diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 033c125..018db64 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,108 +4,105 @@ Tools for developing [Nostr](https://github.com/fiatjaf/nostr) clients.
 
 ## Usage
 
+### Generating a private key and a public key
+
 ```js
-import {relayPool} from 'nostr-tools'
+import { generatePrivateKey, getPublicKey } from 'nostr-tools'
 
-const pool = relayPool()
-
-pool.setPrivateKey('<hex>') // optional
-
-pool.addRelay('ws://some.relay.com', {read: true, write: true})
-pool.addRelay('ws://other.relay.cool', {read: true, write: true})
-
-// example callback functions for listeners
-// callback functions take an object argument with following keys:
-//  - relay: relay url
-//  - type: type of listener
-//  - id: sub id for sub specific listeners ('EVENT' or 'EOSE')
-//  - event: event object, only for 'event' listener
-//  - notice: notice message, only for 'notice' listener
-function onEvent({event, relay, type, id}) {
-  console.log(`got an event from ${relay} which is already validated.`, event)
-}
-function onEose({relay, type, id}) { /* callback function here */}
-function onNotice({relay, type, notice}) { /* callback function here */}
-function onConnection({relay, type}) { /* callback function here */}
-
-// listen for messages for pool
-pool.on('event', onEvent)
-pool.on('connection', onConnection)
-pool.on('notice', onNotice)
-
-// subscribing to a single user
-// author is the user's public key
-pool.sub({filter: {author: '<hex>'}})
-
-//  or bulk follow
-pool.sub({filter: {authors: ['<hex1>', '<hex2>', ..., '<hexn>']}})
-
-// reuse a subscription channel
-const mySubscription = pool.sub({filter: ...., skipVerification: false, beforeSend: ....})
-mySubscription.sub({filter: ....})
-mySubscription.sub({skipVerification: true})
-
-// listen for messages for subscription
-mySubscription.on('event', onEvent)
-mySubscription.on('eose', onEose)
-
-// close subscription
-mySubscription.unsub()
-
-// get specific event
-const specificChannel = pool.sub({ filter: {id: '<hex>'}})
-  .on('event', ({event, relay}) => {
-    console.log('got specific event from relay', event, relay)
-    specificChannel.unsub()
-  })
-
-// or get a specific event plus all the events that reference it in the 'e' tag
-pool.sub({ filter: [{id: '<hex>'}, {'#e': '<hex>'}] })
-
-// get all events
-pool.sub({ filter: {} })
-
-// get recent events
-pool.sub({ filter: {since: timestamp} })
-
-// publishing events(inside an async function):
-const ev = await pool.publish(eventObject, (status, url) => {
-  if (status === 0) {
-    console.log(`publish request sent to ${url}`)
-  }
-  if (status === 1) {
-    console.log(`event published by ${url}`, ev)
-  }
-})
-// it will be signed automatically with the key supplied above
-// or pass an already signed event to bypass this
-
-// subscribing to a new relay
-pool.addRelay('<url>')
-// will automatically subscribe to the all the events called with .sub above
+let sk = generatePrivateKey() # `sk` is a hex string
+let pk = getPublicKey(sk) # `pk` is a hex string
 ```
 
-All functions expect bytearrays as hex strings and output bytearrays as hex strings.
+### Creating, signing and verifying events
 
-For other utils please read the source (for now).
+```js
+const {
+  validateEvent,
+  verifySignature,
+  signEvent,
+  getEventHash,
+  getPublicKey
+} = require('./cjs')
+
+let event = {
+  kind: 1,
+  created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
+  tags: [],
+  content: 'hello'
+}
+
+event.id = getEventHash(event.id)
+event.pubkey = getPublicKey(privateKey)
+event.sig = await signEvent(event, privateKey)
+
+let ok = validateEvent(event)
+let veryOk = await verifySignature(event)
+```
+
+### Validating events received from relays
+
+```js
+const {matchFilters} = require('./cjs')
+
+let event = {kind: 1, pubkey: 'abcdef...', ...otherProperties}
+let ok = matchFilters(
+  [
+    {
+      kinds: [0, 1, 3, 6],
+      authors: ['abcdef...', '123456...']
+    }
+  ],
+  event
+)
+```
+
+### Encrypting and decrypting direct messages
+
+```js
+const {nip04, getPublicKey, generatePrivateKey} = require('./cjs')
+
+// sender
+let sk1 = generatePrivateKey()
+let pk1 = getPublicKey(sk1)
+
+// receiver
+let sk2 = generatePrivateKey()
+let pk2 = getPublicKey(sk2)
+
+// on the sender side
+let message = 'hello'
+let ciphertext = nip04.encrypt(sk1, pk2, 'hello')
+
+let event = {
+  kind: 4,
+  pubkey: pk1,
+  tags: [['p', pk2]],
+  content: ciphertext,
+  ...otherProperties
+}
+
+sendEvent(event)
+
+// on the receiver side
+
+sub.on('event', (event) => {
+  let sender = event.tags.find(([k, v]) => k === 'p' && && v && v !== '')[1]
+  pk1 === sender
+  let plaintext = nip04.decrypt(sk2, pk1, event.content)
+})
+```
+
+Please consult the tests or [the source code](https://github.com/fiatjaf/nostr-tools) for more information that isn't available here.
 
 ### Using from the browser (if you don't want to use a bundler)
 
-You can import nostr-tools as an ES module. Just add a script tag like this:
-
 ```html
-<script type="module">
-  import {generatePrivateKey} from 'https://unpkg.com/nostr-tools/nostr.js'
-  console.log(generatePrivateKey())
+<script src="https://unpkg.com/nostr-tools/standalone/index.js"></script>
+<script>
+  window.NostrTools.generatePrivateKey('...') // and so on
 </script>
 ```
 
-And import whatever function you would import from `"nostr-tools"` in a bundler.
-
-## TypeScript
-
-This module has hand-authored TypeScript declarations. `npm run check-ts` will run a lint-check script to ensure the typings can be loaded and call at least a few standard library functions. It's not at all comprehensive and likely to contain bugs. Issues welcome; tag @rcoder as needed.
-
 ## License
 
 Public domain.