Lightning Enable MCP Server

Name: Lightning Enable MCP Server
Author: refined-element

by refined-elementversion 2.2.0i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.refined-element/lightning-enable-mcp

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

AI agent Lightning payments: L402, invoices, wallets, API discovery, budgets, self-serve signup.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Other
You need to fill in: STRIKE_API_KEY, NWC_CONNECTION_STRING, LND_MACAROON_HEX, OPENNODE_API_KEY, LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: STRIKE_API_KEY, NWC_CONNECTION_STRING, LND_REST_HOST, LND_MACAROON_HEX, OPENNODE_API_KEY, LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY, LIGHTNING_ENABLE_TOOL_PROFILE, AGENT_RELAY_URL

Values marked secret are keys to your account. Never share them or paste them into a chat.

You need

PyPIPython’s uv installed (for the uvx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightning-enable": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "lightning-enable-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "STRIKE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "NWC_CONNECTION_STRING": "your-value",
        "LND_REST_HOST": "your-value",
        "LND_MACAROON_HEX": "your-value",
        "OPENNODE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LIGHTNING_ENABLE_TOOL_PROFILE": "your-value",
        "AGENT_RELAY_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add lightning-enable --env STRIKE_API_KEY=your-value --env NWC_CONNECTION_STRING=your-value --env LND_REST_HOST=your-value --env LND_MACAROON_HEX=your-value --env OPENNODE_API_KEY=your-value --env LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY=your-value --env LIGHTNING_ENABLE_TOOL_PROFILE=your-value --env AGENT_RELAY_URL=your-value -- uvx lightning-enable-mcp

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightning-enable": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "lightning-enable-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "STRIKE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "NWC_CONNECTION_STRING": "your-value",
        "LND_REST_HOST": "your-value",
        "LND_MACAROON_HEX": "your-value",
        "OPENNODE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LIGHTNING_ENABLE_TOOL_PROFILE": "your-value",
        "AGENT_RELAY_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "lightning-enable": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "lightning-enable-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "STRIKE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "NWC_CONNECTION_STRING": "your-value",
        "LND_REST_HOST": "your-value",
        "LND_MACAROON_HEX": "your-value",
        "OPENNODE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LIGHTNING_ENABLE_TOOL_PROFILE": "your-value",
        "AGENT_RELAY_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

STRIKE_API_KEY secret env
Strike API key for Lightning payments (recommended wallet)
NWC_CONNECTION_STRING secret env
Nostr Wallet Connect URI (for NWC wallets like CoinOS, CLINK, Alby Hub)
LND_REST_HOST env
LND REST API host (e.g., localhost:8080)
LND_MACAROON_HEX secret env
LND admin macaroon in hex format
OPENNODE_API_KEY secret env
OpenNode API key (direct payments only, no L402 support)
LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY secret env
Lightning Enable API key (unlocks producer + ASA tools). Optional: no key? The create_lightning_enable_account tool self-provisions one for ~100 sats over Lightning — no card, no subscription require…
LIGHTNING_ENABLE_TOOL_PROFILE env
How many tools to advertise: lite (the wallet-setup and spend/read basics), standard (default), or full (adds the deprecated legacy names), or full (adds the pre-consolidation tool names).
AGENT_RELAY_URL env
Nostr relay URL for agent events (default: wss://agents.lightningenable.com)

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 7, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account refined-element, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Otheri

More stars than 0% of the other 32568 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 92% of the other 32568 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 32568 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is Lightning Enable MCP Server safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

You need to fill in: STRIKE_API_KEY, NWC_CONNECTION_STRING, LND_MACAROON_HEX, OPENNODE_API_KEY, LIGHTNING_ENABLE_API_KEY

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (2.2.0) reached the registry 3 days ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need .NET, Python (uv), Docker on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Spec Driven Development, Remote Desktop Commander, FlyDocs

Alternatives

Servers in the same category from other makers, sorted by stars.

Reading a card:★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

Spec Driven Development

by formulahendry

MCP Server that facilitates spec-driven development workflows, not just Vibe Coding.

Runs on your computer★ 440MITUpdated 14 months ago

Install

Remote Desktop Commander

by desktop-commander

Remote Desktop Commander: use files, terminal and processes on your own computers from any AI app.

Runs in the cloud★ 211Updated yesterday

Install

FlyDocs

by flydocs.ai

Spec-driven development workflow: your agent works issues, sessions and the status lifecycle.

Runs on your computerUpdated today

Install

README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

Part of Lightning Enable — infrastructure for agent commerce over Lightning.

Lightning Enable MCP Server

Monetize your own API — 30-day free trial

Agents pay your API per request over Lightning — flat subscription at $49/mo, and you keep 100% of every sat.

