diff --git a/examples/app-level-relays/README.md b/examples/app-level-relays/README.md
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+# App-level relay selection playground
+
+This playground shows how an app can use user-controlled blind relays before
+there is any global relay discovery.
+
+It models a small group chat app with:
+
+- normal participants: Bob and Carol
+- relay-capable participants: Alice and Dana
+- in-memory group metadata listing only relays explicitly enabled by group
+  members
+
+Run it from the repository root:
+
+```sh
+node examples/app-level-relays
+```
+
+The example starts an isolated local DHT testnet, then runs these flows:
+
+1. Alice and Dana enable relay mode with `dht.createRelayServer()`.
+2. The app publishes their relay public keys into group metadata.
+3. Carol starts a group chat server.
+4. Bob connects to Carol with `relayThrough` selected from group metadata.
+5. Bob and Carol exchange chat messages through Alice's relay.
+6. Alice disables relay mode with `relay.close({ force: true })` while an active
+   chat session is open.
+7. The active relayed chat closes or fails.
+8. Bob opens a new chat connection, and the app selects Dana from group
+   metadata.
+9. Dana disables relay mode, leaving no app-approved relays.
+
+The app metadata contains relay identity and freshness only:
+
+```js
+{
+  owner,
+  ownerPublicKey,
+  publicKey,
+  protocol: 'hyperdht-blind-relay',
+  version: 1,
+  updatedAt,
+  expiresAt
+}
+```
+
+The app never shares blind-relay pairing tokens. HyperDHT creates those tokens
+for each connection attempt and carries them in the handshake. `relayThrough`
+is dynamic at the app level, but fixed for a single connection attempt.
+
+This example does not implement automatic HyperDHT relay failover for an active
+connection. Instead, it demonstrates the simpler first rollout shape: when app
+settings or group metadata change, the next chat connection can select another
+fresh, group-approved relay.
+
+This intentionally does not implement global relay discovery, dynamic load
+balancing, capacity markets, relay scoring, or third-party relay use.
diff --git a/examples/app-level-relays/index.js b/examples/app-level-relays/index.js
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+const { once } = require('events')
+const crypto = require('crypto')
+const createTestnet = require('../../testnet')
+const DHT = require('../..')
+
+const RELAY_TTL = 60_000
+
+main().catch((err) => {
+  console.error(err)
+  process.exitCode = 1
+})
+
+async function main() {
+  const testnet = await createTestnet(8)
+  const group = new GroupState('family-chat')
+  const sockets = new Set()
+
+  const alice = new Participant('alice', testnet)
+  const bob = new Participant('bob', testnet)
+  const carol = new Participant('carol', testnet)
+  const dana = new Participant('dana', testnet)
+
+  group.addMember(alice)
+  group.addMember(bob)
+  group.addMember(carol)
+  group.addMember(dana)
+
+  let appServer = null
+
+  try {
+    console.log('group created with normal members: bob, carol')
+    console.log('relay-capable members: alice, dana')
+
+    await alice.enableRelay(group)
+    await dana.enableRelay(group)
+
+    appServer = carol.dht.createServer(
+      {
+        holepunch: false,
+        relayKeepAlive: 250,
+        shareLocalAddress: false,
+        relayThrough: () => group.pickRelay().publicKey
+      },
+      handleChatSocket
+    )
+    await appServer.listen()
+    carol.serverPublicKey = appServer.publicKey
+
+    console.log('carol chat server listening:', shortKey(appServer.publicKey))
+
+    await sendChat({
+      from: bob,
+      to: carol,
+      group,
+      sockets,
+      text: 'hello through the first approved relay',
+      expectedRelay: 'alice'
+    })
+
+    const activeChat = await openChatSession({ from: bob, to: carol, group, sockets })
+    assert(activeChat.relay.owner === 'alice', 'expected active chat through alice')
+    await expectChatReply(activeChat, 'keeping this chat open')
+    console.log('active chat opened through relay:', activeChat.relay.owner)
+
+    console.log('alice disables relay mode in app settings')
+    const activeChatStopped = waitForSocketStopped(activeChat.socket)
+    await alice.disableRelay(group)
+    const status = await activeChatStopped
+    activeChat.socket.destroy()
+    sockets.delete(activeChat.socket)
+    console.log(`active chat ${status} after alice stopped relaying`)
+
+    await sendChat({
+      from: bob,
+      to: carol,
+      group,
+      sockets,
+      text: 'hello again after alice disabled relay mode',
+      expectedRelay: 'dana'
+    })
+
+    console.log('dana disables relay mode too')
+    await dana.disableRelay(group)
+
+    try {
+      connectThroughGroupRelay({ from: bob, to: carol, group, sockets })
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.log('connect skipped:', err.message)
+    }
+  } finally {
+    for (const socket of sockets) socket.destroy()
+    if (appServer) await appServer.close()
+    await alice.disableRelay(group)
+    await dana.disableRelay(group)
+    await testnet.destroy()
+  }
+}
+
+async function sendChat({ from, to, group, sockets, text, expectedRelay }) {
+  const chat = await openChatSession({ from, to, group, sockets })
+  assert(chat.relay.owner === expectedRelay, `expected relay ${expectedRelay}`)
+
+  const reply = await expectChatReply(chat, text)
+  chat.socket.end()
+
+  console.log('chat used relay:', chat.relay.owner, `("${reply.text}")`)
+}
+
+async function openChatSession({ from, to, group, sockets }) {
