Lightning Wallet

Give your AI agent a Bitcoin wallet. MCP server + CLI. Works with Claude Code, OpenClaw, Cursor, and any agent framework.

What's New in v1.4

• update_operator tool / lw set-email - set your operator email from the MCP client or CLI; a verification link is emailed to you.
• claim_promo tool / lw claim-promo - claim the free-sats install promo directly from your agent. Requirements: verified email + operator account at least 3 hours old.
• get_info works before registration - service info no longer requires an API key.

Free 100 sats for new operators

1. lw register --email you@example.com (or the register_operator MCP tool with an email)
2. Click the verification link we email you
3. After your account is 3 hours old: lw claim-promo (or the claim_promo MCP tool)

One bonus per operator, first 100 installs only, no deposit required.

What's New in v1.3

v1.3.0 - L402 protocol v0 support per the latest Lightning Labs spec.

• L402 Protocol v0 - Updated header format: version="0", token=, backward compatible with macaroon=
• Endpoint Discovery - .well-known/l402.json on lightningfaucet.com and certvera.com
• Backward Compatible - Handles both old and new L402 header formats from any service

What's New in v1.1

v1.1.0 - X402 protocol support (USDC on Base) as automatic fallback alongside L402 (Lightning).

• X402 Support - Automatic USDC payments on Base when L402 isn't available
• Protocol Auto-Detection - pay_l402_api seamlessly handles both L402 and X402
• Webhooks - Real-time notifications for payments and events
• Keysend - Send payments without invoices using node pubkeys
• Invoice Decoding - Decode BOLT11 invoices before paying
• Agent Analytics - Track spending patterns and usage
• Transaction Export - Export history in JSON or CSV format
• Budget Management - Get detailed budget status and set limits
• Agent Lifecycle - Deactivate, reactivate, and delete agents
• Account Recovery - Recover accounts and rotate API keys
• Agent-to-Agent Transfers - Move funds between your agents

Why Lightning Wallet MCP?

• Instant Payments - Lightning Network transactions settle in milliseconds
• L402 + X402 Protocol Support - Access any paid API automatically (Lightning or USDC)
• Operator/Agent Hierarchy - Manage multiple agents with spending limits
• No Custody Risk - Each agent has isolated funds with operator oversight
• Production Ready - Battle-tested infrastructure powering real transactions
• Webhook Notifications - Get notified instantly when payments arrive
• Full Observability - Analytics, exports, and detailed status tracking

Two Ways to Use

CLI (Any Agent Framework)

For CLI-first agents (OpenClaw, Pi, KiloCode, or any agent with Bash access):

npm install -g lightning-wallet-mcp

This installs the lw command:

# Register and save your API key
export LIGHTNING_WALLET_API_KEY=$(lw register --name "My Bot" | jq -r '.api_key')

# Check balance
lw balance | jq '.balance_sats'

# Pay an L402 API
lw pay-api "https://lightningfaucet.com/api/l402/fortune"

# Create and fund an agent
lw create-agent "Research Bot" --budget 5000
lw fund-agent 1 1000

# Check identity
lw whoami

Output is JSON by default (pipe to jq). Use --human for readable output.

Run lw help for all commands.

MCP Server (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf)

For MCP-native clients, configure as an MCP server:

Option A: Self-Registration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightning-wallet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["lightning-wallet-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Then ask Claude: "Register a new Lightning Wallet operator account"

Option B: Pre-configured API Key

1. Get an API key at lightningfaucet.com/ai-agents
2. Configure Claude Code (~/.claude/settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightning-wallet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["lightning-wallet-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LIGHTNING_WALLET_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools Reference

Service Info

Context & Identity

Payments (Agent Key Required)

LNURL (Agent Key Required)

Operator Management

• update_operator - set operator email (sends verification link) and/or name
• claim_promo - claim the free-sats install promo (verified email + 3h account)

Agent Management

Webhooks

Webhook Events:

• invoice_paid - Payment received on an invoice
• payment_completed - Outgoing payment succeeded
• payment_failed - Outgoing payment failed
• balance_low - Balance dropped below threshold
• budget_warning - 80% of budget consumed
• test - Manual test event

CLI Reference

All commands output JSON to stdout. Errors go to stderr with exit code 1.