[Start free trial](https://api.lightningenable.com/Checkout?plan=individual&utm_source=github&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=gtm-aug-2026) — 30 days, no charge today
[Fast Lane](https://docs.lightningenable.com/getting-started/activate-with-lightning?utm_source=github&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=gtm-aug-2026) — pay 100 sats over Lightning, no card
[Pricing](https://lightningenable.com/pricing?utm_source=github&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=gtm-aug-2026)

Or sign up without leaving your agent: call the create_lightning_enable_account tool.

An open-source MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI agents to make Lightning Network payments and participate in agent-to-agent commerce. Wallet, invoice, L402, budget, and API-discovery tools work out of the box with just a wallet. Producer tools (sell access via L402) and Agent Service Agreement (ASA) tools (agent-to-agent discovery, request, settlement, and attestation over Nostr) unlock with an Agentic Commerce subscription. See the full tool list.

Available in .NET and Python.

What It Does

Give your AI agent a Lightning wallet and it can:

Pay invoices — Send Bitcoin via Lightning to any BOLT11 invoice
Access L402 APIs — Automatically pay L402 challenges for seamless API access
Discover APIs — Search the L402 API registry to find paid APIs by keyword or category, or fetch a specific API's manifest for full endpoint details and pricing
Track spending — Budget limits, a durable receipt log, and balance checks
Create invoices — Generate invoices to receive payments
Run wallet operations — BTC price, currency exchange, and on-chain sends (Strike; on-chain also LND)
Self-bootstrap a Lightning Enable account — create_lightning_enable_account pays a ~100-sat activation fee over L402 and returns a merchant API key: the free→paid signup form that *is* the protocol, unlocking the producer + ASA tools with no browser or checkout page.
Sell services (L402 Producer) — Set up the seller account, put an API behind L402, price its routes, list it publicly, mint payment challenges and verify payer tokens — all from one tool, so an agent can go from an API key to a paid endpoint without touching REST
Agent commerce (ASA) — Discover, request, settle, and review agent-to-agent services on Nostr

Quick Start

1. Install

# .NET

dotnet tool install -g LightningEnable.Mcp

Python

pip install lightning-enable-mcp

Python (no install)

uvx lightning-enable-mcp

Docker

docker pull refinedelement/lightning-enable-mcp:latest

2. First run — `setup_wallet`

Nothing else works without a wallet, so start there. Ask your agent:

Run setup_wallet

With no arguments it reports which wallet is configured and where the credential came from — the provider and the source, never the credential itself. If there is no wallet, it hands back the setup steps.

The shortest path is NWC. In your wallet app (Alby Hub, CoinOS, or any NIP-47 wallet) create a Nostr Wallet Connect connection, copy the nostr+walletconnect:// string, and give it to the agent:

Run setup_wallet with this connection string: nostr+walletconnect://...

setup_wallet validates the string, connects to the wallet to prove it answers, then writes it to ~/.lightning-enable/config.json with the file's permissions restricted to your user. It reports the wallet's declared methods and balance. Restart the server afterwards so it picks up the new wallet.

Or set an environment variable (in the Claude Desktop config below, say). L402 — the whole point of this server — needs a wallet that returns the payment preimage:

Strike — STRIKE_API_KEY, from https://dashboard.strike.me
NWC — NWC_CONNECTION_STRING, from CoinOS / CLINK / Alby Hub
LND (your own node — always returns a preimage) — LND_REST_HOST + LND_MACAROON_HEX
Self-signed node cert? Set LND_TLS_CERT_PATH to the node's tls.cert (pins TLS to that cert). LND_SKIP_TLS_VERIFY=true is the escape hatch, not the recommendation. Optional: LND_FEE_LIMIT_SATS, LND_PAYMENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS.

⚠️ OpenNode (OPENNODE_API_KEY) works for invoicing / direct payments only — it never returns a preimage, so it cannot pay L402 challenges. Don't make it your only wallet if you want L402 (the core use case).

If several are set, priority is: LND > NWC > Strike > OpenNode, and environment variables win over the config file — setup_wallet refuses to write a connection string that an env var would override, and tells you which variable to unset. See Supported Wallets for the full compatibility matrix.

3. Prove the whole loop works — `test_l402_payment`

Ask your agent:

Run test_l402_payment

This pays a public 1-sat L402 endpoint end to end, proving your wallet is connected, returns a preimage, and can complete a real L402 payment. It's the one-line answer to "is my wallet actually working?" — and it costs about 1 satoshi.

4. Then have some fun — buy a t-shirt

Once the loop works, try the Lightning Enable Store, a live L402-powered web store. Ask Claude:

Buy me a Lightning Enable t-shirt from store.lightningenable.com

(This one needs a funded wallet and a shipping address, which is why test_l402_payment — one sat, no shipping — is the faster first proof.)

