The Lightning Enable team has launched a new tool that enables AI agents to make payments on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. It is an open source project and the system can also run under continuous human supervision, allowing it to operate autonomously depending on the configuration of the implementation.
The implementation, announced on January 31st, uses the Nostr protocol to manage bot identity and communications. The application connects to wallets using the Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) standard. This protocol uses Nostr relays to establish secure communication between senders and receivers, avoiding possible intermediaries and attack vectors. Additionally, you can set maximum payouts and budgets to track agent spending.
A related fact is that agents can only pay for BOLT11 addresses on the Lightning Network. This means that the bot can only pay to addresses that have an amount that includes the recipient’s signature. This allows us to add an extra layer of verification to prevent payments to unauthorized third parties. Additionally, the bot could not send anything beyond what was already set up in the invoice.
Developers have libraries, Work in Python and .NET programming environments.
The tool’s technical file details specific commands for managing funds. function pay_invoice You can pay your bill with BOLT11 Immediately subject to available balance. command Check wallet balance Keep your agents aware of their available balances.
One of the most interesting features the bot has is the ability to easily manage your payment budget. The bot will manage the balance and once the balance is exhausted, the bot will not be able to continue making payments automatically. Although it is a basic function, it limits the bot’s operation to the total balance of the wallet.
This new Lightning Enable system is based on the L402 technology standard. Created in 2023, this protocol aims to use automated payment systems powered by AI on the Lightning Network. Its implementation facilitates compression under the same standard between different agents that can interact over the network.
Although this advancement is new to Bitcoin, it has already been implemented on other networks. In 2024, Near Protocol launched one of the first AI-powered automated assistants that can manage payments, as reported by CriptoNoticias.
(Tag Translation)Bitcoin (BTC)
