Bark

The protective outer layer of Heartwood.

Bark is a minimal NIP-07 browser extension that signs Nostr events through a remote signer via NIP-46. No keys in the browser. No accounts. No bloat.

What it does

• Signs Nostr events via NIP-46 remote signing (NIP-07 interface for web apps)
• Works with any NIP-46 bunker — nsecBunker, Amber, or your own signer
• Switches personas — derive unlimited identities from one mnemonic with Heartwood, switch in one click
• Self-sovereign — keys live on your device, never touch the browser

What it doesn't do

• No wallet, no Lightning, no zaps
• No local key storage
• No NIP-44 encrypt/decrypt yet (waiting on Heartwood)

Install

1. Download bark-v1.0.0.zip from the latest GitHub release
2. Extract the zip
3. Open chrome://extensions/, enable Developer mode
4. Click "Load unpacked", select the extracted directory
5. Click the Bark icon, paste your bunker URI

Build from source

git clone https://github.com/forgesworn/bark.git
cd bark && npm install && npm run build

Then load the dist/ directory as above.

Works with any NIP-46 bunker

Bark works as a standard NIP-07 provider with any NIP-46 bunker. Paste a bunker:// URI from nsecBunker, Amber, or any compliant signer. The signing flow (getPublicKey, signEvent, nip44.encrypt, nip44.decrypt) works identically regardless of the backend.

Persona features (derive, switch, list) require Heartwood. When connected to a standard bunker, persona controls are visible but greyed out with a link to Heartwood.

Heartwood RPC extensions

When connected to a Heartwood signer, Bark uses custom NIP-46 RPC methods for persona management. These are sent via BunkerSigner.sendRequest() over standard NIP-46 relay communication.

heartwood_list_identities

Returns all derived identities on the device.

• Params: none
• Returns: Array<{ pubkey: string, name?: string, purpose?: string }>

heartwood_derive

Derive a new identity from the device's mnemonic.

• Params: [purpose: string, index: string]
  • purpose — alphanumeric label, 1-64 chars (e.g. "nostr", "twitter")
  • index — derivation index as string, "0" to "1000"
• Returns: { pubkey: string, purpose: string, index: number }

heartwood_switch

Switch the active signing identity.

• Params: [pubkey: string] — 64-char lowercase hex public key
• Returns: { ok: true }

Comparison with other NIP-07 signers

	Bark	Alby	nos2x	Remote NIP-07
Key storage	None (remote signer)	Browser or Alby Hub	Browser	None (Amber)
NIP-46 backend	Any bunker	No	No	Amber only
Derived identities	Unlimited (Heartwood)	None	None	None
Self-sovereign signing	Yes	Software only	Software only	Phone (Amber)
Size	5 files, 1 dependency	Large extension + hub	Small extension	Small extension
Lightning	No	Yes	No	No

Bark is not an Alby replacement. It is a focused tool for people who want self-sovereign Nostr signing with optional derived identity management.

Privacy

See PRIVACY.md. TL;DR: Bark stores a bunker URI and client secret locally. No data collection, no third-party services, no tracking. Your keys never leave your signer.

Part of ForgeSworn

Bark is part of the ForgeSworn open-source ecosystem for sovereign identity and commerce on Nostr and Lightning.

Licence

MIT