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Nostr Platform Architecture Guide

Core Philosophy

The architecture of Nostr-based applications should follow key principles that promote security, auditability, and separation of concerns. This guide outlines best practices for building secure, transparent, and scalable Nostr applications.

Architectural Principles

1. Service Isolation

Each critical security function should be isolated in its own service:

┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│   Client App    │     │   API Gateway   │     │  App Platform   │
│  (Frontend UI)  │     │   (Public API)  │     │(Business Logic) │
└────────┬────────┘     └────────┬────────┘     └────────┬────────┘
         │                       │                       │
         ▼                       ▼                       ▼
    ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │              Security Service Layer                     │
    ├─────────────┬──────────────┬────────────┬─────────────┤
    │  Nostr Auth │ Magic Links  │    IPFS    │   Relay     │
    │   Service   │   Service    │  Service   │  Service    │
    └─────────────┴──────────────┴────────────┴─────────────┘

2. Security-First Design

Open Source Security Services

  • Security-critical services should be open source
  • Enables community auditing and validation
  • Promotes transparency and trust
  • Allows independent security reviews

Private Application Logic

  • Business logic remains private
  • Application-specific code separate from security infrastructure
  • Protects intellectual property while maintaining security transparency

3. Service Architecture Best Practices

Authentication Service (This Repository)

┌─────────────────┐
│   Client App    │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  Nostr Auth     │ ◄── Open Source
│  Middleware     │ ◄── Auditable
└────────┬────────┘ ◄── Single Responsibility
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  App Platform   │ ◄── Private
│     API         │ ◄── Business Logic
└─────────────────┘
  • Handles only Nostr authentication
  • No business logic
  • Clear, auditable codebase
  • Standardized interfaces

Integration Points

┌─────────────────┐
│   API Gateway   │
├─────────────────┤
│ • Rate Limiting │
│ • API Keys      │
│ • Routing       │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    ▼         ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ Service │ │ Service │
│    A    │ │    B    │
└─────────┘ └─────────┘
  • Clear service boundaries
  • Independent scaling
  • Isolated security contexts
  • Standardized communication

4. Security Service Examples

Nostr Authentication Service

  • Handles Nostr key-based authentication
  • Manages challenge-response flow
  • Issues JWT tokens
  • Open source and auditable

Magic Links Service

  • Email-based authentication
  • Time-limited tokens
  • Secure delivery
  • Independent from main application

IPFS Service

  • Decentralized storage
  • Content addressing
  • File integrity
  • Separate from application logic

Relay Service

  • Event routing
  • Message delivery
  • Connection management
  • Independent scaling

Implementation Guidelines

1. Service Independence

Each service should:

  • Have its own repository
  • Maintain its own documentation
  • Handle its own deployment
  • Manage its own security context

2. Communication Standards

Services should communicate via:

  • RESTful APIs
  • Standardized JWT tokens
  • Secure protocols (HTTPS)
  • Well-defined interfaces

3. Security Considerations

Each service must:

  • Handle only its specific security domain
  • Maintain clear security boundaries
  • Implement proper logging
  • Support security audits

4. Integration Patterns

┌─────────────────┐
│   Client App    │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    ▼         ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ Auth    │ │ API     │
│ Service │ │ Gateway │
└────┬────┘ └────┬────┘
     │           │
     └─────┬─────┘
           ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  App Platform   │
└─────────────────┘
  • Clear authentication flow
  • Separate concerns
  • Scalable architecture
  • Maintainable structure

Benefits of This Architecture

1. Security

  • Isolated security contexts
  • Easier to audit
  • Clear security boundaries
  • Independent security updates

2. Transparency

  • Open source security components
  • Community review
  • Clear documentation
  • Standard interfaces

3. Scalability

  • Independent service scaling
  • Clear bottleneck identification
  • Easy to add new services
  • Flexible deployment

4. Maintainability

  • Clear service boundaries
  • Independent updates
  • Easier troubleshooting
  • Better documentation

Conclusion

This architecture promotes:

  • Security through isolation
  • Transparency through open source
  • Scalability through independence
  • Maintainability through clear boundaries

By following these principles, you can build Nostr applications that are:

  • Secure by design
  • Easy to audit
  • Scalable for growth
  • Maintainable long-term

Remember: Security services should be open and auditable, while application logic can remain private. This balance provides the best of both worlds: transparent security and protected intellectual property.