+  const { socket, relay } = connectThroughGroupRelay({ from, to, group, sockets })
+  const lines = new JsonLines()
+  const pending = []
+
+  socket.on('data', (data) => {
+    for (const msg of lines.push(data)) {
+      const next = pending.shift()
+      if (next) next.resolve(msg)
+    }
+  })
+
+  socket.once('error', (err) => rejectPending(pending, err))
+  socket.once('close', () => {
+    sockets.delete(socket)
+    rejectPending(pending, new Error('chat session closed'))
+  })
+
+  await waitForOpen(socket)
+
+  return {
+    socket,
+    relay,
+    send(text) {
+      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        pending.push({ resolve, reject })
+        socket.write(encode({ type: 'chat', text }))
+      })
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+async function expectChatReply(chat, text) {
+  const reply = await chat.send(text)
+  const expected = `carol received: ${text}`
+
+  assert(reply.type === 'chat-reply', 'expected chat reply')
+  assert(reply.text === expected, 'unexpected chat reply')
+
+  return reply
+}
+
+function connectThroughGroupRelay({ from, to, group, sockets }) {
+  const relay = group.pickRelay()
+  const socket = from.dht.connect(to.serverPublicKey, {
+    holepunch: false,
+    localConnection: false,
+    relayKeepAlive: 250,
+    relayThrough: relay.publicKey
+  })
+
+  sockets.add(socket)
+
+  return { socket, relay }
+}
+
+function handleChatSocket(socket) {
+  const lines = new JsonLines()
+
+  socket.on('data', (data) => {
+    for (const msg of lines.push(data)) handleChatMessage(socket, msg)
+  })
+
+  socket.on('error', noop)
+  socket.on('end', () => socket.end())
+}
+
+function handleChatMessage(socket, msg) {
+  if (msg.type !== 'chat') {
+    socket.destroy(new Error(`unknown message type: ${msg.type}`))
+    return
+  }
+
+  socket.write(encode({ type: 'chat-reply', text: `carol received: ${msg.text}` }))
+}
+
+class GroupState {
+  constructor(name) {
+    this.name = name
+    this.members = new Map()
+    this.relays = new Map()
+  }
+
+  addMember(participant) {
+    this.members.set(participant.memberId, participant.name)
+  }
+
+  publishRelay(participant, relay) {
+    assert(this.members.has(participant.memberId), 'only group members can publish relays')
+
+    this.relays.set(participant.memberId, {
+      owner: participant.name,
+      ownerPublicKey: participant.publicKey,
+      publicKey: relay.publicKey,
+      protocol: 'hyperdht-blind-relay',
+      version: 1,
+      updatedAt: Date.now(),
+      expiresAt: Date.now() + RELAY_TTL
+    })
+
+    console.log(`${participant.name} enabled relay mode:`, shortKey(relay.publicKey))
+  }
+
+  removeRelay(participant) {
+    if (this.relays.delete(participant.memberId)) {
+      console.log(`${participant.name} removed relay metadata`)
+    }
+  }
+
+  pickRelay() {
+    const now = Date.now()
+
+    for (const relay of this.relays.values()) {
+      if (!this.members.has(key(relay.ownerPublicKey))) continue
+      if (relay.version !== 1) continue
+      if (relay.expiresAt <= now) continue
+      return relay
+    }
+
+    throw new Error('no fresh group-approved relay is available')
+  }
+}
+
+class Participant {
+  constructor(name, testnet) {
+    this.name = name
+    this.keyPair = DHT.keyPair(seed(name))
+    this.publicKey = this.keyPair.publicKey
+    this.memberId = key(this.publicKey)
+    this.dht = testnet.createNode({ keyPair: this.keyPair, quickFirewall: false })
+    this.relay = null
+    this.serverPublicKey = null
+  }
+
+  async enableRelay(group) {
+    if (this.relay) return
+
+    this.relay = this.dht.createRelayServer()
+    await this.relay.listen()
+    group.publishRelay(this, this.relay)
+  }
+
+  async disableRelay(group) {
+    if (!this.relay) return
+
+    const relay = this.relay
+    this.relay = null
+    group.removeRelay(this)
+    await relay.close({ force: true })
+  }
+}
+
+class JsonLines {
+  constructor() {
+    this.buffer = ''
+  }
+
+  push(data) {
+    this.buffer += data.toString()
+
+    const messages = []
+    let index = this.buffer.indexOf('\n')
+
+    while (index !== -1) {
+      const line = this.buffer.slice(0, index)
+      this.buffer = this.buffer.slice(index + 1)
+      if (line.length > 0) messages.push(JSON.parse(line))
+      index = this.buffer.indexOf('\n')
+    }
+
+    return messages
+  }
+}
+
+async function waitForOpen(socket) {
+  await Promise.race([
+    once(socket, 'open'),
+    once(socket, 'error').then(([err]) => {
+      throw err
+    }),
+    once(socket, 'close').then(() => {
+      throw new Error('socket closed before open')
+    })
+  ])
+}
+
+function waitForSocketStopped(socket) {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    let settled = false
+
+    socket.once('close', () => finish('closed'))
+    socket.once('error', (err) => finish(`failed (${err.code || err.message})`))
+
+    function finish(status) {
+      if (settled) return
+      settled = true
+      resolve(status)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+function rejectPending(pending, err) {
+  while (pending.length > 0) pending.shift().reject(err)
+}
+
+function encode(msg) {
+  return JSON.stringify(msg) + '\n'
+}
+
+function seed(name) {
+  return crypto.createHash('sha256').update(`app-level-relay:${name}`).digest()
+}
+
+function key(publicKey) {
+  return publicKey.toString('hex')
+}
+
+function shortKey(publicKey) {
+  return key(publicKey).slice(0, 16)
+}
+
+function assert(condition, message) {
+  if (!condition) throw new Error(message)
+}
+
+function noop() {}