marmot_dart

End-to-end encrypted group messaging for Flutter, built on the Marmot protocol (MLS over Nostr) via MDK.

marmot_dart is an app-agnostic Flutter FFI plugin — it handles identity, MLS crypto, group lifecycle, message encryption, and media encryption. You own transport (Nostr relay WebSocket connections, Blossom uploads/downloads) and UI.

Status: early development, built on MDK 0.8. Identity, key packages, groups, messages, and MIP-04 media are implemented.

Install

flutter pub add marmot_dart

This is an FFI plugin — it compiles and links the MDK Rust crate via flutter_rust_bridge and cargokit.

Usage

Init

Three factory constructors — one call creates an initialised Marmot instance bound to a single encrypted database.

import 'package:marmot_dart/marmot_dart.dart';

// Host-supplied 32-byte encryption key
final marmot = await Marmot.sqliteWithKey(
  dbPath: '/path/to/marmot.db',
  dbKey: Uint8List.fromList(List.generate(32, (_) => 0x42)),
);

Constructor	Backend
`Marmot.memory(dbPath:)`	In-memory — ephemeral, for testing
`Marmot.sqlite(dbPath:, serviceId:, keyId:)`	Keyring-managed encryption
`Marmot.sqliteWithKey(dbPath:, dbKey:)`	You supply a 32-byte encryption key

// Keyring-managed (macOS/iOS Keychain, Android Keystore, etc.)
await Marmot.initKeyringStore();
final marmot = await Marmot.sqlite(
  dbPath: '/path/to/marmot.db',
  serviceId: 'com.myapp',
  keyId: 'marmot-db-key',
);

Identity

// Generate a fresh keypair
final keypair = await MarmotIdentity.generate();
// keypair.npub   — npub1...
// keypair.nsec   — nsec1... (only returned here — persist it yourself)
// keypair.pubkeyHex — hex pubkey

// Import an existing keypair from nsec
final imported = await MarmotIdentity.importFromNsec('nsec1...');

// Validate an nsec string
final valid = await MarmotIdentity.validateNsec('nsec1...');

// Derive npub from nsec
final npub = await MarmotIdentity.npubFromNsec('nsec1...');

// Convert npub to hex pubkey (useful for relay filters)
final hex = await MarmotIdentity.pubkeyHexFromNpub('npub1...');

nsec is returned only from generate() and importFromNsec(). Your app persists it (e.g. via flutter_secure_storage). marmot_dart holds keys in memory only for the current session.

Key packages

Publish a key package so others can invite you to groups. Two paths:

Path 1 — Signed (simplest): pass your nsec, get back a signed kind:30443 event ready to publish.

final signedJson = await marmot.createSignedKeyPackage(
  nsec,
  ['wss://relay.example.com'],
);
// signedJson is a signed Nostr event — publish it to your relay

Path 2 — Unsigned: mints the MLS key package, returns the pieces. You assemble, sign, and publish the Nostr event yourself (useful when the signer is external).

final kp = await marmot.createKeyPackage(npub, ['wss://relay.example.com']);
// kp.content     — base64-encoded MLS key package
// kp.tags30443   — modern kind:30443 tags
// kp.tags443     — legacy kind:443 tags
// kp.dTag        — reuse this value when rotating
// kp.hashRef     — content hash reference

// Build the kind:30443 event with these pieces, then sign:
final signed = await signEvent(nsec, unsignedEventJson);

Groups

Sending an invite. createGroup returns the group plus one welcome rumor per member. Gift-wrap (NIP-59) each rumor and publish over nostr.

final result = await marmot.createGroup(creatorNpub, CreateGroupParams(
  name: 'My Group',
  description: 'A private group',
  relayUrls: ['wss://relay.example.com'],
  memberKeyPackageEventJsons: keyPackageEvents,
));
// result.group         — MarmotGroup (id, name, adminNpubs, memberCount, ...)
// result.welcomeRumors — List<String>, one per invited member

Accepting an invite. Three steps: unwrap the gift-wrap to get the welcome rumor, process it, then accept.

