A year ago, I joined Nostr. Like many Bitcoiners, I felt the FOMO joined and posted a fraction of my Twitter content here, irregularly. No consistency. No genuine interest. Low engagement—but zaps? They kept coming. Fast forward, Nostr became much more than I imagined. Here’s how and why:

Before I dive deeper, a quick rewind: In 2020, I deleted all social apps from my phone—except for Twitter, because work demanded it. Bitcoin-Twitter was chaotic and dramatic, keeping me tethered. Yet, having only one app on my phone? This was a major mindfulness milestone.

Now, back to #Nostr.

Early Nostr days had this #zappathon trend—same time every day, users gathered to zap and engage as a #plebchain. For a longtime social media user since mIRC, feeling genuine support online was wild. Then, my Bitcoin work pulled me deeper into the rabbit hole. PoW > social media. Always.

On Twitter, I focused on #Bitcoin for work and #Lebanon’s economic collapse—deeply personal as a Lebanese Bitcoiner. But in October, I got furious about Israel’s war in general and on Lebanon in specific: called out the U.S. taxpayer-funded war machine, tied fiat to atrocities made to my country. Within days I got shadow-banned. Then suspended. No surprise.

Reflecting on my X suspension, I felt relieved I’d never verified my account. Not about money—about control, about my personal data. Being in Bitcoin prepares you mentally for these moments. But when it happened, I had a flash-forward to a dystopian future—social media as a massive virtual concentration camp, forcing compliance with the camp’s rules. Imagine this under a #CBDC regime: one button suspends your X and freezes your bank account. This isn’t freedom; it’s fiat tyranny. And the world is heading there.

This pushed me deeper into Nostr.

So, I committed. Daily posts—short form, long form, memes, GMs, GNs—total freedom. Unlike X, where I meticulously drafted tweets, curated media posts, and scheduled threads, here I had no system—I was just experimenting, letting thoughts flow. I noticed some of of the content on Nostr felt often recycled from Twitter without much depth or personal touch. But it’s the reality of early adoption I guess. I believe this will change—gradually then suddenly like for #Bitcoin. As the world spirals further into censorship and control, more suspensions will push people here. More will seek real freedom. Every atrocity and clampdown will serve as the best marketing for the purple ostrich. Within weeks, I got the kind of genuine social network here that took me years to create on X—and it’s still beautifully growing. No censorship. No need to self-censor. Just real, unfiltered connection.

Now? Multiple clients on my phone, learning how to run relays, and experimenting. I hope I could settle one day for two or one app on my phone that can do most of things that other apps do. 

Nostr isn’t just another social network—it’s freedom to write without limits. When I post here, it feels like journaling. I already journal using Notion, which is great—but centralized. My future grandkids may never see it. Here, my words can outlast me.

To everyone here sharing technical knowledge, zapping, engaging in DMs, and being part of this journey—thank you. Your support and connections have made it real. I started purple pilling my friends and family already🟣  Life’s short. Keep saying your mind. Fight for freedom. Keep writing. Stay humble and stack sats.

I’d love to hear what’s your Nostr journey been like so far❔