NIP-87: Ecash Mint Discoverability (#1110)

Co-authored-by: Pablo Fernandez <pfer@me.com>
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NIP-87
======
Ecash Mint Discoverability
--------------------------------
`draft` `optional`
This NIP describes `kind:38173`, `kind:38172` and `kind:38000`: a way to discover ecash mints, their capabilities, and people who recommend them.
## Rationale
Nostr's discoverability and transparent event interaction is one of its most interesting/novel mechanics.
This NIP provides a simple way for users to discover ecash mints recommended by other users and to interact with them.
### Parties involved
There are three actors to this workflow:
* An ecash mint operator, announces their mint and its capabilities.
* Publishes `kind:38173` or `kind:38172`, detailing how to connect to it and its capabilities.
* user A, who recommends an ecash mint
* Publishes `kind:38000`
* user B, who seeks a recommendation for an ecash mint
* Queries for `kind:38000` and, based on results, queries for `kind:38173`/`kind:38172`
## Events
### Recommendation event
```json
{
"kind": 38000,
"pubkey": <recommender-user-pubkey>,
"tags": [
["k", "38173"],
["d", "<d-identifier>"],
["u", <recommended-fedimint-invite-code>],
["a", "38173:fedimint-pubkey:<d-identifier>", "wss://relay1"]
],
"content": "I trust this mint with my life"
}
```
The recommendation event is a parameterized-replacable event so that a user can change edit their recommendation without creating a new event.
The `d` tag in `kind:38000` is the `kind:38173`/`kind:38172` event identifier this event is recommending, if no event exists, the `d` tag can still be calculated from the mint's pubkey/id.
The `k` tag is the kind number that corresponds to the event kind that the user is recommending, in this case `kind:38173` for fedimints and `kind:38172` for cashu mints.
Optional `u` tags can be added to give a recommend way to connect to the mint.
The value of the tag is the URL or invite code of the ecash mint.
Multiple `u` tags can appear on the same `kind:38000`.
`a` tags are used to point to the `kind:38173`/`kind:38172` event of the ecash mint.
The first value of the tag is the `kind:38173`/`kind:38172` event identifier, the second value of the tag is a relay hint.
This is used to correctly point to the mint's `kind:38173`/`kind:38172` event in case there are duplicates claiming to be the same mint.
The content can be used to give a review.
## Ecash Mint Information
Cashu mints SHOULD publish `kind:38172` events to announce their capabilities and how to connect to them.
For cashu mints, the `u` tag SHOULD be the URL to the cashu mint and it should list the nuts that the cashu mint supports.
The `d` tag SHOULD be the mint's pubkey (found when querying `/v1/info`), this way users can query by pubkey and find the mint announcement.
An `n` tag SHOULD be added to signify the network the cashu mint is on (either `mainnet`, `testnet`, `signet`, or `regtest`)
```json
{
"kind": 38172,
"pubkey": "<application-pubkey>",
"content": "<optional-kind:0-style-metadata>",
"tags": [
["d", <cashu mint pubkey>],
["u", "https://cashu.example.com"],
["nuts", "1,2,3,4,5,6,7"],
["n", "mainnet"]
]
}
```
Fedimints SHOULD publish `kind:38173` events to announce their capabilities and how to connect to them.
For fedimints, it should list all known fedimint invite codes in `u` tags and it should list the modules it supports.
The `d` tag SHOULD be the federation id, this way users can query by federation id and find the fedimint announcement.
An `n` tag SHOULD be added to signify the network the fedimint is on (either `mainnet`, `testnet`, `signet`, or `regtest`)
```json
{
"kind": 38173,
"pubkey": "<application-pubkey>",
"content": "<optional-kind:0-style-metadata>",
"tags": [
["d", <federation-id>],
["u", "fed11abc.."],
["u", "fed11xyz.."],
["modules", "lightning,wallet,mint"],
["n", "signet"]
]
}
```
* `content` is an optional `metadata`-like stringified JSON object, as described in NIP-01. This content is useful when the pubkey creating the `kind:38173` is not a normal user. If `content` is empty, the `kind:0` of the pubkey should be used to display mint information (e.g. name, picture, web, LUD16, etc.)
## Example
### User A recommends some mints
User A might be a user of a cashu mint. Using a client, user A publishes an event recommending the cashu mint they use.