// 1. Parse the welcome rumor — validates and stores it as pending
await marmot.processWelcome(wrapperEventId, welcomeRumorJson);

// 2. Inspect pending welcomes (e.g. show group name before joining)
final pending = await marmot.getPendingWelcomes();

// 3. Accept and join the group
await marmot.acceptWelcome(pending.first.id);

Managing groups.

final groups  = await marmot.listGroups();
final members = await marmot.getMembers(group.id);

// addMember / removeMember return evolution event + new welcome rumors
final change = await marmot.addMember(group.id, keyPackageEventJson);
await marmot.removeMember(group.id, npub);

Editing group metadata. Name, description, relays, and admins live in the MLS group's Marmot data extension (MIP-01). Updating any of them produces a kind:445 commit event — publish it to the group's relays. Other members apply the change when they processIncoming that event. Pass only the fields you want to change.

final commitJson = await marmot.updateGroupMetadata(
  group.id,
  name: 'New name',
  description: 'New description',
  // relayUrls: [...],   // optional
  // adminNpubs: [...],  // optional
);
// Publish commitJson to the group's relays

Group image. The image is encrypted (like MIP-04 media), uploaded to Blossom under a one-time derived keypair, and its hash/key/nonce stored in group metadata.

// 1. Encrypt the image
final prep = await Marmot.prepareGroupImage(imageBytes, 'image/png');

// 2. Upload prep.encryptedData to Blossom, authenticating with prep.uploadNsec
await uploadToBlossom(nsec: prep.uploadNsec, data: prep.encryptedData);

// 3. Store the image in group metadata → kind:445 commit to publish
final commitJson = await marmot.setGroupImage(
  group.id,
  imageHash: prep.imageHash,
  imageKey: prep.imageKey,
  imageNonce: prep.imageNonce,
  imageUploadKey: prep.imageUploadKey,
);

// Remove it later:
await marmot.clearGroupImage(group.id);

Display it: each MarmotGroup carries imageHash / imageKey / imageNonce (null when unset). Download the blob by hash, then decrypt.

if (group.imageHash != null) {
  final blob = await downloadFromBlossom(group.imageHash!);
  final imageBytes = await Marmot.decryptGroupImage(
    encryptedData: blob,
    imageHash: group.imageHash!,
    imageKey: group.imageKey!,
    imageNonce: group.imageNonce!,
  );
}

Messages

Sending.

// Plain text
final rumor = await buildUnsignedRumor(npub: npub, content: 'hello world');
final eventJson = await marmot.sendMessage(rumor, group.id);
// Publish eventJson to the group's relays

// Structured payloads (JSON)
final rumor = await buildUnsignedRumor(
  npub: npub,
  content: jsonEncode({'type': 'com.myapp.reaction', 'emoji': '👍'}),
  contentType: 'application/json',
);
await marmot.sendMessage(rumor, group.id);

// Shortcut for structured messages — same as the two calls above
final eventJson = await marmot.sendStructured(npub, group.id, {
  'type': 'com.myapp.reaction',
  'emoji': '👍',
});

Receiving.

final MarmotMessage? msg = await marmot.processIncoming(nostrEventJson);
// msg.text         — set for plain text, null for structured
// msg.payloadJson  — set when content-type tag is present (structured)
// msg.contentType  — the content-type tag value (e.g. "application/json")
// msg.senderNpub   — author npub
// msg.timestampSecs — sender timestamp
// msg.media        — List<MarmotMediaRef>, MIP-04 attachments

Retrieving stored messages. sendMessage and processIncoming both persist to the encrypted local DB. Use these to read them back:

// List messages, newest first
final messages = await marmot.getMessages(group.id);

// Paginate
final page2 = await marmot.getMessages(group.id,
  params: MessageListParams(limit: 50, offset: 50));

// Sort by local reception time instead of sender timestamp
final byArrival = await marmot.getMessages(group.id,
  params: MessageListParams(sortByProcessedAt: true));

// Single message by Nostr event ID hex
final msg = await marmot.getMessage(group.id, eventIdHex);

// Most recent message (useful for group list previews)
final last = await marmot.getLastMessage(group.id);

Each MarmotGroup also carries lastMessageId, lastMessageAtSecs, and lastMessageProcessedAtSecs — updated automatically on every send or receive. Sort your group list by recent activity without fetching messages:

final groups = await marmot.listGroups();
groups.sort((a, b) =>
    (b.lastMessageAtSecs ?? 0).compareTo(a.lastMessageAtSecs ?? 0));

Media (MIP-04)

Send: encrypt → upload encrypted blob to Blossom → send a kind-9 message carrying an imeta tag.

