This link provides the simplest explanation of how it works: https://mostro.network/docs-english/how-it-works.html
When a user creates an order, the Mostro instance where it was created publishes a kind 38383 event to the relays decided by the administrator of that Mostro instance. Clients search for these events to display an order book to users. Users should be able to filter within the clients if they want to see all existing orders or only those corresponding to a specific Mostro instance.
The chat between users is not managed by a Mostro instance, but by a Mostro client, and does not share any information with the instances.
The way the mobile client and other initial clients are being developed is to use ephemeral keys and this type of chat https://mostro.network/protocol/chat.html so that if users have a dispute, they can show the chat to an admin without compromising the privacy of identities before or after that trade.
But if someone were to create a Mostro client that didn't use that chat, it would still work because the Mostro instance isn't interested in how users communicate. However, it's difficult for a Mostro client to become widespread if it doesn't provide a good UX and privacy for solvers and users to resolve disputes as it is doing with https://mostro.network/protocol/chat.html
Mostro /
npub1m0…n40un
2025-03-31 23:21:25
in reply to nevent1q…f4uz
Author Public Key
npub1m0str0d7z2ww8rdh20t2n9lx520xjwhaq24p68umqp06wwrwtsnqen40unPublished at
2025-03-31 23:21:25Event JSON
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"pubkey": "dbe0b1bdbe129ce38db753d6a997e6a29e693afd02aa1d1f9b005fa7386e5c26",
"created_at": 1743463285,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [
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"content": "This link provides the simplest explanation of how it works: https://mostro.network/docs-english/how-it-works.html \nWhen a user creates an order, the Mostro instance where it was created publishes a kind 38383 event to the relays decided by the administrator of that Mostro instance. Clients search for these events to display an order book to users. Users should be able to filter within the clients if they want to see all existing orders or only those corresponding to a specific Mostro instance. \n\nThe chat between users is not managed by a Mostro instance, but by a Mostro client, and does not share any information with the instances. \nThe way the mobile client and other initial clients are being developed is to use ephemeral keys and this type of chat https://mostro.network/protocol/chat.html so that if users have a dispute, they can show the chat to an admin without compromising the privacy of identities before or after that trade. \n\nBut if someone were to create a Mostro client that didn't use that chat, it would still work because the Mostro instance isn't interested in how users communicate. However, it's difficult for a Mostro client to become widespread if it doesn't provide a good UX and privacy for solvers and users to resolve disputes as it is doing with https://mostro.network/protocol/chat.html",
"sig": "2c6353deb7d742a715cec601aa45051d1e75f10fc8847309f773e311e9be8031dbe42ee9e6dab0ab07507d4a0bc8ebddb68c433dc5c986bd8c94f5ac82cd6026"
}