Recently I sat with Vitor Pompona, creator of Nostr Client Amedyst, to discuss how Nostr in 2025 is very similar to what was Bitcoin in 2012 – a little rough around the edges, but exciting to use.
Nostr, a decentralized protocol for social media and other forms of communication, is only four years old and developers are still understanding how to create the best possible user experience within the customers who have created. These customers include apps as Primal (which is comparable to X) in Olas (which is like Instagram) in Yakihonne (which is similar to Scadack).
The unique thing about client nostr, however, is that users can “zaps” (send small quantities of) bitcoins to each other to show appreciation for the contents that their colleagues have created.
And Pomplona is optimistic about the fact that more and more nostr customers are starting to earn traction, just as Bitcoin has started to do it 13 years ago.
“We are starting to see the formation of communities and more money transferred,” Pamplona said to Bitcoin Magazine in the interview.
A creator economy powered by Bitcoin
Pomplona has recognized that part of the purpose of social media is to allow means for users to monetize what they create in ways they cannot do in their physical environment.
“[Some social media] Users want to earn a living, “said Pompla
Pamplona believes that Nostr customers can help transform that hope into a reality, and it is his mission to help users to do it.
“This is our final goal: if we can bring the creators to the point where they can earn to live, we will win as a platform.”
This potential for users to earn a living with Nostr becomes greater every day, especially when the base of Nostr user expands and continues to grow as the largest circular economy of Bitcoin in the world.
Amethyst
In creating amethyst, Pamplona had a vision for an Nostr customer who was an all-in-one app, which was inspired by a plan similar to what Elon Musk had for X (previously Twitter).
“Amethista came at the same time when Elon was talking about buying Twitter,” explained Pompona. “It was like doing a mega app from Twitter and I went to the same thing.”
While Pomplona understands that Amethista has not achieved this, he is enthusiastic that he has come to play a different role. It serves as a laboratory for people who are developing new nostr customers.
“Amethyst is helping everyone to kick off their applications,” he said. “Olas came as a amethyst.”
Nostr as a Bitcoin onboarding tool
Pomplona sees Nostr as a great way for people aboard Bitcoin, even if he doesn’t think that this should be the main objective of Nostr customers.
“The main objective for [Nostr] The apps are to convince people to do their things: make people be creative or to talk to their friends or have a chat with their family, “explained Pompona.
“No app should ever talk about Nostr or Bitcoin. They should only be what they are,” he added.
Pamplona believes that, after some time, the users of the App will inevitably begin to know the self -sufficiency of Nostr that Nostr provides when it comes to being able to control their data and on Bitcoin.
“[They’ll realize that] So it happens that the platform helps them to manage their data and use the best payment protocol we have today. “
And he stressed that most of the new users are coming to Nostr due to the resistance to freedom and censorship it offers.
“In the last two years, most of the new Nostr users have arrived due to freedom, due to a certain censorship in their country,” said Pompona. “And afterwards they learned Bitcoin.”