perf(dm): persist the decrypt cache so each message decrypts once, ever

The last Amber pain: a fresh launch re-decrypted the whole inbox (2 signer ops
per wrap). Decrypted messages are now persisted to IndexedDB
(src/lib/dmDecryptCache.ts, keyed viewerPk:wrapId, bounded 4000/account, pruned
oldest-first) and hydrated once per session before the first lookup, so a wrap is
decrypted at most once ever. Cleared per-account on logout (plaintext at rest
otherwise readable by another account on the device).

AGENTS.md

@@ -543,8 +543,14 @@ session with **no other memory of this project**. So:
     `lib/cordn/{client,crypto}.ts` are **kept but unwired** (marked in their
     headers) — re-wiring is a deliberate decision, not a one-liner, because it
     split chat history. Group reads widened to **500** wraps (1:1 stays 200).
-    (Still not done: persisting the decrypt cache across app restarts, so the first
+    **Persisted DM decrypt cache (2026-10-13):** `src/lib/dmDecryptCache.ts` (Dexie
-    load per launch still decrypts everything.)
+    `SkateSpotsDmCacheDB`, keyed `viewerPk:wrapId`, bounded 4000/account, pruned
+    oldest-first on hydrate) is used by `decryptGiftWrap` — so a message is
+    decrypted **once, ever**, killing the first-load-per-launch Amber storm.
+    ⚠️ It stores **plaintext DMs at rest** in IndexedDB (device-local, never
+    published) — the trade-off for not re-prompting; it is cleared on **logout**
+    (`AccountSwitcher`) so another account on the device can't read it.
+    `clearDmDecryptCache()` is exported for a future "clear cache" action.
   - **Sasquatch AI guide** (`src/components/SasquatchGuide.tsx`): the chat
     queries public relays **directly** (`useCVMClient.ts`, 3 fixed relays) and
     does **not** use the ContextVM server. AI goes through our own **server-side

src/components/auth/AccountSwitcher.tsx

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
 } from '@/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx';
 import { Avatar, AvatarFallback, AvatarImage } from '@/components/ui/avatar.tsx';
 import { WalletModal } from '@/components/WalletModal';
+import { clearDmDecryptCache } from '@/lib/dmDecryptCache';
 import { useLoggedInAccounts, type Account } from '@/hooks/useLoggedInAccounts';
 import { genUserName } from '@/lib/genUserName';
 import { useTranslation } from '@/contexts/language';
@@ -97,7 +98,12 @@ export function AccountSwitcher({ onAddAccountClick }: AccountSwitcherProps) {
           <span>{t('settingsUi.accountSwitcher.addAccount')}</span>
         </DropdownMenuItem>
         <DropdownMenuItem
-          onClick={() => removeLogin(currentUser.id)}
+          onClick={() => {
+            // Drop this account's plaintext DM cache (device-local) on logout so
+            // another account on the same device can't read it from IndexedDB.
+            void clearDmDecryptCache(currentUser.id).catch(() => {});
+            removeLogin(currentUser.id);
+          }}
           className='flex items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer p-2 rounded-md text-red-500'
         >
           <LogOut className='w-4 h-4' />

src/hooks/useDirectMessages.ts

@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ import { hasNip44 as checkNip44, isInteractiveSigner } from '@/lib/signerCapabil
 import { useRelays } from '@/lib/relays';
 import { SKATE_RELAY } from '@/lib/types';
 import type { RelayMetadata } from '@/contexts/AppContext';
+import {
+  loadDmDecryptCache,
+  saveDmDecryptKey,
+  pruneDmDecryptCache,
+  type CachedDm,
+} from '@/lib/dmDecryptCache';
 
 /**
  * Read relays for DMs: the user's NIP-65 read relays plus their own NIP-17
@@ -220,18 +226,7 @@ function createRumor(
 }
 
 /** A decrypted NIP-17 message (the fields every reader needs). */
-interface DecryptedDm {
+type DecryptedDm = CachedDm;
-  id: string;
-  pubkey: string;
-  content: string;
-  createdAt: number;
-  /** The rumor's `p` tags (raw recipients, sender NOT necessarily included). */
-  recipients: string[];
-  /** Sender + recipients, deduped (the group identity). */
-  participants: string[];
-  subject?: string;
-  replyTo?: string;
-}
 
 /**
  * Session cache of decrypted gift wraps, keyed by `viewerPk:wrapId`.
@@ -250,6 +245,35 @@ const DM_DECRYPT_CACHE_MAX = 4000;
 const dmDecryptCache = new Map<string, DecryptedDm>();
 const dmDecryptInFlight = new Map<string, Promise<DecryptedDm | null>>();
 
