Npub.cash Update
It's been just over eight months since I started working on npub.cash, and it's been an incredible journey! During this time, the project has evolved significantly, with its goals and requirements shifting along the way. Originally, npub.cash was designed as a tool for wallet and Nostr client developers, but it has unexpectedly become a popular day-to-day wallet for many users to receive zaps on Nostr. I absolutely love seeing this, but I must admit that the frontend I built was intended as a demo to showcase how the API could be integrated, not as a fully-featured wallet.
Instead of focusing solely on backend development, I spent considerable time trying to adapt the frontend to this new use case, keeping pace with the rapid advancements in the Cashu and Nostr ecosystems. In hindsight, this was a mistake. Npub.cash functions best when integrated into a comprehensive Cashu wallet, as demonstrated by
@water783 and
@calle with their integrations in 0xChat and cashu.me. Therefore, I will be reworking the npub.cash frontend to align with its original purpose: providing a solid, minimal showcase integration for developers.
What Does This Mean?
- Removing Lightning Withdrawal Functionality: While paying invoices through Cashu is straightforward, handling change is not. The user experience of this feature has always been suboptimal, and a full Cashu wallet is better suited for it. To pay a lightning invoice with your npub.cash balance, you should withdraw it to a Cashu wallet first.
- Removing Static Payment Pages: This feature was a proof of concept that hasn't seen much use.
- Streamlining the Frontend: Simplifying the frontend to a minimal yet stable demo page will free up time for more important developments.
Priorities Moving Forward
- Server-Level Features: Focus on features like Pay2PublicKey, MultiMint Support, NIP-61 auto-withdrawal, user settings, and more.
- API Overhaul: The API has evolved over time, so it's time to rework all endpoints and publish a v2 of the API.
- Improved Documentation: While there is docs.cashu-address.com, it hasn't been updated in a while. As an API service, npub.cash needs comprehensive and up-to-date documentation.
I am incredibly thankful for all the support I have gotten to this point. Not only for the positive feedback, but also for the supportiveness when something did not work out as planned. We are far from done, and with recent additions to this ecosystem (looking at you
@PABLOF7z) I am sure that there will be so much great stuff coming. Onwards! π
