mstrofnone on Nostr: 📡 How to use relay.testls.bit — a Namecoin .bit-gated Nostr relay 🔗 ...

📡 How to use relay.testls.bit — a Namecoin .bit-gated Nostr relay

🔗 wss://relay.testls.bit/

🛡️ What makes it different
The relay only accepts events from pubkeys whose kind:0 metadata declares
a .bit NIP-05 identifier (e.g. _@yourname.bit, m@testls.bit). Verification
is done against Namecoin directly via ElectrumX — no DNS, no public CAs.

🚀 To use it as a write relay you need:
1. A Namecoin .bit name (d/ namespace) you control
2. Set the .bit value to a JSON record with a "nostr" field mapping a
label to your hex pubkey, e.g.
{"nostr":{"names":{"_":"<your-hex-pubkey>"}}}
3. Update your kind:0 metadata so "nip05" = "<label>@<yourname>.bit"
4. Add wss://relay.testls.bit/ to your client's relay list

📱 Native client support
Amethyst (Android + iOS + Desktop) has full .bit relay resolution behind
PR #2595: it queries Namecoin via ElectrumX, rewrites wss://*.bit/ to the
underlying real wss:// host or .onion, and pins TLS via Namecoin TLSA.
No client-side config needed beyond adding the relay URL.

https://github.com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/pull/2595

📡 Read-only access works for everyone
Even without a .bit identity you can subscribe with REQ and read the relay
freely. Only writes are gated.

🔐 Why this matters
It's a working demo of the cypherpunk thesis: name resolution and TLS
trust without ICANN, without public CAs, without DNS. Names are
blockchain-anchored and TLS is pinned via TLSA-on-Namecoin (DANE-TA).

🌐 Browse it in your browser: https://relay.testls.bit/
(vanilla SPA, talks WSS back to the same host. Self-signed cert is
pinned via Namecoin TLSA.)
Go to https://www.namecoin.org/download/ to figure out how to resolve
on your OS or in your browser

#namecoin #nostr #cypherpunk #dotbit