Comparison¶

joinstr is one of several coinjoin designs. The table compares it with the best known alternatives.

	joinstr	JoinMarket	Whirlpool	WabiSabi
Coordinator	None, pools run over nostr relays	None, takers coordinate makers over IRC and onion message channels	Central	Central
Who sets a round	Any user creates a pool	The taker	The coordinator	The coordinator
Fees	Mining fee only, optional relay fee	Mining fee plus maker fees paid by the taker	Mining fee plus a pool entry fee	Mining fee plus any coordinator fee
Fidelity bonds	Not used	Used by makers	Not used	Not used
Outputs	One denomination per pool, no change	Equal coinjoin outputs plus change	Fixed pool denominations, no change in mixes	Many standard denominations, change possible
Signature hash	`ALL\\|ANYONECANPAY`	`ALL`	`ALL`	`ALL`
Network privacy	Tor by default, optional VPN	Tor	Tor	Tor
Languages	Python, Kotlin, Java, Rust, Dart	Python	Java	C#
Coordinators today	None needed	None needed	Ashigaru runs one	Independent coordinators such as kruw

What sets joinstr apart¶

No server to run or trust. Anyone can start a pool on any relay. If a relay goes away, new pools simply use another one.
Fewer steps. Registering outputs first and signing with SIGHASH_ALL|ANYONECANPAY removes the need for a coordinator to collect inputs before anyone signs.
No fees beyond mining. There is no maker or coordinator to pay.

Pools need enough peers at the same time. A coordinator or a market of makers can fill rounds faster.
Peers see every input and output of their round. Only the link between them stays hidden.
Peers who join and never sign can stall a round. Ring signature recovery and aut-ct reduce the damage but do not remove it.