// 1. Encrypt a file for group sharing
final enc = await marmot.encryptMedia(group.id, fileBytes, 'image/png', 'photo.png');
// enc.encryptedData  — Uint8List to upload to Blossom
// enc.originalHash   — content hash (imeta `x` tag)
// enc.nonce          — encryption nonce (imeta `n` tag)
// enc.blurhash, enc.thumbhash, enc.dimensionsWidth, enc.dimensionsHeight

// 2. Upload enc.encryptedData to Blossom yourself → blob URL
final url = await uploadToBlossom(enc.encryptedData);

// 3. Build the media message and send it
final rumor = await marmot.buildMediaRumor(
  npub: npub,
  groupId: group.id,
  caption: 'check this out',
  url: url,
  originalHash: enc.originalHash,
  mimeType: enc.mimeType,
  filename: enc.filename,
  nonce: enc.nonce,
  blurhash: enc.blurhash,
  thumbhash: enc.thumbhash,
  dimensionsWidth: enc.dimensionsWidth,
  dimensionsHeight: enc.dimensionsHeight,
);
final eventJson = await marmot.sendMessage(rumor, group.id);

Receive: processIncoming parses each imeta tag into msg.media. For each ref, download the blob from ref.url and decrypt.

final msg = await marmot.processIncoming(nostrEventJson);
for (final ref in msg!.media) {
  final encryptedBlob = await downloadFromBlossom(ref.url);
  final decrypted = await marmot.decryptMedia(group.id, encryptedBlob, MediaRefInput(
    url: ref.url,
    originalHash: ref.originalHash,
    mimeType: ref.mimeType,       // must match — part of key derivation
    filename: ref.filename,       // must match — part of key derivation
    schemeVersion: ref.schemeVersion,
    nonce: ref.nonce,
  ));
}

Lifecycle

marmot.dispose(); // remove session, release resources

API overview

`Marmot` class

One instance per database. All operations that need the encrypted store are instance methods.

Factories (static): Marmot.memory(), Marmot.sqlite(), Marmot.sqliteWithKey(), Marmot.initKeyringStore()

Groups: createGroup, processWelcome, getPendingWelcomes, acceptWelcome, listGroups, getMembers, addMember, removeMember, updateGroupMetadata, prepareGroupImage (static), setGroupImage, clearGroupImage, decryptGroupImage (static), leaveGroup, deleteMessagesForGroup, deleteGroup

Key packages: createKeyPackage, createSignedKeyPackage

Messages: sendMessage, buildMediaRumor, sendStructured, processIncoming, getMessages, getMessage, getLastMessage

Media: encryptMedia, decryptMedia

Lifecycle: dispose()

Top-level functions (no `Marmot` instance needed)

buildUnsignedRumor({npub, content, contentType?}) — build an unsigned kind-9 rumor
signEvent(nsec, unsignedEventJson) — sign any Nostr event with an nsec

`MarmotIdentity` class

Static pure functions: generate(), importFromNsec(nsec), validateNsec(nsec), npubFromNsec(nsec), pubkeyHexFromNpub(npub)

Models

StorageConfig, NostrKeypair, KeyPackageEventData, CreateGroupParams, GroupCreateResult, MarmotGroup, MarmotMember, PendingWelcome, MemberChangeResult, GroupMetadataUpdate, GroupImagePrepared, MarmotMessage, MarmotMediaRef, MessageListParams, EncryptedMediaOutput, MediaRefInput, MarmotError

Architecture

Your Flutter app
   │  (relay WebSocket + Blossom HTTP — your code)
   ▼
marmot_dart  (Dart API)
   │  flutter_rust_bridge (FFI)
   ▼
MDK (Rust)  →  MLS crypto + encrypted SQLite storage

marmot_dart is transport-agnostic. You subscribe to Nostr events on your relays, feed raw JSON into processIncoming() / processWelcome(), and publish the encrypted JSON these methods return.

What this package does NOT do

Nostr relay WebSocket connections
Blossom server upload/download
nsec persistence (use flutter_secure_storage or equivalent)
UI or app-specific logic

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

marmot_dart

Install

Usage

Init

Identity

Key packages

Groups

Messages

Media (MIP-04)

Lifecycle

API overview

`Marmot` class

Top-level functions (no `Marmot` instance needed)

`MarmotIdentity` class

Models

Architecture

What this package does NOT do

License

Libraries

marmot_dart package

marmot_dart

Install

Usage

Init

Identity

Key packages

Groups

Messages

Media (MIP-04)

Lifecycle

API overview

Marmot class

Top-level functions (no Marmot instance needed)

MarmotIdentity class

Models

Architecture

What this package does NOT do

License

Libraries

marmot_dart package

`Marmot` class

Top-level functions (no `Marmot` instance needed)

`MarmotIdentity` class