Martti Malmi has released an updated version of Nostr VPN, an open-source mesh VPN designed to operate without centralized accounts or coordination servers.

According to the project’s documentation, Nostr VPN uses Nostr cryptographic keypairs for identity instead of traditional account systems that rely on email registration or third-party authentication providers.

Unlike conventional VPN services that route traffic through centrally managed servers, Nostr VPN is built on the FIPS (Free Internetworking Peering System) protocol, which allows nodes to authenticate and route traffic across a decentralized mesh network. 

A user’s Nostr public key serves as the network identifier.

The project states that the network uses both hop-by-hop encryption and separate end-to-end encryption between mesh endpoints, with periodic rekeying intended to improve forward secrecy.

The latest release adds native desktop applications for macOS, Linux, and Windows, alongside an Android app and expanded network management tools. 

The software also supports multiple transport methods simultaneously, including UDP, TCP, Ethernet, Tor, and Bluetooth.

According to the documentation, when direct peer-to-peer connections cannot be established because of NAT traversal limitations, the network can route traffic through other FIPS nodes using Nostr-based multihop routing rather than centralized relay servers. 

Peer discovery and connection coordination occur through public Nostr relays using encrypted messages.

Malmi previously collaborated with Satoshi Nakamoto during Bitcoin’s early development in 2009.