The Open Protocol for AI Access
Pay-per-request AI APIs with Bitcoin micropayments. OpenAI-compatible, privacy-preserving, no account required.
Click to explore • Live node activity
The Infrastructure for the AI Economy
Everything you need to build, deploy, and scale AI applications with Bitcoin
OpenAI Compatible API
Works with any OpenAI SDK, LangChain, or application. Drop-in replacement for chat completions.
Pay-per-request
No subscriptions. Pay only for the tokens you use with Bitcoin micropayments.
Decentralized Discovery
Find providers through Nostr relays. No central registry.
Simple Deployment
Run the Routstr proxy in a single Docker container to monetize your hardware.
How It Works
Simple steps to get started with decentralized AI access
Get a Cashu Token
Bring your own Cashu eCash token. No account or sign-up required.
Use any OpenAI-compatible client
Point your existing OpenAI SDK or application at any Routstr provider. Use your Cashu token as the API key.
curl -X POST https://api.routstr.com/v1/chat
-H "Authorization: Bearer cashu..."
-d '{"model": "gpt-5.1"}'Pay per request
Cost is deducted based on actual token usage. Model-based pricing with live BTC/USD conversion.
Simple Integration
Integrate with Routstr using our OpenAI-compatible API endpoints with just a few lines of code
Direct API Access
curl -X POST https://api.routstr.com/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer " \
-d '{
"model": "qwen/qwen3-14b",
"messages": [
{"role": "user", "content": "Hello Nostr"}
]
}'
OpenAI Compatible
Drop-in replacement for OpenAI clients
Popular Models
DeepSeek, Llama, Mistral, Claude and more
Privacy First
No accounts, no tracking, just API tokens
Browse Models
Access a wide range of AI models through independent providers with transparent pricing and performance metrics
No models available at the moment. Please check back later.
What People Are Saying
Join the growing community embracing privacy-first AI access
When you run your own routstr AI proxy on your own private vps, self host your own AI otrta chat client and send cashu from your own client to your own proxy to privately query AI over tor.
.
npub1ak68...xy8fx
This is incredible. AI chat pay per use. No accounts but instant and anonymous Bitcoin micro payments with Cashu.
Try it with a tiny amount and see for yourself!
routstr.com
calle
npub12rv5...sf485vg
very tru. eventually will find out routstr make all other services out there full of tracking and big noses... redundant
d7r
@noD7R
AI (intelligence) + Nostr (distributed) + Cashu (anonymous) + Bitcoin (permissionless)
routstr.com
calle
npub12rv5...sf485vg
This could be the cheapest way to try a new LLM model via @roustrai + @CashuBTC + Grok CLI.
1. Topup via Bitcoin Lightning to chat.routstr.com (no fees, no login, can be less than $1)
2. Generate API key (Settings > API Key)
3. Install Grok CLI and edit config nano ~/.grok/user-settings.json{
"apiKey": "sk-xxx",
"baseURL": "api.routstr.com/v1",
"defaultModel": "x-ai/grok-code-fast-1",
"models": [
"x-ai/grok-code-fast-1"
]
}The Grok CLI is still buggy, but the latency is not that bad.
Kim Hudaya
@huedaya
wallet mnemonic -> nsec/npub -> backup metadata on nostr
don't sleep on nostr
calle
npub12rv5...sf485vg
With routstr, you can pay for AI services with Bitcoin using Cashu ecash.
✅ No signups
✅ No credit cards
✅ No KYC
Want to know how it works? Check out our latest blog post blow!
Cashu
@CashuBTC
A Decentralised LLM Routing Marketplace
Permissionless, censorship-resistant AI routing powered by Nostr and Cashu
routstr.com
Pavol Lupták
@wilderko
🧵 @routstrai – AI Power Without the Hassle
Freedom to Use AI, Your Way!
1/ Introduction
Hey everyone! Routstr is a cool new platform that makes using AI super easy and private. It's built on Nostr and Bitcoin, so you can access AI models without big companies watching you.
Think of it as a marketplace where anyone can use or share AI tools securely, launched in 2025 to bring AI freedom to all!
Vagabond Ⓜ️Ⓜ️ T $MMT
@Zhuaffa
A Decentralised LLM Routing Marketplace
routstr.com
Routstr brings the convenience of the OpenRouter experience to the permissionless, censorship-resistant world of Nostr and Bitcoin
Hamish MacEwan
@HamishMacEwan
My friends no longer understand what the hell I am talking about.
"I used zaps from nostr to buy a kyc free vps to run a routstr proxy that allows users to send me bitcoin using cashu to access my OpenAI api keys for private pay per query with llm models. It is interoperable with goose and dork which can be used with MKStack for one shot nostr vibe coding clients."
.
npub1ak68...xy8fx
Simple Architecture, Powerful Results
A decentralized protocol connecting apps directly to independent AI providers. No central gateway — just peer-to-peer intelligence powered by Nostr and Cashu.
Client App
OpenAI Compatible
Routstr Node
Independent Provider
For App Developers
- Drop-in OpenAI SDK compatibility
- Pay-per-request with Cashu eCash
- No accounts or sign-ups required
- Complete privacy — no tracking
For Node Operators
- Monetize your AI infrastructure
- Accept Cashu and BOLT12 payments
- Built-in rate limiting & security
- Auto-publish to Nostr relays
Roadmap
Our progressive journey to building a decentralized AI ecosystem
RIP-01: API Proxy & Payments
OpenAI-API Proxy with Cashu micropayments for LLM inference
RIP-02: Node Listing
Nostr event announcements for inference nodes and capabilities
RIP-03: Frontend Discovery
Web interface for browsing and filtering available nodes
RIP-04 & RIP-05: Quality & Privacy
Anonymous evaluations and smart clients with Tor/proxy routing
Start building with
Routstr today.
Join the decentralized AI revolution. Connect your models, earn Bitcoin, or build censorship-resistant AI apps.