Agent Workflow Example (Bash)

# 1. Register (one-time)
export LIGHTNING_WALLET_API_KEY=$(lw register --name "My Agent" | jq -r '.api_key')

# 2. Fund the account (pay the invoice with any Lightning wallet)
lw deposit 10000 | jq -r '.bolt11'

# 3. Create an agent with a budget
AGENT=$(lw create-agent "Worker" --budget 5000)
AGENT_ID=$(echo $AGENT | jq -r '.agent_id')
AGENT_KEY=$(echo $AGENT | jq -r '.agent_api_key')

# 4. Fund the agent
lw fund-agent $AGENT_ID 2000

# 5. Switch to agent context and make payments
export LIGHTNING_WALLET_API_KEY=$AGENT_KEY
lw pay-api "https://api.example.com/data" --max-sats 100

# 6. Check what happened
lw transactions --limit 5

Paid API Protocols: L402 + X402

Lightning Wallet MCP supports two HTTP 402 payment protocols:

• L402 (primary) - Lightning Network payments. The original pay-per-request protocol.
• X402 (fallback) - USDC on Base (Coinbase's protocol). Auto-detected when L402 isn't available.

When you call pay_l402_api, the server automatically detects which protocol the API uses. L402 always takes priority if both headers are present. Agents always pay in sats regardless of protocol — X402 amounts are converted at market rate.

L402 Protocol

The L402 protocol (formerly LSAT) enables APIs to charge per-request using Lightning. When you call an L402-protected endpoint:

1. Server returns HTTP 402 with a Lightning invoice
2. Lightning Faucet pays the invoice automatically
3. Request completes with the paid content

X402 Protocol (Coinbase)

X402 uses USDC on Base for API payments. The flow is transparent to agents:

1. Server returns HTTP 402 with PAYMENT-REQUIRED header
2. Lightning Faucet converts USDC amount to sats, debits agent balance
3. Signs an EIP-712 authorization and retries with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header
4. Request completes — agent sees the same response format as L402

The response includes payment_protocol: "x402" and usdc_amount so agents know which protocol was used.

L402 API Registry

We maintain a directory of L402-enabled APIs at lightningfaucet.com/l402-registry - perfect for testing your agents.

Demo L402 APIs

Try these endpoints to test L402 payments:

# Get a fortune (costs ~10-50 sats)
pay_l402_api({ url: "https://lightningfaucet.com/api/l402/fortune" })

# Get a joke (costs ~10-50 sats)
pay_l402_api({ url: "https://lightningfaucet.com/api/l402/joke" })

# Get an inspirational quote (costs ~10-50 sats)
pay_l402_api({ url: "https://lightningfaucet.com/api/l402/quote" })

See the L402 API Registry for more endpoints and resources.

Complete Workflow Example

// 1. Register as operator (if no API key configured)
register_operator({ name: "My AI Company" })
// Returns: { api_key: "lf_abc...", recovery_code: "xyz...", operator_id: 123 }

// 2. Activate the operator key
set_operator_key({ api_key: "lf_abc..." })

// 3. Check who you are
whoami()
// Returns: { type: "operator", id: 123, name: "My AI Company", balance_sats: 0 }

// 4. Fund your operator account
get_deposit_invoice({ amount_sats: 10000 })
// Pay this invoice with any Lightning wallet

// 5. Create an agent with budget limit
create_agent({ name: "Research Assistant", budget_limit_sats: 5000 })
// Returns: { agent_id: 456, agent_api_key: "agent_def..." }

// 6. Fund the agent
fund_agent({ agent_id: 456, amount_sats: 1000 })

// 7. Set up a webhook for payment notifications
register_webhook({
  url: "https://your-server.com/webhooks/lightning",
  events: ["invoice_paid", "payment_completed"]
})
// Returns: { webhook_id: 1, secret: "..." }  <- Save this secret!

// 8. Switch to agent mode for payments
set_agent_credentials({ api_key: "agent_def..." })

// 9. Check budget status
get_budget_status()
// Returns: { budget_limit_sats: 5000, total_spent_sats: 0, remaining_sats: 5000 }

// 10. Make payments!
pay_l402_api({ url: "https://api.example.com/premium-data" })

Keysend Payments

Send payments directly to a Lightning node without needing an invoice:

// Send 100 sats to a node with an optional message
keysend({
  destination: "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
  amount_sats: 100,
  message: "Hello from my AI agent!"
})

Invoice Decoding

Check invoice details before paying:

decode_invoice({ invoice: "lnbc1000n1..." })
// Returns: {
//   amount_sats: 1000,
//   description: "Test payment",
//   destination: "03abc...",
//   expires_at: "2026-01-16T12:00:00Z",
//   is_expired: false
// }

Tool Details

get_info

Get service status and capabilities.

