# Nostr: Does NIP-05 prove someone’s real-world identity?

No.

2026-08-09
::
Switchboard Tech Services


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## Short answer

No. NIP-05 shows that a domain's published mapping points to a particular public key. It does not independently verify a person's legal name, job, or ownership of every account using that domain. A domain owner could change the mapping. For consequential claims, confirm the key through another trusted channel and treat the identifier as one clue, not a universal identity certificate.

## Sources

[NIP-05: Internet identifiers](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/05.md).

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Canonical URL: https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/nostr-does-nip-05-prove-someone-s-real-world-identity/

Language: en-us

Content type: guide

Author: Switchboard Tech Services

Published: 2026-08-09T22:42:09+00:00

Description: A practical answer to Does NIP-05 prove someone’s real-world identity?