FAQ¶
Can I use joinstr on mainnet?¶
Yes. The Electrum plugin, web UI, daemon, Android app and Sparrow all work on mainnet. Try a round on Mutinynet or signet first to learn the flow.
Do I need to run Bitcoin Core?¶
No. The Electrum plugin and Sparrow work with an Electrum server. For the best privacy, use your own server instead of a public one. The web UI, daemon and Android app need Bitcoin Core.
Can I use joinstr on my phone?¶
Yes, on Android. See the Android app. It needs a Bitcoin Core node the phone can reach. There is no iOS release, although the app can be built for iOS from source.
Which denominations can I use?¶
Any. The pool creator chooses the denomination. Your coin has to be worth the denomination plus 500 to 5000 sats, because there is no change output.
What does a coinjoin cost?¶
Only the mining fee, shared by all peers, plus whatever your coin holds above the denomination. There is no coordinator fee. A paid relay may charge for writing events. See Fees.
How many peers should a pool have?¶
At least 2. More peers give a larger anonymity set but take longer to fill. The web UI allows 2 to 10 peers.
Which relay should I use?¶
Any nostr relay that accepts kind 2022 and kind 4 events. The default is wss://nos.lol. All peers in a pool use the relay the pool names, so pick one that is reliable. Paid relays reduce spam.
Do I need Tor?¶
Tor is the default and strongly recommended. The Electrum plugin, web UI, daemon and Sparrow refuse to talk to a relay without it, unless the pool uses the VPN transport in a client that supports it. The Android and Umbrel apps run their own Tor.
Is the old Riseup VPN option still there?¶
Yes, as an option in the Electrum plugin and the Android app. A VPN pool makes every peer use the same Riseup gateway. Tor is the default.
What happens if a peer disappears in the middle of a round?¶
If it happens before they sign, the remaining signers can finish a smaller coinjoin through ring signature recovery. If it happens after they sign, nothing changes, because every peer broadcasts the final transaction.
Can a pool creator steal my coins?¶
No. Your client checks the full transaction before signing and before broadcasting. It refuses to sign if the round would cost you more than 15000 sats or if your signed input could be broadcast on its own. See Security model.
Is there a fee for market makers?¶
No. joinstr has no makers and no coordinator fees today.
Where can I ask questions?¶
On the forum. Bugs go to the issue tracker of the client you use, listed on Community and support.