Open Markets Podcast | Episode 8: Born To Be Free

In this episode, Eric FJ and Sync are joined by Nadja and John, founders of Born To Be Free, the first merchant guests on the Open Markets podcast. Born To Be Free makes tallow-based, non-toxic skincare rooted in health, sovereignty, Bitcoin values, and regenerative sourcing.

The conversation covers what it means to be a merchant on Nostr today, how decentralized marketplaces can give businesses resilience beyond Shopify, Meta, and other centralized platforms, and why Bitcoiners are often some of the most intentional customers. Nadja and John also share the story of Born To Be Free’s origin during COVID, their move toward tallow skincare, their experience losing access to Instagram, and why they see health, freedom, self-custody, and commerce as deeply connected.

Where to follow Born To Be Free:

Links & references from the episode:

Projects and ideas discussed:

This episode features hosts Eric FJ and Sync, joined by Yo from Sovereign Engineering, to discuss recent updates in Nostr marketplace development, gamma markets call, the controversial topic of on-chain zaps, and the unique environment of Sovereign Engineering.

T-shirt Competition

https://primal.net/e/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp4stmtgrg684lry9kxcsmwthuvg2t2h6kvm4phadkd6g3vptljxhqqdx6atg94n8y6trw35k7m3dv3hhs7rfdenj6mn0wd68yxdpm38

https://sovereignengineering.io/

Ready for adventure? Sovereign Engineer Cohort 8

Experience, build, and alpha-test the future of self-sovereign technology in beautiful Madeira. Don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

Jul 20 - Aug 28

https://sovereignengineering.typeform.com/SEC-08

Open Markets Podcast website:

https://openmarkets.pub

THE FULL MARKET PLACES LIST:

https://plebian.market

https://shopstr.store

https://conduit.market

https://cypher.space

https://milk.market

https://takemysats.com

https://nostr.boutique

https://hostr.network

https://synvya.com

https://travelly.com

https://nostr.blue

Next Gamma Markets Call May 19th !

Eric: npub10xvczstpwsljy7gqd2cselvrh5e6mlerep09m8gff87avru0ryqsg2g437

Sync: npub1equrmqway3qxw3dkssymusxkwgwrqypfgeqx0lx9pgjam7gnj4ysaqhkj6

Followup:

Open Markets Website:

https://openmarkets.pub

Nowhere:

https://hostednowhere.com

Alby 🐝:

https://getalby.com/blog/agentic-commerce-a-guide-to-l402-x402-and-mpp

Conduit Build

https://codex-market-identity-hydrat.conduit-market-coo.pages.dev/

Clave:

https://github.com/DocNR/clave

https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsrm3afy4dzk53k9yzvyd3358ey65kasmmhzn9dah2vkpphqa3yxvgdxzjte

White Noise:

https://www.whitenoise.chat/

IPF:

https://ipf.dev/

Gzzz:

https://primal.net/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqs9eep0ll6hurjkl3sc2fewgses07mjfwxsdcu3at2m8fd0xrdz3qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq3wamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwpexjmtpdshxuet59uqrzurjd9mxzar9943k7mtdw4hxjcmpw35k7mnn94hhvetj94c82cnvd93j66twveexzum5wf6kxar4wfjsgry226

THE FULL MARKET PLACES LIST:

https://plebian.market

https://shopstr.store

https://conduit.market

https://cypher.space

https://milk.market

https://takemysats.com

https://nostr.boutique

https://synvya.com

https://travelly.com

https://nostr.blue

Last 2 weeks followup, discussing the FIPS project, a network designed to decentralize internet connectivity and enhance local community resilience.

Eric: npub10xvczstpwsljy7gqd2cselvrh5e6mlerep09m8gff87avru0ryqsg2g437

Sync: npub1equrmqway3qxw3dkssymusxkwgwrqypfgeqx0lx9pgjam7gnj4ysaqhkj6

Arjen: npub1hw6amg8p24ne08c9gdq8hhpqx0t0pwanpae9z25crn7m9uy7yarse465gr

Fips:

https://fips.network

https://learn.fips.network

Followup:

Open Markets Website:

https://openmarkets.pub

Milk Market Campaign:

https://invest.timestampfinancial.com/offering/shopstr/details

LNBits 1.5:

https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqs2hqd7d72439qpy078r50fsufcdq3a6zy29cclt9ty7u2gw8x96yg505wk4

Nowhere:

https://hostednowhere.com

THE FULL MARKET PLACES LIST:

https://plebian.market

https://shopstr.store

https://conduit.market

https://cypher.space

https://milk.market

https://synvya.com

https://takemysats.com

https://nostr.boutique

https://travelly.com

https://nostr.blue

In this episode of the Open Markets Podcast, Eric F.J. and Sync catch up on boosts, unpack the latest developments around Gamma Markets Call, and explore bringing fiat payments into Nostr Boutique’s decentralized commerce ecosystem.

🔗 Links

In this episode of the Open Markets Podcast, Eric FJ and Sync sit down with Calvadev — a true OG in the open markets movement — for a powerful conversation on decentralized commerce, freedom tech, and why Nostr could reshape the future of e-commerce.

https://invest.timestampfinancial.com/offering/shopstr/details

https://primal.net/p/nprofile1qqsdxm5qs0a8kdk6aejxew9nlx074g7cnedrjeggws0sq03p4s9khmq5n372u

https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsrskxuk0dz77cv2c4kg5um75lnx9nq34hyw2nsy35jhny62pp65mchw0w9r

They kick things off with major ecosystem updates, including the latest from Nostr Boutique, news on Plebeian Market auctions, and Eric’s announcement that Conduit is going fully open source under the MIT license. Calvadev also shares details on Shopster’s equity crowdfunding campaign on Timestamp, giving supporters a chance to invest in the future of open marketplaces. Plus, the team reacts to Shopify’s new AI toolkit and what it could mean for online sellers everywhere.

