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77 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
77 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
# Overview
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Routstr is a decentralized protocol for **permissionless, private, and censorship-resistant AI inference**. It creates an open marketplace where anyone can sell llm-tokens and anyone can buy them using privacy-preserving micropayments.
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By combining **Nostr** (for censorship-resistant discovery and communication) and **Cashu** (for private, instant Bitcoin eCash payments), Routstr effectively removes the "middleman" from the AI ecosystem.
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## How it Works
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The network consists of independent **Providers** (Sellers) and **Clients** (Buyers). There is no central server, no login, and no credit card required.
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1. **Discovery (Nostr)**: Providers announce their availability, models (e.g., `gpt-4o`, `deepseek-r1`), and prices on the Nostr network.
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2. **Payment (Cashu)**: Clients pay providers directly using Bitcoin eCash (Cashu tokens). These payments are untraceable and settle instantly.
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3. **Inference (Proxy)**: The Provider acts as a gateway (or runs local hardware), executing the AI model and returning the result to the Client.
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## Who is this for?
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The documentation is split into two paths depending on your goal:
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### 🐣 I want to BUILD on Routstr (Client)
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You are a developer building an AI agent, a chat app, or a script, and you want access to AI models without API keys, subscriptions, or KYC.
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* **No Accounts**: Just get a wallet.
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* **Privacy**: Your requests are mixed with thousands of others; providers can't profile you.
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* **Choice**: Switch between hundreds of providers instantly for the best price/performance.
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👉 **[Go to Client Guide](client/introduction.md)**
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### 🦁 I want to RUN a Node (Provider)
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You have API credits (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) or GPU capacity and want to earn Bitcoin by selling AI access to the network.
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* **Monetize API Keys**: Connect your OpenAI/Anthropic/OpenRouter accounts and earn sats on every request.
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* **Monetize Hardware**: Run local models (via vLLM, Ollama) and sell access.
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* **Permissionless**: No approval needed. Start the container, configure via dashboard, start earning.
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!!! note "Coming Soon"
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Future versions will support node-to-node routing—run a gateway without needing your own AI provider credentials.
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👉 **[Go to Provider Guide](provider/quickstart.md)**
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---
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## Architecture
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Routstr is built on a modular stack defined by the [Routstr Improvement Protocols (RIPs)](https://github.com/routstr/rips).
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```mermaid
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flowchart LR
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subgraph Client
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A[App / Agent]
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end
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subgraph Provider
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B[Routstr Node<br/>Proxy + Auth + Billing]
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end
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subgraph Upstream
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C[OpenAI / Anthropic<br/>vLLM / Ollama / ...]
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end
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A -- "Request +<br/>Cashu Token" --> B
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B -- "Forward<br/>Request" --> C
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C -- "Response +<br/>Usage" --> B
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B -- "Response +<br/>Refund Token" --> A
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```
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## Why Routstr?
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| Feature | Closed AI | Routstr |
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| :--- | :--- | :--- |
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| **Access** | Account, KYC, Credit Card | Permissionless, Bitcoin-native |
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| **Privacy** | Full Logging & Tracking | Blinded Payments, Ephemeral Sessions |
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| **Resilience** | Single Point of Failure | Decentralized Network |
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| **Pricing** | Fixed, Monopolistic | Dynamic, Market-driven |
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| **Global** | Geofenced | Borderless (Tor/I2P supported) |
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