{
  "success": true,
  "version": "1.0.1",
  "api_version": "1.0",
  "status": "operational",
  "max_payment_sats": 1000000,
  "min_payment_sats": 1,
  "supported_features": ["l402", "x402", "webhooks", "lightning_address", "keysend"]
}

whoami

Get current operating context.

Returns for Operator:

{
  "type": "operator",
  "id": 123,
  "name": "My Company",
  "balance_sats": 50000,
  "agent_count": 3
}

Returns for Agent:

{
  "type": "agent",
  "id": 456,
  "name": "Research Bot",
  "balance_sats": 1000,
  "budget_limit_sats": 5000,
  "operator_id": 123
}

pay_l402_api

Access paid APIs with automatic payment. Supports both L402 (Lightning) and X402 (USDC on Base) protocols. Protocol is auto-detected from the 402 response headers.

keysend

Send payment to a node without an invoice.

register_webhook

Register a URL to receive payment notifications.

Returns: Webhook ID and HMAC secret for signature verification.

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    OPERATOR                              │
│  • Holds main funds                                      │
│  • Creates and manages agents                            │
│  • Sets spending limits                                  │
│  • Receives webhook notifications                        │
│  • Can recover account with recovery code                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│     AGENT 1          AGENT 2          AGENT 3           │
│   ┌─────────┐      ┌─────────┐      ┌─────────┐        │
│   │ 1000 sat│      │ 5000 sat│      │ 2500 sat│        │
│   │ Budget: │      │ Budget: │      │ Budget: │        │
│   │ 5000    │      │ 10000   │      │ Unlimited│        │
│   └─────────┘      └─────────┘      └─────────┘        │
│       │                │                │               │
│   L402 APIs        Keysend          Receive             │
│   Pay Invoice      Payments         Payments            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Security Best Practices

• Never commit API keys - Use environment variables
• Set budget limits - Protect against runaway spending
• Use agent keys for payments - Keep operator key secure
• Verify webhook signatures - Use the secret returned during registration
• Monitor transactions - Use get_transactions to review activity
• Recovery codes - Store securely, needed if API key is lost
• Key rotation - Rotate keys periodically using rotate_api_key

Webhook Security

Webhooks include HMAC-SHA256 signatures for verification:

import hmac
import hashlib

def verify_webhook(payload, signature, secret):
    expected = hmac.new(
        secret.encode(),
        payload.encode(),
        hashlib.sha256
    ).hexdigest()
    return hmac.compare_digest(signature, expected)

Check the X-Webhook-Signature header against the payload.

Pre-Payment Policy Hook

An optional, vendor-neutral hook lets an external policy endpoint allow or deny a payment before it executes. It is off by default — when PRE_PAYMENT_HOOK_URL is unset, behaviour is exactly as before. When set, every outgoing payment (pay_l402_api, pay_invoice, keysend, pay_lightning_address) is checked against your endpoint first; a denial aborts the payment before any funds move.

This is useful for spending policies, approval workflows, compliance checks, or any external authorization layer. The hook protocol is generic, so any service implementing the request/response contract below can be wired in by configuration alone.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightning-wallet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["lightning-wallet-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LIGHTNING_WALLET_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "PRE_PAYMENT_HOOK_URL": "https://your-policy-endpoint.example/hook"
      }
    }
  }
}

Hook request (POST from the client)

The proposal describes only the proposed payment — it never includes your wallet API key.

{
  "proposal_id": "f7e1…",
  "agent_id": 42,
  "protocol": "l402",
  "destination_or_url": "https://api.example/paid-endpoint",
  "amount_sats": null,
  "max_payment_sats": 1000,
  "method": "GET",
  "ts": "2026-06-06T18:00:00.000Z"
}

protocol is one of l402, x402, bolt11, keysend, lnaddress. amount_sats is the exact amount when it is known at hook time: for keysend and lnaddress it is the requested amount, and for bolt11 it is decoded locally from the invoice (no extra API call). For l402/x402 it is null because the amount is set by the payment challenge at execution time — there the hook enforces max_payment_sats (the agent-authorised ceiling) up front, and the exact settled amount is available afterward via webhooks. max_payment_sats is the agent-authorised ceiling when applicable.