From there, the conversation dives into Calvadev’s journey into decentralized markets — from the influence of Ross Ulbricht and Silk Road, to Bitcoin, GameStop, Nostr, and the founding vision behind Shopster. He breaks down the evolution of the protocol, the early design decisions behind the platform, and why tools like eCash are critical for private, peer-to-peer payments.

But this episode goes beyond commerce. Calvadev also shares his passion for food freedom, including the fight for access to raw milk and the challenges independent farmers face under today’s regulatory systems. It’s a compelling look at how decentralized marketplaces can support not just entrepreneurs, but producers, families, and local communities.

The episode wraps with a thoughtful discussion on monetization in decentralized marketplaces — from value-for-value models and onboarding with eCash, to building sustainable revenue without relying on traditional SaaS playbooks.

If you care about open source, peer-to-peer markets, Bitcoin-native commerce, or the future of food and economic freedom, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Visit shopstermarkets.com and milk.market to learn more about Calvadev’s work and the crowdfunding campaign.

Eric and Sync kick things off with some follow-up from the last episode, then get into a frustrating Amazon purchase gone wrong before diving into Sync’s latest experiment—vibe coding a Nostr-native shop experience. From there, the conversation expands into Nostr Boutique, a new kind of app built on Nostr, and eventually heads into a bigger question: what does it actually mean—legally and practically—to build on an open protocol like Nostr?

Links:

https://nostr.boutique

https://github.com/OpenMarketsFoundation/Agent-Skill

https://github.com/OpenMarketsFoundation/Gamma-Napp

Followup:

https://www.technoamish.com/

Marketplaces:

Marketplaces:

https://Plebian.Market

https://shopstr.store

https://conduit.market/

https://cypher.space

https://milk.market

https://synvya.com

https://www.takemysats.com/

https://nostr.boutique

https://nostr.blue

In this episode, the hosts share updates from the community, including progress around agentic commerce for restaurants and a project moving toward NIP-99 compliance. They also highlight a new client, Techno Amish, who is integrating shop experiences into a 3D world—an example of how people are starting to use Nostr in creative, unexpected ways. The flexibility of the protocol really stands out here, especially when it comes to content discovery and visualizing connections. They also mention that the podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Overcast, and encourage listeners to join the Nostr-native experience.

Eric then shares a personal story about buying a pop-up dog shelter on Amazon that didn’t quite live up to expectations—it arrived missing key parts, despite glowing reviews. It becomes a jumping-off point for a broader critique of centralized marketplaces, where incentives don’t always align with honest outcomes. In contrast, they talk about the potential of open commerce systems like Conduit, where trust and reputation can be built within your own network.

Sync walks through his current build process, describing a three-step approach: first creating a storefront, then adding a backend for managing orders, and finally evolving it into a more dynamic marketplace. This leads into Nostr Boutique, an N-site app hosted on Blossom that lets anyone spin up a storefront without needing an account. One standout feature is the “steal this site” button, which allows users to clone and redeploy a site instantly—leaning into a more collaborative, remix-friendly model of building. The discussion also touches on the resilience of hosting across multiple gateways and how that changes the way we think about deploying apps.

From there, things get a bit more technical. Sync explains how Nostr Boutique integrates NIP-99 into N-sites, allowing apps to pull identity directly from subdomains. This makes cloning and customizing sites even easier, lowering the barrier for experimentation. He also shares a bit about his “vibe coding” workflow and the tools he’s using, including ChatGPT Codex and OpenCode, along with an agent skill that helps others spin up their own storefronts.

The conversation then shifts into the legal side of decentralized commerce. The hosts are careful to note that they’re not lawyers, but they explore the topic through the lens of responsibility and intent. They reference the history of Silk Road—not as a blueprint, but as context—and make it clear that the goal here is to build something pro-social. A key point is that protocols themselves aren’t inherently legal or illegal; responsibility sits with the individuals using them.

They talk about how moderation and compliance might work in a decentralized world, and how incentives could actually favor better behavior compared to centralized platforms. There’s also a discussion around privacy, particularly the idea of “privacy by design,” where users aren’t required to give up unnecessary data. This naturally ties into the concept of a web of trust, where reputation is earned over time and can’t easily be taken away or manipulated.

The episode wraps with a broader reflection on what’s possible. Nostr opens the door to new kinds of commerce—ones that are more open, more flexible, and potentially more aligned with users. But with that comes responsibility. The hosts end on a hopeful note, emphasizing that the direction this ecosystem takes will ultimately depend on how people choose to build and participate in it.

We kick things off with a few follow-ups from last episode—links to the Gamma Market repo, marketplaces building in the open, and a quick nod to TakeMySats. If you’re on Nostr, drop a comment and join the conversation.

Then we dive into the big idea: the Agentic Commerce Age.

As AI agents become the interface for buying and selling, two paths emerge:

We break down why Bitcoin and Nostr—as open protocols—offer a credible alternative to platform capture: no gatekeepers, no marketing departments, just sovereign money and open discovery.

🛍️ Merchants shoutout on Nostr !

🛠️ Vibecode: Build challenge scope

Can you spin up a NIP-99 compliant marketplace in a day?

We walk through the stack:

Goal: launch and deploy your own Gamma Market–compatible Nostr marketplace.

🔗 Links

In this episode Eric FJ & Sync go over the goal of the podcast, the Nostr Gamma Markets commerce specification and the state of the current Nostr Commerce state of the network.