What Is NIP-04?
Nostr network, an open and decentralised (?) platform, harnesses the power of the NIP-04 protocol to facilitate encrypted direct communication. The NIP-04 protocol, an ingenious invention by Arcbtc, is essentially employed during specific events– aptly named “encrypted direct message” events. This protocol assigns a kind value of 4 to such events, ensuring a secure and private communication channel within the Nostr network.
At the heart of this protocol’s operation, is the encryption of the user’s message. The message content, which can be any text the user wishes to communicate, is transformed into a base64-encoded, aes-256-cbc encrypted string. This encryption is achieved using a shared cipher, a unique combination of the recipient’s public-key (?) and the sender’s private-key (?).
The encrypted content is further bolstered in its security by appending the base64-encoded initialization vector as a querystring parameter. By doing so, NIP-04 protocol provides an almost impregnable layer of privacy and security, making sure that the messages can be deciphered and read only by the intended recipient. Enhancing the communication aspect of the Nostr network, the NIP-04 protocol is a testament to the network’s commitment to user privacy and secure interactions.