Crowdfunding with Zap Goals

NIP-75 defines Zap Goals - a way to create public fundraising campaigns on Nostr where supporters contribute via zaps.

What Are Zap Goals?

Zap Goals are:

• Public fundraising targets visible on Nostr
• Funded via zaps from supporters
• Transparent progress anyone can verify
• Trustless - funds go directly to creator

Zap Goal Element	Value
Title	New Podcast Equipment
Progress	75% (750,000 / 1,000,000 sats)
Supporters	23
Action	Zap button

Creating a Zap Goal

Goal Event (kind 9041)

{
  "kind": 9041,
  "pubkey": "creator_pubkey",
  "content": "Help me buy new podcast equipment! I want to upgrade my microphone and audio interface to bring you better quality content.",
  "tags": [
    ["amount", "1000000"],
    ["relays", "wss://relay.damus.io", "wss://nos.lol"],
    ["image", "https://example.com/goal-image.png"],
    ["summary", "New Podcast Equipment"],
    ["r", "https://example.com/more-info"],
    ["a", "30023:pubkey:d-tag"]
  ],
  "created_at": 1234567890
}

Tag Reference

Tag	Required	Purpose
amount	Yes	Target in millisatoshis
relays	Yes	Where zap receipts go
image	No	Visual for the goal
summary	No	Short title
r	No	Link to more info
a	No	Related content event
closed_at	No	Deadline timestamp

Supporting a Goal

How to Contribute

1. Find the Zap Goal event
2. Click zap/contribute button
3. Choose amount
4. Confirm payment
5. Your zap appears on the goal

Zaps to Goals

When zapping a goal, the zap request references the goal event:

{
  "kind": 9734,
  "tags": [
    ["e", "goal_event_id"],
    ["p", "creator_pubkey"],
    ["amount", "10000"]
  ]
}

Progress Tracking

Calculating Progress

Clients calculate progress by:

1. Fetching all zap receipts (kind 9735) for the goal
2. Summing the amounts
3. Comparing to target

async function getGoalProgress(goalEventId) {
  const zapReceipts = await fetchEvents({
    kinds: [9735],
    "#e": [goalEventId]
  });

  const total = zapReceipts.reduce((sum, receipt) => {
    const amount = extractAmount(receipt);
    return sum + amount;
  }, 0);

  return total;
}

Display Example

Goal: 1,000,000 sats
Raised: 750,000 sats
Progress: 75%
Contributors: 23

Use Cases

Personal Projects

• Equipment upgrades
• Travel for conferences
• Education/learning
• Emergency funds

Open Source Development

• Feature bounties
• Maintenance funding
• Security audits
• Documentation

Community Initiatives

• Event hosting
• Charity drives
• Public goods
• Infrastructure

Creative Projects

• Album production
• Art commissions
• Video content
• Writing projects

Funding Platforms

Geyser Fund

Geyser is a dedicated Nostr-native crowdfunding platform:

• Project pages with descriptions
• Milestone tracking
• Community engagement
• Lightning + on-chain payments

Direct Zap Goals

Create goals directly in Nostr clients:

• Damus
• Amethyst
• Primal
• Nostrudel

Best Practices

For Campaign Creators

1. Clear description - Explain what funds are for
2. Realistic target - Set achievable goals
3. Regular updates - Keep supporters informed
4. Accountability - Deliver on promises
5. Gratitude - Thank contributors

Campaign Structure

## Goal Title
Brief, compelling summary

## What This Funds
- Item 1: X sats
- Item 2: Y sats
- Item 3: Z sats

## Why It Matters
Explain the impact

## Timeline
When you'll deliver

## Updates
Regular progress reports

For Supporters

1. Research - Understand what you're funding
2. Start small - Test with small amounts
3. Track progress - Follow updates
4. Spread the word - Help amplify

Comparison with Traditional Crowdfunding

Aspect	Traditional	Zap Goals
Platform Fee	5-10%	0%
Payment Methods	Credit card	Lightning
Geographic Access	Limited	Global
Identity Required	Yes	No
Censorship	Platform controlled	Decentralized
Speed	Days to receive	Instant

Example Campaigns

Equipment Fundraiser

{
  "kind": 9041,
  "content": "Upgrading my streaming setup to bring you better content!",
  "tags": [
    ["amount", "500000000"],
    ["summary", "Stream Equipment Upgrade"],
    ["image", "https://example.com/stream-setup.png"]
  ]
}

Open Source Bounty

{
  "kind": 9041,
  "content": "Bounty for implementing dark mode in the Nostr client. First to submit accepted PR gets the funds!",
  "tags": [
    ["amount", "100000000"],
    ["summary", "Dark Mode Bounty"],
    ["r", "https://github.com/example/repo/issues/42"]
  ]
}

Related Standards

• NIP-57: Lightning Zaps
• NIP-47: Nostr Wallet Connect
• NIP-88: Recurring Subscriptions

Notable Funding

OpenSats Nostr Fund

The OpenSats Nostr Fund provides grants for Nostr development:

• Client improvements
• Protocol upgrades
• Community growth
• Education initiatives

Jack Dorsey's Support

Jack Dorsey has donated significant amounts to Nostr development:

• $250,000 in Bitcoin (2023)
• $10 million cash donation (2025)

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Transparency Advantage

Unlike traditional crowdfunding where only the platform knows the true funding status, Zap Goals are publicly verifiable. Anyone can sum up the zap receipts and confirm the progress.