Tools · Wallets & toolkits

LNbits

The most widely deployed programmable Lightning platform — isolated wallets, a clean REST API, and an extension ecosystem on top of any node backend.

What it is

LNbits is a lightweight Python server that sits on top of any Lightning funding source and provides isolated multi-wallet accounts, a clean REST API, and an extension system (paylinks, LNURL, boltcards, point-of-sale, Nostr tooling, faucets, and more). It decouples your application from any single node implementation: the agent works against LNbits’s REST API instead of a node’s native gRPC.

For agent infrastructure that needs programmable-wallet-as-a-service rather than direct node integration, LNbits is the canonical pattern — give each agent (or task) its own isolated wallet with its own keys and limits.

When to use it

• You want per-agent or per-task isolated wallets with a simple HTTP API.
• You need invoice/payment endpoints plus ready-made extensions (paywalls, LNURL, PoS).
• You want to stay node-implementation-agnostic (LND, Core Lightning, others behind it).

Dependencies

A Lightning funding source behind it (your LND or Core Lightning node — itself backed by a Bitcoin node, or Neutrino — or a supported funding backend) and a host to run the Python server (Docker or pip). The agent talks to LNbits’s REST API, not the node directly.

Quick start

Self-host via Docker or pip, point it at a funding source (your Lightning node or a fundingsource backend), then create wallets and call the REST API documented at docs.lnbits.com. Each wallet exposes admin and invoice/read keys for scoped access.

Gotchas

• LNbits custodies funds via its funding-source node — the instance operator is trusted. Run your own instance for anything you can’t afford to lose.
• Keep it updated and guard the admin/superuser keys; LNbits has had past security advisories.
• Extensions are third-party contributed — vet them before enabling on a production instance.