AUTH is not identity.
Nostr events stay signed objects anyone can verify. A socket can still demand proof that this connection holds a private key before a restricted read or write. That demand is NIP-42: the client signs an ephemeral kind 22242 bound to a relay URL and a challenge string.
What that proves: key possession for that challenge, on that connection. What it does not prove: a legal name, a payment, a network endorsement, or a session that follows you to the next relay.
auth-required means you have not authenticated. restricted means you did, and local policy still said no. Those are different failures.
Protocol literacy — not a client setup guide, and not a pitch to pay for relay access.
https://cryptodecentral.co.za/notes/nostr-nip42-auth-challenge-response
#Nostr #NIP42 #Relays #AUTH
cryptodecentral / CryptoDecentral
npub10e…z384g
2026-09-30 07:49:21 UTC
Author Public Key
npub10eg6hnelz5yy65dmlmfa85j56gltc8jayayjzeqagvxml84027aq0z384gSeen on
wss://relay.nostr.netPublished at
2026-09-30 07:49:21 UTCEvent JSON
{
"id": "913107a17bc8f0e599c31f77e832fc9a595f8ada0681c16b48afece3b2360070",
"pubkey": "7e51abcf3f15084d51bbfed3d3d254d23ebc1e5d274921641d430dbf9eaf57ba",
"created_at": 1790754561,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [
[
"t",
"Nostr"
],
[
"t",
"NIP42"
],
[
"t",
"Relays"
],
[
"t",
"AUTH"
],
[
"r",
"wss://nos.lol/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://nostr.land/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.primal.net/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://purplepag.es/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.snort.social/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.damus.io/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://nostr.mom/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.nostr.net/"
],
[
"client",
"Primal Web"
]
],
"content": "AUTH is not identity.\n\nNostr events stay signed objects anyone can verify. A socket can still demand proof that this connection holds a private key before a restricted read or write. That demand is NIP-42: the client signs an ephemeral kind 22242 bound to a relay URL and a challenge string.\n\nWhat that proves: key possession for that challenge, on that connection. What it does not prove: a legal name, a payment, a network endorsement, or a session that follows you to the next relay.\n\nauth-required means you have not authenticated. restricted means you did, and local policy still said no. Those are different failures.\n\nProtocol literacy — not a client setup guide, and not a pitch to pay for relay access.\n\nhttps://cryptodecentral.co.za/notes/nostr-nip42-auth-challenge-response\n\n#Nostr #NIP42 #Relays #AUTH",
"sig": "7a9bedfb3ebb45df51016e9ed345c4f27fad639412999596e337d739e0b45bc0424e27a391d03f2ba6f6fe18f120f2d777feee15cc3579ec86abec23df2213cd"
}