Exactly what leaves the wallet. Only the eight fields above are sent to your hook endpoint: proposal_id, agent_id, protocol, destination_or_url, amount_sats, max_payment_sats, method, ts. The wallet API key and any other credentials are never included.

Coverage. The hook gates every agent-initiated spend: pay_l402_api, pay_invoice, keysend, pay_lightning_address, and Nostr zaps. Operator-scoped fund management (withdrawals, agent funding, agent-to-agent transfers) is intentionally not gated — those are operator actions, not agent spends.

Hook response (your endpoint returns)

{ "decision": "allow" }

{ "decision": "deny", "reason": { "code": "over_limit", "message": "Exceeds per-transaction limit" } }

• allow → the payment proceeds.
• deny → the payment is aborted and the tool returns a PolicyDenied error surfacing reason.message.
• An optional attestation field (any JSON) is treated as opaque by the client — it is logged to stderr and otherwise ignored, so a policy service can return a signed decision for downstream auditing.

On a hook error, timeout, or unrecognized response, the PRE_PAYMENT_HOOK_FAIL_MODE applies (deny by default).

Pricing

Lightning Faucet charges a 2% platform fee (min 1 sat) on outgoing payments:

• L402 payments: 2% platform fee + Lightning routing fee
• X402 payments: 2% platform fee + 1% exchange rate spread (USDC to sats conversion)
• Invoice payments: 2% platform fee + Lightning routing fee
• Keysend payments: 2% platform fee + Lightning routing fee
• Operator withdrawals: 2% platform fee + Lightning routing fee
• Cross-operator internal transfers: 2% platform fee (no routing fee)
• Same-operator agent transfers: Free
• Deposits: Free
• Receiving payments: Free
• Webhooks: Free

All payment responses include platform_fee_sats, routing_fee_sats, and total_cost for full transparency.

Changelog

v1.1.0 (2026-02-16)

• CLI interface: New lw command for CLI-first agents (OpenClaw, Pi, KiloCode, any Bash agent)
• Same package, two interfaces: npm install -g lightning-wallet-mcp gives you both MCP server and CLI
• JSON-first output: All CLI commands output JSON to stdout, errors to stderr
• X402 support: Automatic fallback to X402 (USDC on Base) when L402 is not available
• Protocol auto-detection: pay_l402_api detects L402 or X402 from 402 response headers
• Response fields: payment_protocol and usdc_amount included when X402 is used
• Exchange rate: Real-time BTC/USD conversion via CoinGecko with 5-min cache

v1.0.3 (2026-02-05)

• Platform fee: 2% fee (min 1 sat) on all outgoing payments and cross-operator transfers
• Fee transparency: All payment responses now include platform_fee_sats, routing_fee_sats, and total_cost
• Same-operator agent transfers remain free

v1.0.0 (2026-02-04)

• Rebranded from lightning-faucet-mcp to lightning-wallet-mcp
• Environment variable renamed: LIGHTNING_FAUCET_API_KEY → LIGHTNING_WALLET_API_KEY
• All 37 tools fully tested and production-ready
• No breaking API changes - just the package name

Previous releases (as lightning-faucet-mcp)

See the lightning-faucet-mcp changelog for v1.6.0 through v2.0.7 history.

• Basic payments and invoices

Showcase: AI Agent Game Theory Experiment

We ran a 100-round economic experiment with 16 AI agents (8 Claude, 8 GPT-4o) using real Bitcoin on Lightning. Agents could trade, form alliances, invest, and compete — all powered by this MCP server.

Results: Agents completed 2,839 real Lightning transactions. Claude agents dominated through aggressive early trading while GPT-4o agents adopted conservative strategies.

• Experiment repo: github.com/pfergi42/lf-game-theory
• Blog post: lightningfaucet.com/blog/ai-game-theory

Support

• Documentation: lightningfaucet.com/ai-agents/docs
• Demo: lightningfaucet.com/ai-agents/demo
• Issues: github.com/lightningfaucet/lightning-wallet-mcp/issues
• Email: support@lightningfaucet.com

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Built with Bitcoin | Lightning Faucet