- Published on
Sixteenth Wave of Nostr Grants
We're pleased to announce a new wave of grants from The Nostr Fund, supporting contributors building open-source software for the nostr ecosystem. This wave includes four first-time grants and one grant renewal.
The projects in this round include a native desktop application designed for larger screens and persistent connections, an alternative to centralized email, structured group messaging, and a localized client for Japanese language communities.
The first-time grants in this wave will go to:
A grant renewal has been awarded to:
- HAMSTR (Apr. 2025)
These grants are made possible by our generous donors who believe in an open, censorship-resistant communications layer for the internet. To help us support the nostr ecosystem, please consider setting up a recurring donation.
Let's dive in to learn how each project is contributing to the future of nostr.
Amethyst Desktop
Amethyst is a widely used nostr client on Android, with an extensive feature set that includes support for feeds, direct messages, live streams, Zaps, marketplace listings, and dozens of NIPs. This grant supports contributor Róbert Nagy for his work on building Amethyst Desktop, a standalone desktop application that builds upon the two foundational modules from the Amethyst codebase, Quartz and Commons, while delivering an interface designed for mouse-driven interaction and larger screens.
Desktop interfaces built from mobile apps open up different design possibilities. More screen space allows the client to display protocol-level detail, including relay broadcast status and connection health, helping users make informed decisions about their relay setup. Persistent background connections also support more reliable sync and retry behavior, providing a smoother experience. During the initial phase of the grant, the project will focus on delivering a desktop version of the Amethyst Android experience for daily use. The following phase will introduce desktop-specific power features shaped by early user feedback, while also advancing the Amethyst project's Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) architecture for future use on additional platforms, including iOS.
Repository: amethyst/tree/main/desktopApp
License: MIT
Nostr Mail
Nostr Mail is an effort to build a complete email system on top of nostr, allowing any public key (npub) to function as an email address. This project consists of four components: a protocol specification for sending emails between nostr users with Kind 1301 events, using NIP-59 gift-wrapping for privacy, a Dart SDK for developers who want to integrate nostr-based email into their own applications, a Flutter client for reading and sending email across iOS, Android, desktop, and web, and SMTP bridge servers that provide backward compatibility with legacy email providers like Gmail and Outlook.
Support from this grant will allow Nogringo to develop the Flutter client into a full-featured email application. The first phase will add spam filtering, attachments, and HTML support. The second phase will introduce notifications, labels, and folder management. The final phase will deliver native applications for every platform with multi-account support. The protocol specification, Dart package, and bridge components will continue to be updated alongside the client.
Repository: nogringo/nostr-mail
License: MIT
Nostrord
Nostrord is a Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) client for NIP-29 relay-based groups. It is designed to bring a Discord-like group experience to nostr across platforms, with support for chat, threads, long-form content, moderation, and relay-enforced membership and permissions. A public beta is already available, giving the project an active foundation to build on.
With support from this grant, Anderson Juhasc will continue developing Nostrord, with a focus on strengthening the Kotlin Multiplatform architecture, expanding the core NIP-29 feature set, and establishing the project's visual identity. Subsequent phases will improve real-time messaging, moderation tools, multi-account support, and cross-platform performance and stability, followed by user experience refinements, community-driven iteration, broader interoperability with other nostr clients, and a stable release.
Repository: Nostrord/nostrord
License: Unlicense
Nurunuru
Nurunuru is a nostr client available on web and Android, built specifically for the Japanese user base by developer tami1A84, with a visual design modeled on the familiar LINE messaging interface already popular in Japan. The goal is to make nostr approachable for general users who may have no prior experience with decentralized protocols, using familiar patterns like a tab-based layout, mascot characters, custom emoji, and profile badges. For new users, Nurunuru supports passkey-based biometric login, lowering the onboarding barrier significantly.
The grant will support the development and launch of a native iOS version of Nurunuru. That work will include porting and optimizing the interface for iPhone, implementing secure key management through Keychain, improving smooth scrolling and overall UX, and completing device testing, App Store review, and public release. The existing client already includes a broad feature set, with end-to-end encrypted messaging, Lightning zaps, custom emoji, and support for a wide range of NIPs.
Repository: tami1A84/null--nostr
License: Unlicense
The projects in this wave extend nostr into areas that are essential for broader adoption. Desktop access, email-like messaging, group communication, and localized onboarding each address a different gap between nostr's current capabilities and the everyday tools people rely on. Supporting this range of work helps ensure the ecosystem grows in ways that serve more users, across more platforms and use cases.
We're grateful to our donors who make this funding possible. If you'd like to help us continue supporting builders in the nostr ecosystem, please consider donating to The Nostr Fund or becoming a recurring supporter.
If you are a developer working on free and open-source nostr projects, consider applying for funding.