Add a Lightning paywall to any API in minutes. AI agents and developers pay per call, and you earn directly to your wallet. No signups, no API keys, no cards.
Python, TypeScript, CLI, curl, and MCP examples below.
Examples: pick a path
Call any Lightning Gateway URL from a script or agent. The client follows HTTP 402, pays the BOLT-11 invoice, and retries with proof automatically.
from bolthub import L402Client, LndWallet
wallet = LndWallet( host="https://your-node:8080", macaroon="...")client = L402Client(wallet, budget_sats=10_000)
resp = client.get( "https://acme.gw.bolthub.ai/v1/market-data", params={"symbol": "BTC"},)data = resp.json()Sell through a managed L402 proxy; distribute through a searchable catalog agents already use.
Point us at your origin. We terminate TLS, return 402 + BOLT-11, verify payment, and proxy only after settlement. Funds go to your wallet, not ours.
Optional public listing with search and tags. Builders preview pricing, copy integration snippets, and pay from the playground. Ideal for AI agents.
Traditional payment processors charge $0.50 minimum per transaction. Bitcoin's Lightning Network handles $0.001. That makes per-query API pricing viable for the first time, whether the buyer is a developer or an autonomous AI agent.
Charge per query at any price point. Traditional payment processors can't go below $0.50. You can charge $0.001.
Give your agent a wallet and a budget. It pays for its own data across any L402 API. No signups, no API keys, no vendor accounts.
L402 pairs HTTP 402 (Payment Required) with a Bitcoin Lightning invoice so any client can pay per call. No accounts, no API tokens, no manual setup. Standard payment processors weren't built for that.
| bolthubLightning Gateway | TraditionalMost API providers | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum transaction | 1 sat (~$0.001) | ~$0.50 |
| Custody | Non-custodial | Custodial |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| API keys / tokens | Not needed | Per-provider |
| AI agent compatible | Native (HTTP 402) | Manual setup |
| Settlement speed | Instant | Days |
From zero to earning in under five minutes. Minimal changes to your existing API: just a one-line header check to protect your origin.
Enter your existing API endpoint. We verify connectivity and configure your Lightning Gateway in seconds.
Choose per-request, per-KB, token-bucket, time-pass, or metered pricing. Full flexibility.
Connect your Lightning wallet. Clients pay via Lightning and you receive funds directly. Instant settlement.
Pick a tab: Python or TypeScript clients, CLI commands, a raw curl probe, or Registry MCP config for Cursor and Claude Desktop.
Read the docsCall any Lightning Gateway URL from a script or agent. The client follows HTTP 402, pays the BOLT-11 invoice, and retries with proof automatically.
from bolthub import L402Client, LndWallet
wallet = LndWallet( host="https://your-node:8080", macaroon="...")client = L402Client(wallet, budget_sats=10_000)
resp = client.get( "https://acme.gw.bolthub.ai/v1/market-data", params={"symbol": "BTC"},)data = resp.json()Your customers pay you directly in Bitcoin via the Lightning Network. We charge a small weekly platform fee starting at 1,000 sats/week.
Client payments go straight to your Lightning wallet. We never hold your funds.
4,000 sats/month base fee (~1,000 sats/week), plus per-request usage tiers that decrease at higher volumes.
We periodically adjust sat amounts to track Bitcoin price movements, so your costs stay predictable in real terms.
Quick answers to help you decide. For anything else, reach out directly.
A sat (satoshi) is the smallest unit of Bitcoin: 1 Bitcoin = 100,000,000 sats. At recent prices, 1 sat is roughly $0.001. We price the platform in sats because they're the natural unit for Lightning micropayments. USD estimates are shown alongside for reference.
Any client that can pay a BOLT-11 invoice works. No signup or API keys needed. For AI agents, our MCP Registry and MCP Bridge handle L402 payments automatically. Third-party options like Alby MCP, Fewsats MCP, and Lightning Faucet MCP also work.
If you don't have a node yet, use the built-in Node Launcher to deploy your own LND node in minutes (from ~$4.50/month). If you already run LND, connect it directly. You can also use LNbits or any NWC-compatible wallet (Alby Hub, CoinOS, Zeus). LND connections create invoices in under 200ms.
You get a 72-hour grace period where your Lightning Gateway stays live. After that, it's paused (not deleted) until you pay. Your configuration and data stay intact.
Yes. Pricing model, price, rate limits, caching, and any other setting can be changed at any time. Changes apply immediately. Active sessions from the previous model continue until they expire naturally.
Every Lightning Gateway publishes .well-known/openapi.json, .well-known/mcp.json, and .well-known/l402-gateway.json automatically. You can also opt in to appear in the public API Hub with search and tag filtering.
L402 is standard HTTP, so any agent that can make HTTP requests and pay invoices works out of the box. Use our MCP Registry for AI agent discovery, the CLI for terminal workflows, or the Python/TS SDKs for custom integrations. Third-party options like Alby MCP, Fewsats MCP, and Lightning Faucet MCP are also compatible.
14-day free trial. Usage-based billing after that, paid weekly via Lightning.
market-intel.gw.bolthub.ai
weather-api.gw.bolthub.ai
Browse the API Hub and try a paid request with your Lightning wallet. No signup needed to explore.