Civkit: Alpha version of a new peer-to-peer economy
Civkit aims to revitalize the global peer-to-peer economy (direct exchange between users without intermediaries) and has released its first alpha version after over a year of development. The project focuses on decentralized peer-to-peer trading that does not require a centralized order book (a central list of buy and sell orders). It is based on Nostr (a decentralized communication protocol) and Lightning (a secondary network for Bitcoin transactions) and integrates a central reputation system.
Funding and teams behind Civkit
Anonymous developers led by Nicholas Gregory (known from Commerceblock and MercuryLayer) are driving this project forward. The project is funded by individuals from the global south (countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia) and is specifically tailored to their needs. Funding from Ray Youseff and Noones supports developers from these regions and ensures practical applicability.
Civkit Node Features
The Civkit node provides a user interface for creating peer-to-peer trade orders. Users can create buy/sell orders, pay invoices, chat with trading partners, confirm receipt of fiat money (traditional government currencies), file disputes, and view other trade transactions. Civkit uses a special Nostr event type to share orders across Nostr relays (network nodes for relaying messages), creating a global order book. The escrow system (a secure payment mechanism) locks 5% of the trade amount in a holding invoice that is released after the trade is completed. It also provides an encrypted chat URL for dispute resolution.
Future plans and further development
The team plans to release the alpha version of the reputation system in two weeks. After that, the focus will be on federating the order book and integrating the escrow system with Fedimint (a federated treasury protocol) as well as supporting eCash (electronic money). Gregory emphasizes the ambitious nature of the project and the importance of the first tangible results.
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