diff --git a/js/nostr/nip71.js b/js/nostr/nip71.js
index 41f1ad0c..376164de 100644
--- a/js/nostr/nip71.js
+++ b/js/nostr/nip71.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { ACCEPT_LEGACY_V1 } from "../constants.js";
 import { deriveTitleFromEvent, magnetFromText } from "../videoEventUtils.js";
 import { extractMagnetHints } from "../magnet.js";
 import { devLogger } from "../utils/logger.js";
+import { getCachedNostrTools } from "./toolkit.js";
 
 function stringFromInput(value) {
   if (value === null || value === undefined) {
@@ -16,6 +17,50 @@ function stringFromInput(value) {
   return String(value).trim();
 }
 
+const HEX_32_BYTE_REGEX = /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/i;
+
+function decodeNpubToHex(candidate) {
+  const globalDecoder =
+    typeof window !== "undefined" ? window?.NostrTools?.nip19?.decode : null;
+  const toolkit = getCachedNostrTools();
+  const toolkitDecoder = toolkit?.nip19?.decode;
+  const decoder =
+    typeof globalDecoder === "function" ? globalDecoder : toolkitDecoder;
+  if (typeof decoder !== "function") {
+    return null;
+  }
+  try {
+    const decoded = decoder(candidate);
+    if (decoded?.type === "npub" && typeof decoded.data === "string") {
+      return decoded.data.toLowerCase();
+    }
+    if (decoded?.type === "npub" && typeof decoded.data?.pubkey === "string") {
+      return decoded.data.pubkey.toLowerCase();
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    devLogger.warn("[nostr] Failed to decode npub participant pubkey", error);
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+function normalizeNostrPubkey(candidate) {
+  const value = stringFromInput(candidate);
+  if (!value) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (HEX_32_BYTE_REGEX.test(value)) {
+    return value.toLowerCase();
+  }
+  if (value.toLowerCase().startsWith("npub1")) {
+    const decoded = decodeNpubToHex(value);
+    if (decoded && HEX_32_BYTE_REGEX.test(decoded)) {
+      return decoded;
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 function normalizeUnixSeconds(value) {
   if (value === null || value === undefined || value === "") {
     return "";
@@ -224,11 +269,20 @@ function buildParticipantTag(participant) {
   if (!participant || typeof participant !== "object") {
     return null;
   }
-  const pubkey = stringFromInput(participant.pubkey);
+  const rawPubkey = participant.pubkey;
+  const pubkey = normalizeNostrPubkey(rawPubkey);
   if (!pubkey) {
+    const candidate = stringFromInput(rawPubkey);
+    if (candidate) {
+      devLogger.warn(
+        "[nostr] Dropping NIP-71 participant tag with invalid pubkey",
+        { pubkey: candidate }
+      );
+    }
     return null;
   }
   const relay = stringFromInput(participant.relay);
+  // NIP-71 "Other tags" mandates 32-byte hex participant pubkeys.
   const values = ["p", pubkey];
   if (relay) {
     values.push(relay);
diff --git a/tests/nip71-builder.test.mjs b/tests/nip71-builder.test.mjs
index 2b305fdc..3da345c8 100644
--- a/tests/nip71-builder.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/nip71-builder.test.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,47 @@ import {
   extractNip71MetadataFromTags,
 } from "../js/nostr.js";
 
+const participantNpub = "npub1bitvidparticipantfixture";
+const participantHexFromNpub = "c".repeat(64);
+
+const hadWindow = typeof globalThis.window !== "undefined";
+const windowRef = hadWindow ? globalThis.window : {};
+if (!hadWindow) {
+  globalThis.window = windowRef;
+}
+const hadNostrTools = typeof windowRef.NostrTools !== "undefined";
+const nostrToolsRef = hadNostrTools ? windowRef.NostrTools : {};
+if (!hadNostrTools) {
+  windowRef.NostrTools = nostrToolsRef;
+}
+const previousNip19 = nostrToolsRef.nip19;
+nostrToolsRef.nip19 = {
+  ...previousNip19,
+  decode: (value) => {
+    if (value === participantNpub) {
+      return { type: "npub", data: participantHexFromNpub };
+    }
+    if (typeof previousNip19?.decode === "function") {
+      return previousNip19.decode(value);
+    }
+    throw new Error("Unsupported npub fixture");
+  },
+};
+
+test.after(() => {
+  if (previousNip19) {
+    nostrToolsRef.nip19 = previousNip19;
+  } else {
+    delete nostrToolsRef.nip19;
+  }
+  if (!hadNostrTools) {
+    delete windowRef.NostrTools;
+  }
+  if (!hadWindow) {
+    delete globalThis.window;
+  }
+});
+
 test("buildNip71VideoEvent assembles rich metadata", () => {
   const metadata = {
     kind: 21,
@@ -53,8 +94,8 @@ test("buildNip71VideoEvent assembles rich metadata", () => {
     ],
     hashtags: ["bitvid", "nostr"],
     participants: [
-      { pubkey: "a".repeat(64), relay: "wss://relay.example" },
-      { pubkey: "b".repeat(64) },
+      { pubkey: "A".repeat(64), relay: "wss://relay.example" },
+      { pubkey: `  ${participantNpub}  ` },
     ],
     references: [
       "https://example.com/info",
@@ -135,7 +176,7 @@ test("buildNip71VideoEvent assembles rich metadata", () => {
   const participantTags = event.tags.filter((tag) => tag[0] === "p");
   assert.deepEqual(participantTags, [
     ["p", "a".repeat(64), "wss://relay.example"],
-    ["p", "b".repeat(64)],
+    ["p", participantHexFromNpub],
   ]);
 
   const referenceTags = event.tags.filter((tag) => tag[0] === "r");