SSB
Secure Scuttlebutt is a database protocol for unforgeable (read: digitally signed) append-only message feeds.
Scuttlebot
Scuttlebot forms a global cryptographic social network with its peers. Each user is identified by a public key, and publishes a log of signed messages, which other users follow socially.
Identity
Web-of-Trust style (see: PGP). There is no global registry of usernames. Instead, users name themselves, and share petnames for each other.
Identities are Ed25519 key pairs.
Pub Servers
To get over the data availability problem and because Scuttlebot has no DHT or NAT-traversal utilities, users must “join” a Pub to distribute their messages on the WAN.
Pubs are bots that follow users and rehost the messages to other peers, ensuring good uptime and no firewall blockage.
Secret Handshake
An encrypted channel protocol based on a mutually authenticating key agreement handshake, with forward secure identity metadata. It’s used by Scuttlebot to authenticate and encrypt peer connections.