+// Which accounts' persisted caches have been loaded into memory this session,
+// and any hydration in flight (so concurrent readers await the same load).
+const dmCacheHydrated = new Set<string>();
+const dmCacheHydrating = new Map<string, Promise<void>>();
+
+/** Load an account's persisted decrypt cache into memory (once per session). */
+async function ensureDmCacheHydrated(viewerPk: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (dmCacheHydrated.has(viewerPk)) return;
+  const flying = dmCacheHydrating.get(viewerPk);
+  if (flying) return flying;
+  const task = (async () => {
+    try {
+      const rows = await loadDmDecryptCache(viewerPk, DM_DECRYPT_CACHE_MAX);
+      for (const [k, dm] of rows) {
+        if (!dmDecryptCache.has(k)) dmDecryptCache.set(k, dm);
+      }
+      dmCacheHydrated.add(viewerPk);
+      // Keep the on-disk set bounded (oldest dropped first).
+      void pruneDmDecryptCache(viewerPk, DM_DECRYPT_CACHE_MAX).catch(() => {});
+    } catch {
+      // A cache read failure just means we decrypt again — never fatal.
+    } finally {
+      dmCacheHydrating.delete(viewerPk);
+    }
+  })();
+  dmCacheHydrating.set(viewerPk, task);
+  return task;
+}
+
 /** The signer surface DM reading needs (NIP-44 decrypt). */
 interface DmSigner {
   nip44?: {
@@ -263,6 +287,9 @@ async function decryptGiftWrap(
   wrap: NostrEvent,
 ): Promise<DecryptedDm | null> {
   const key = `${viewerPk}:${wrap.id}`;
+  // Hydrate the persisted cache once per account before the first lookup, so a
+  // relaunch reuses decryptions that already happened on this device.
+  await ensureDmCacheHydrated(viewerPk);
   const cached = dmDecryptCache.get(key);
   if (cached) return cached;
   const flying = dmDecryptInFlight.get(key);
@@ -298,6 +325,8 @@ async function decryptGiftWrap(
         if (oldest !== undefined) dmDecryptCache.delete(oldest);
       }
       dmDecryptCache.set(key, dm);
+      // Persist so this wrap is never decrypted again (fire-and-forget).
+      void saveDmDecryptKey(key, viewerPk, dm).catch(() => {});
       return dm;
     } catch {
       // Not cached — a transient failure may succeed on the next attempt.

src/lib/dmDecryptCache.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/**
+ * Persisted DM decrypt cache.
+ * ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+ * NIP-17 reading is expensive with an external signer: every gift wrap costs two
+ * signer operations (decrypt the seal, decrypt the rumor). The in-memory cache in
+ * `useDirectMessages` coalesces this within a session, but a fresh launch had to
+ * decrypt the whole inbox again — the last remaining Amber "pop-up storm".
+ *
+ * This module persists decrypted messages to IndexedDB so a message is decrypted
+ * **once, ever**. Keyed `viewerPk:wrapId`; bounded per account; pruned oldest-first.
+ *
+ * ⚠️ Privacy: this stores the **plaintext** of your DMs (sender, body, recipients)
+ * at rest in this origin's IndexedDB — the same content you already see on screen.
+ * It is device-local, never published, and scoped to the logged-in pubkey. Use
+ * {@link clearDmDecryptCache} to wipe it (e.g. from a future "clear cache" action).
+ */
+
+import Dexie, { type Table } from 'dexie';
+
+export interface CachedDm {
+  id: string;
+  pubkey: string;
+  content: string;
+  createdAt: number;
+  /** The rumor's `p` tags (raw recipients). */
+  recipients: string[];
+  /** Sender + recipients, deduped (the group identity). */
+  participants: string[];
+  subject?: string;
+  replyTo?: string;
+}
+
+interface DmRow {
+  /** `${viewerPk}:${wrapId}` — unique per recipient, since decryption is per-key. */
+  key: string;
+  viewerPk: string;
+  cachedAt: number;
+  dm: CachedDm;
+}
+
+class SkateSpotsDmCacheDB extends Dexie {
+  dm!: Table<DmRow, string>;
+
+  constructor() {
+    super('SkateSpotsDmCacheDB');
+    this.version(1).stores({
+      dm: 'key, viewerPk, cachedAt',
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+let db: SkateSpotsDmCacheDB | null = null;
+function getDB(): SkateSpotsDmCacheDB {
+  db ??= new SkateSpotsDmCacheDB();
+  return db;
+}
+
+/** Load this account's cached messages, newest first, capped at `limit`. */
+export async function loadDmDecryptCache(
+  viewerPk: string,
+  limit: number,
+): Promise<Array<[string, CachedDm]>> {
+  const rows = await getDB().dm.where('viewerPk').equals(viewerPk).toArray();
+  rows.sort((a, b) => b.cachedAt - a.cachedAt);
+  return rows.slice(0, limit).map((r) => [r.key, r.dm]);
+}
+
+/** Persist one decrypted message (fire-and-forget friendly). */
+export async function saveDmDecryptKey(
+  key: string,
+  viewerPk: string,
+  dm: CachedDm,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await getDB().dm.put({ key, viewerPk, cachedAt: Date.now(), dm });
+}
+
+/** Keep at most `max` rows for this account (oldest dropped first). */
+export async function pruneDmDecryptCache(viewerPk: string, max: number): Promise<void> {
+  const rows = await getDB().dm.where('viewerPk').equals(viewerPk).toArray();
+  if (rows.length <= max) return;
+  rows.sort((a, b) => a.cachedAt - b.cachedAt);
+  await getDB().dm.bulkDelete(rows.slice(0, rows.length - max).map((r) => r.key));
+}
+
+/** Wipe the cache for one account, or all accounts when omitted. */
+export async function clearDmDecryptCache(viewerPk?: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (!viewerPk) {
+    await getDB().dm.clear();
+    return;
+  }
+  await getDB().dm.where('viewerPk').equals(viewerPk).delete();
+}