Oddbean new post about login | logout And also on the funding point, our total funding is still a pittance compared to more centralized networks like Bluesky or Farcaster. I also think we generally lack CEOs (with a few exceptions). I love the hackers (truly I do!). But I'm trying my best to find the entrepreneurs who really want to make money. Most of these types that I'm speaking with are barely aware of nostr's existence. I'm hoping I can help change that at least on the margin ;)
You actually need someone like Elon to come in and cut half the funding, and redeploy it from the unproductive to the productive.
Also, keep in mind that the relay network gets pretty much nothing in return. They're often overlooked, mistreated, and even pushed aside. But without them, Nostr wouldn’t exist. It's understandable that many are walking away, and I can't blame them. Funding is definitely a positive step, but it needs to be distributed fairly to those who actually keep Nostr running. Otherwise, we risk Nostr drifting toward centralization, and any claims of censorship resistance start sounding more like a catchy slogan than a reality.
Back to the original point. Bluesky started later than nostr but got to 13 million users. Hence the funding. They invested in infrastructure to do that. They are 100x bigger than nostr, and therefore, sustainable. Nostr is not sustainable, and has to rely on hand outs, for as long as they are given, and none of it is passed down to infrastructure. Can you see why they are two different things?