NIP-15: Nostr Marketplace

NIP-15 defines a protocol for decentralized marketplaces on Nostr, enabling merchants to list products and buyers to make purchases using Bitcoin and Lightning.

How It Works

Merchant Stalls (Kind 30017)

Merchants create stalls as addressable events:

{
  "kind": 30017,
  "tags": [
    ["d", "my-stall"],
    ["name", "Bob's Electronics"],
    ["description", "Quality used electronics"],
    ["currency", "sat"],
    ["shipping", "{...shipping options...}"]
  ]
}

Products (Kind 30018)

Products are listed within stalls:

{
  "kind": 30018,
  "tags": [
    ["d", "product-123"],
    ["stall_id", "my-stall"],
    ["name", "Raspberry Pi 4"],
    ["price", "50000"],
    ["quantity", "5"],
    ["images", "https://..."]
  ]
}

Purchase Flow

Buyer browses products across multiple stalls
Buyer sends encrypted order message to merchant
Merchant responds with Lightning invoice
Buyer pays invoice
Merchant ships product

Key Features

Decentralized: No central marketplace operator
Interoperable: Any NIP-15 client can browse any merchant
Private: Orders are encrypted between buyer and seller
Bitcoin-native: Lightning payments built-in

Implementations

Plebeian Market - Full-featured NIP-15 marketplace
Shopstr - Permissionless Bitcoin commerce
Amethyst - Integrated product listings in social feed