v4call-node

The headless v4call server — CLI / API-only. Handles routing, presence, federation, chat, rooms, paid flows, and the HTTP API (/admin/*, /join-token, /api/info, /rates). Serves no HTML and holds no money key.

• Version: 0.1.0
• Federation protocol: 0.4 (unchanged — a wire contract shared with deployed peers; 0.5 is reserved for federated paid expert invites, v0.17 Part B)
• Succeeds the monolith v4call (final version v0.16.29), carved out per the decoupling plan (server.js minus escrow, minus express.static).
• GUIs live in v4call-app; money lives in escrow-core deployments (e.g. v4call-escrow).
• Source of truth: ../handover-decoupling.md
• Deploy guide: walkthrough.wiki (bare-metal Ubuntu path + Docker variant)

Status: production — live at node.v4call.com (client at v4call.com), settling real TEST-token sessions through the isolated escrow box.

What's built beyond the monolith carve

• Escrow split (ESCROW_MODE=in-process|box) — in box mode the node is a keyless reporter: it publishes signed event-reports over escrow-protocol/0.1 (kind-31337 Nostr events via nGate) and finalizes on the box's signed settlement-receipts. Durable single-winner report queue (escrow-settlement-queue.js), drainer with retry-until-received, terminal failed receipts end doomed retries, and completion receipts upgrade a settled-as-pending settlement once the box's recovery retry lands the payouts (users get a "✓ settlement completed" notice; a deferred paid-DM notify fires then too).
• v0.17 Part A — paid expert invites (local, shipped + live-proven 2026-07-07). The room admin offers payment to bring an expert into a room: 💎 offer-builder → cap escrowed up front via Keychain (connectFee + maxDuration × rate, memo v4call:deposit:<offerId>) → expert sees explicit terms → accept joins them as a 💎 paid member (joinedVia:'paid') → live spend/earnings tickers → every exit settles like a metered call (payout→expert, unused refund→admin, fee→operator; envelope conserved). Inviter-holds-funds (rug-pull protection — inverts the 1:1-call treasurer direction). One offer at a time per inviter; each offer is its own contract; 30s disconnect grace; max-duration auto-end. Federated offers are Part B, deferred until a federation exists.

npm test    # node --test test/ — 55 passing (Node 20; on Node 24 use node --test test/*.test.js)