```json
{
"kind": 38000,
"tags": [
["u", "fed11abc..", "fedimint"],
["u", "https://cashu.example.com", "cashu"],
["a", "38173:fedimint-pubkey:<d-identifier>", "wss://relay1", "fedimint"],
["a", "38172:cashu-mint-pubkey:<d-identifier>", "wss://relay2", "cashu"]
],
...
}
```
### User B finds a mint
User B wants to use an ecash wallet, they need to find a mint.
User B's wallet client queries for `kind:38000` events, looking for recommendations for ecash mints.
```json
["REQ", <id>, [{ "kinds": [38000], "authors": [<user>, <users-contact-list>], "#k": ["38173"] }]]
```
User B, who follows User A, sees that `kind:38000` event and tries to connect to the corresponding mints.
### Alternative query bypassing `kind:38000`
Alternatively, users might choose to query directly for `kind:38173` for an event kind. Clients SHOULD be careful doing this and use spam-prevention mechanisms or querying high-quality restricted relays to avoid directing users to malicious handlers.
```json
["REQ", <id>, [{ "kinds": [38173], "authors": [...] }]]
```

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@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ They exist to document what may be implemented by [Nostr](https://github.com/nos
- [NIP-7D: Threads](7D.md) - [NIP-7D: Threads](7D.md)
- [NIP-84: Highlights](84.md) - [NIP-84: Highlights](84.md)
- [NIP-86: Relay Management API](86.md) - [NIP-86: Relay Management API](86.md)
- [NIP-87: Ecash Mint Discoverability](87.md)
- [NIP-88: Polls](88.md) - [NIP-88: Polls](88.md)
- [NIP-89: Recommended Application Handlers](89.md) - [NIP-89: Recommended Application Handlers](89.md)
- [NIP-90: Data Vending Machines](90.md) - [NIP-90: Data Vending Machines](90.md)
@ -107,7 +108,6 @@ They exist to document what may be implemented by [Nostr](https://github.com/nos
- [NIP-C7: Chats](C7.md) - [NIP-C7: Chats](C7.md)
## Event Kinds ## Event Kinds
| kind | description | NIP | | kind | description | NIP |
| ------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | ------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `0` | User Metadata | [01](01.md) | | `0` | User Metadata | [01](01.md) |
@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ They exist to document what may be implemented by [Nostr](https://github.com/nos
| `10166` | Relay Monitor Announcement | [66](66.md) | | `10166` | Relay Monitor Announcement | [66](66.md) |
| `13194` | Wallet Info | [47](47.md) | | `13194` | Wallet Info | [47](47.md) |
| `17375` | Cashu Wallet Event | [60](60.md) | | `17375` | Cashu Wallet Event | [60](60.md) |
| `17375` | Ecash Mint Recommendation | [87](87.md) |
| `21000` | Lightning Pub RPC | [Lightning.Pub][lnpub] | | `21000` | Lightning Pub RPC | [Lightning.Pub][lnpub] |
| `22242` | Client Authentication | [42](42.md) | | `22242` | Client Authentication | [42](42.md) |
| `23194` | Wallet Request | [47](47.md) | | `23194` | Wallet Request | [47](47.md) |
@ -247,9 +248,11 @@ They exist to document what may be implemented by [Nostr](https://github.com/nos
| `31924` | Calendar | [52](52.md) | | `31924` | Calendar | [52](52.md) |
| `31925` | Calendar Event RSVP | [52](52.md) | | `31925` | Calendar Event RSVP | [52](52.md) |
| `31989` | Handler recommendation | [89](89.md) | | `31989` | Handler recommendation | [89](89.md) |
| `31990` | Handler information | [89](89.md) | | | `31990` | Handler information | [89](89.md) |
| `32267` | Software Application | | | | `32267` | Software Application | |
| `34550` | Community Definition | [72](72.md) | | `34550` | Community Definition | [72](72.md) |
| `38172` | Cashu Mint Announcement | [87](87.md) |
| `38173` | Fedimint Announcement | [87](87.md) |
| `38383` | Peer-to-peer Order events | [69](69.md) | | `38383` | Peer-to-peer Order events | [69](69.md) |
| `39000-9` | Group metadata events | [29](29.md) | | `39000-9` | Group metadata events | [29](29.md) |
| `39089` | Starter packs | [51](51.md) | | `39089` | Starter packs | [51](51.md) |