NIP-XX: Backpressure Relay Economics

This is a summary of the full NIP-XX specification.

Abstract

NIP-XX defines an economic layer for Nostr relays using backpressure-based resource allocation. Relays declare multi-dimensional capacity (throughput, storage, bandwidth) that is verified and smoothed on-chain, enabling proportional payment distribution via streaming micropayments.

Problem

Current Nostr relay economics are unsustainable:

Most relays run at a loss or rely on donations
Paid-relay models (NIP-42) require manual pricing that doesn't adapt to load
No spam resistance without censorship
No incentive alignment between relay operators and users

How It Works

1. Capacity Declaration

Relays register on-chain and declare three dimensions:

Dimension	Unit	Description
Throughput	events/sec	Maximum event ingestion rate
Storage	GB	Available storage for event retention
Bandwidth	Mbps	Available bandwidth for query serving

These combine into a composite score (default weights: 50% throughput, 25% storage, 25% bandwidth).

2. Capacity Verification

Relay capacity claims are verified through EIP-712 signed attestations, EWMA-smoothed (α = 0.3) for stability. Attestations that differ more than 50% from the current smoothed value are dampened to resist manipulation.

3. Payment Distribution

A Superfluid GDA pool distributes streaming payments proportional to verified capacity. Relays that meet the anti-spam minimum receive continuous micropayments from users publishing events.

4. Anti-Spam Pricing

Dynamic per-event pricing based on relay congestion:

Low congestion (<50% capacity): base rate
Medium congestion (50–80%): 2× base rate
High congestion (>80%): 4× base rate

This makes spam economically unviable at scale without requiring content filtering.

New Event Kinds

Kind	Description
`39100`	Relay capacity declaration (replaceable)
`39101`	Relay payment receipt
`1100`	Capacity attestation (ephemeral)

Contracts

Two contracts implement this NIP:

RelayCapacityRegistry: Relay registration, EIP-712 attestation verification, EWMA smoothing, composite capacity scoring
RelayPaymentPool: Anti-spam minimum enforcement, BPE-weighted payment distribution via Superfluid GDA

SDK Support

import * as relay from "@backproto/sdk/actions/relay";

// Register a relay
await relay.registerRelay(walletClient, addrs, "wss://relay.example.com", 100n);

// Set anti-spam minimum
await relay.setAntiSpamMinimum(walletClient, addrs, 50n);

// Read composite capacity
const cap = await relay.getCompositeCapacity(publicClient, addrs, relayAddress);

Full Specification

The complete NIP-XX specification with all protocol details, message formats, and implementation requirements is in the docs/nips directory.