Claude Desktop manual install (MCPB bundle)

For a one-click install with no config-file editing, grab the packaged MCPB bundle from the mcpb/ directory instead of hand-editing JSON: build it locally with npx -y @anthropic-ai/mcpb pack mcpb lightning-enable-mcp.mcpb (or download the .mcpb artifact from a mcpb.yml CI run), then double-click the resulting .mcpb file or drag it into Claude Desktop's Settings → Extensions — Claude Desktop prompts for your wallet credentials (Strike, NWC, or LND) and optional Lightning Enable API key through its own settings UI instead of a text config file. See mcpb/README.md for what's in the bundle and mcpb/SUBMISSION.md for its Anthropic MCP Directory submission status.

Claude Desktop Config

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

.NET:

"mcpServers": { "lightning-enable": { "command": "lightning-enable-mcp", "env": { "STRIKE_API_KEY": "your-strike-api-key" } } } }

dotnet tool install -g LightningEnable.Mcp puts the lightning-enable-mcp command on your PATH. If Claude Desktop can't find it, set command to the full path: "C:\\Users\\ \\.dotnet\\tools\\lightning-enable-mcp.exe" on Windows (JSON needs the doubled backslashes), /Users/ /.dotnet/tools/lightning-enable-mcp on macOS, or /home/ /.dotnet/tools/lightning-enable-mcp on Linux. The config file doesn't expand environment variables such as %USERPROFILE% or $HOME.

Python:

"mcpServers": { "lightning-enable": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["lightning-enable-mcp"], "env": { "STRIKE_API_KEY": "your-strike-api-key" } } } }

Config file locations:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Deploying hosted

A payment above your auto-approve threshold needs a human's approval: the server mints a short confirmation code, sends it to you, and the agent can only proceed once you read it back. The code never appears in a tool result, so a prompt-injected agent can't approve its own spending by reading the result.

Treat this as an operator confirmation aid on a trusted local host, not as an independent approval boundary: if the agent's host can read the server's console, log stream, approval file, or webhook destination, it can read the code too.

That only works if the code reaches a human. On your laptop it goes to the server's console (stderr) and you read it there. On a hosted server — a claude.ai connector, a Docker container, a fleet — nobody is watching stderr, and on a shared host the agent might read it itself. So you choose the approval channel.

Channel	What happens above the threshold	Use it when
`stderr` (default)	The code is printed to the server console.	You run the server locally and watch its output.
`refuse`	The payment is refused. No code is minted at all.	You run it hosted and no one can receive a code.
`webhook`	The pending confirmation is POSTed to your URL, HMAC signed. You relay the code to the agent.	You have an ops channel — chat, pager, an approval app.
`file`	The same JSON line is appended to a file you tail.	You collect approvals from logs.

Whatever the channel, two rules hold: the code is never returned to the agent, and a payment is never approved because its notification failed to send — a delivery failure refuses the payment and withdraws the code.

Codes are 6 characters, one-time use, and bound to the exact amount, tool, and destination. At most 3 codes can be outstanding at once, and 5 invalid code attempts in a row revoke every pending code. A code lives 120 seconds by default; set confirmation.ttlSeconds (or LIGHTNING_ENABLE_CONFIRMATION_TTL_SECONDS) to change it, clamped to 30-900. For the asynchronous webhook and file channels, 300-600 is a practical value.

Choosing a channel

Precedence: environment variable, then config file, then automatic.

"confirmation": { "channel": "webhook", "webhookUrl": "https://ops.example.com/lightning-approvals", "webhookSecret": " ", "filePath": "/var/log/lightning-enable/confirmations.jsonl", "ttlSeconds": 600 } }

Environment variable	Overrides
`LIGHTNING_ENABLE_CONFIRMATION_CHANNEL`	`confirmation.channel` (`stderr` \	`refuse` \	`webhook` \	`file`)
`LIGHTNING_ENABLE_CONFIRMATION_WEBHOOK_URL`	`confirmation.webhookUrl`
`LIGHTNING_ENABLE_CONFIRMATION_WEBHOOK_SECRET`	`confirmation.webhookSecret`
`LIGHTNING_ENABLE_CONFIRMATION_FILE`	`confirmation.filePath` (default `~/.lightning-enable/confirmations.jsonl`)
`LIGHTNING_ENABLE_HOSTED`	Set to `1` to declare a hosted deployment (see below)

With no channel set, the server decides:

stdin	`LIGHTNING_ENABLE_HOSTED`	Channel	Startup warning
A TTY	anything	`stderr`	none

| Not a TTY | unset or `0

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

Lightning Enable MCP Server

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Otheri

Common questions

Alternatives

Spec Driven Development

Remote Desktop Commander

FlyDocs

README from the maker

Lightning Enable MCP Server

Monetize your own API — 30-day free trial

What It Does

Quick Start

1. Install

Python

Python (no install)

Docker

2. First run — setup_wallet

3. Prove the whole loop works — test_l402_payment

4. Then have some fun — buy a t-shirt

Claude Desktop manual install (MCPB bundle)

Claude Desktop Config

Deploying hosted

Choosing a channel

2. First run — `setup_wallet`

3. Prove the whole loop works — `test_l402_payment`