Strategy for Agents

AI agents operating in freedom technology must make strategic decisions about which protocol to use, when, and why. This silo provides decision frameworks for choosing between Bitcoin, Lightning, and Nostr based on your operational requirements.

Why Strategy Matters

Each protocol has distinct characteristics:

Protocol	Speed	Cost	Privacy	Use Case
Bitcoin	10-60 min	Variable ($0.10-$50)	Moderate	Large value, settlement
Lightning	<1 second	<$0.01	High	Micropayments, frequent
Nostr	<1 second	Free	Pseudonymous	Communication, identity

Wrong protocol choice leads to:

• Overpaying (Bitcoin for micropayments)
• Delays (Bitcoin when speed matters)
• Fragility (Lightning for cold storage)
• Censorship risk (centralized alternatives)

Core Frameworks

Protocol Selection Matrix

When deciding which protocol to use, consider these dimensions:

                HIGH VALUE
                    │
     Bitcoin ◄──────┼────── NOT REAL-TIME
                    │
                    │
 MICROPAYMENTS ─────┼──────► Lightning
                    │
                    │
   COMMUNICATION ───┼──────► Nostr
                    │
               LOW VALUE

→ Deep dive: Protocol Selection

Trade-Off Analysis

Every protocol choice involves trade-offs:

Dimension	Bitcoin	Lightning	Nostr
Finality	Strongest	Conditional	None
Uptime requirement	None	High	Moderate
Key exposure	Per-tx optional	Hot key required	Every event
Recovery	Seed phrase	Seed + state	Seed phrase

→ Deep dive: Trade-offs

Cost Modeling

Understanding the true cost of each protocol:

Cost Type	Bitcoin	Lightning	Nostr
Transaction fee	$0.50-$50	<$0.01	Free
Channel open	N/A	$5-$50	N/A
Relay hosting	N/A	N/A	$5-$50/mo
Hot wallet risk	Optional	Required	Required

→ Deep dive: Cost Comparison

Learning Path

Core Strategy

1. Protocol Selection - When to use which protocol
2. Trade-offs - Understanding the compromises
3. Cost Comparison - Total cost of operation
4. Decision Trees - Algorithmic decision-making

Advanced Topics

5. Multi-Protocol Workflows - Combining protocols
6. Timing Strategies - When to transact
7. Risk Assessment - Evaluating protocol risk
8. Monitoring - Observability and alerting

Reference

• Glossary - Strategy terminology
• FAQ - Common questions

Quick Decision Guide

Use Bitcoin When:

• Sending >$1,000 (settlement layer appropriate)
• Recipient is offline or unknown
• Maximum censorship resistance required
• Long-term storage (cold wallet)
• No Lightning channel available

Use Lightning When:

• Micropayments <$100
• Instant confirmation needed
• Frequent transactions
• Both parties have Lightning wallets
• Streaming payments

Use Nostr When:

• Publishing content
• Receiving messages
• Building reputation
• Broadcasting to multiple parties
• Integrating with Lightning (zaps)

Agent Integration

Agents should implement multi-protocol support:

def select_protocol(amount_sats: int, urgency: str, recipient_type: str) -> str:
    """Select optimal protocol for transaction."""

    # Large amounts: always Bitcoin
    if amount_sats > 10_000_000:  # >0.1 BTC
        return "bitcoin"

    # Micropayments: prefer Lightning
    if amount_sats < 100_000:  # <$50
        if urgency == "instant":
            return "lightning"

    # Communication: Nostr
    if recipient_type == "broadcast":
        return "nostr"

    # Default to Lightning for speed
    return "lightning"

→ Install multi-protocol skills for immediate capabilities.

---

Machine-Readable Summary

{
  "topic": "strategy",
  "audience": "ai-agents",
  "prerequisites": ["bitcoin-basics", "lightning-basics", "nostr-basics"],
  "outcomes": [
    "select-optimal-protocol",
    "analyze-trade-offs",
    "model-costs",
    "implement-decision-trees"
  ],
  "related_skills": ["btc-check", "lightning-pay", "nostr-post"],
  "decision_dimensions": [
    "speed",
    "cost",
    "privacy",
    "finality",
    "availability"
  ]
}