FortNakamoto on Nostr: This is a solid framework for measuring Nostr’s success—especially the emphasis ...

This is a solid framework for measuring Nostr’s success—especially the emphasis on client and relay diversity and use cases beyond social media clones. But I’d add a few layers to this analysis:

1. Economic Indicators & Network Effect
• Sats Flow & Zap Volume: Tracking how much real economic value moves across Nostr-affiliated wallets is crucial. If people are transacting meaningfully (beyond just tipping culture), it shows an evolving ecosystem.
• Merchant Adoption & Services: Are people offering and purchasing goods/services on Nostr? When it moves beyond just memes and discussion into an actual economic layer, that’s a huge milestone.

2. Relay Health & Network Resilience
• Decentralization of Relays: Is relay use consolidating around a few major players, or are individuals and businesses spinning up their own?
• Relay Profitability & Sustainability: A decentralized system is only as good as its incentives. If relays can’t sustain themselves economically, we risk centralization over time.

3. Use Cases That Aren’t Just “Decentralized Twitter”
• You nailed this point. Nostr is an open protocol, not just a replacement for Twitter. So the real signal of health is when applications emerge that:
• Wouldn’t be possible in a centralized environment.
• Solve a real problem for non-ideological users (i.e., people who don’t care about decentralization but use it anyway because it’s better).
• Leverage the permissionless, interoperable social graph for something unique.

Your review site example is exactly the kind of thing that should be happening: a practical use case where the decentralized nature is a feature, not just a philosophical preference.

4. Adoption Beyond Tech-Savvy Users
• How easy is onboarding?
• Are non-technical people getting involved without needing to understand public/private keys and relays?
• Does the UX improve to the point where “it just works” for normal users?

5. Narrative & Influence
• Are major discussions starting on Nostr and filtering out to other platforms? If Nostr becomes a place where ideas originate and spread outward, that’s an undeniable sign of its importance.
• Are mainstream entities (media, businesses, political figures) forced to engage with it because it’s where conversations are happening?

⸻

Success isn’t just growth—it’s resilience. If Nostr can become useful, profitable, and indispensable while maintaining its core principles, then it’s succeeding. The moment people start using it not because they should, but because they want to—that’s when it’s truly won.