enable user interactions (react, comment, zap, share)

Step 5: User Interactions

Reactions

• Create kind 7 event with content: "+", "-", or emoji
• Add e tag (for regular videos) or a tag (for addressable videos)
• Add p tag with video author pubkey
• Sign and publish to write-enabled relays

Comments

• Create kind 1 event with comment text in content
• Add e tag referencing video event ID (root)
• Add e tag for reply-to comment (if replying to comment)
• Add p tags for video author and comment author
• Sign and publish

Zaps

• Fetch creator's lud16 or lud06 from profile metadata
• Generate LNURL invoice via creator's lightning service
• Display invoice as QR code and copyable text
• Pay via WebLN (browser extension) or external wallet
• Zap receipt (kind 9735) published by recipient's lightning service
• Receipt references original video event

Encryption

Event Signing

Schnorr signatures on secp256k1 curve. All events cryptographically signed and verified.

Direct Messages (NIP-04)

AES-256-CBC encryption. Legacy format with visible metadata (sender, recipient, timestamp).

Direct Messages (NIP-17)

XChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption (NIP-44). Gift-wrapped to hide all metadata. Only recipient can decrypt.

File Integrity

SHA-256 hashing ensures files cannot be tampered with. Hash stored in event metadata.

Privacy Features

• No Central Server: VidStr is pure client-side. No tracking, no analytics.
• Anonymous Posting: Upload without account using ephemeral keys.
• Local Storage Only: All data in browser IndexedDB. Never sent to central server.
• Keys Never Shared: Private keys stay on your device or extension.
• Relay Privacy: Individual relay operators can see IP addresses and event metadata.
• Encrypted DMs: End-to-end encryption ensures only sender and recipient can read.
• No KYC: No email, phone number, or identity verification required.

Frontend Technologies

Framework

React 18.x with TypeScript

Routing

React Router v6 with BrowserRouter

Styling

TailwindCSS 3.x utility-first CSS

Components

shadcn/ui (Radix UI primitives with Tailwind styling). 48+ accessible components.

State Management

TanStack Query for server state. React Context for global state.

Build Tool

Vite for fast development and optimized production builds

Nostr Integration

Core Library

Nostrify - Modern Nostr framework for web and Deno

React Integration

@nostrify/react - React hooks and context providers

Authentication

@nostrify/react/login - Multi-account management

Utilities

nostr-tools v2.13+ - NIP-19 encoding, event creation, signature verification

Lightning Payment Integration

WebLN

@webbtc/webln-types - Browser extension wallet interface

NWC

@getalby/sdk - Nostr Wallet Connect for remote wallet control

QR Codes

qrcode library - Generate Lightning invoice QR codes

Data Storage

Local Database

IndexedDB via idb library - Stores accounts, settings, cached events

Encrypted Messages

Custom encrypted message store for NIP-04 and NIP-17 DMs

Configuration

localStorage for theme, relay list, and app preferences

Query Videos

REQ <subscription-id>
{
  "kinds": [21, 22, 34235, 34236],
  "limit": 100,
  "until": <unix-timestamp>
}
            

Publish Video

EVENT {
  "kind": 21,
  "content": "Video description",
  "tags": [
    ["imeta",
      "url https://blossom.server/file.mp4",
      "m video/mp4",
      "dim 1920x1080",
      "x <sha256-hash>",
      "image https://blossom.server/thumb.jpg",
      "duration 120.5"
    ],
    ["title", "Video Title"],
    ["published_at", "<unix-timestamp>"],
    ["t", "hashtag"],
    ["alt", "Accessibility description"]
  ],
  "created_at": <unix-timestamp>,
  "pubkey": "<author-public-key>",
  "id": "<event-id>",
  "sig": "<signature>"
}
            

React to Video

EVENT {
  "kind": 7,
  "content": "+",
  "tags": [
    ["e", "<video-event-id>"],
    ["p", "<video-author-pubkey>"],
    ["k", "<video-kind>"]
  ],
  "created_at": <unix-timestamp>,
  "pubkey": "<reactor-public-key>",
  "id": "<event-id>",
  "sig": "<signature>"
}