Lightning and Zaps

Lightning and zaps

You can tip the people who report road events with Bitcoin over the Lightning Network. These tips are zaps (NIP-57).

How a zap works

1. Roadstr reads the reporter's Lightning address (lud16) from their Nostr profile.
2. It resolves the LNURL-pay endpoint and, if you are signed in, attaches a zap request (kind 9734) signed by your signer, so the tip is tied to your identity.
3. The invoice is paid with Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC, NIP-47) if a wallet is connected. Otherwise Roadstr opens a lightning: link in any Lightning wallet you have installed.
4. When the invoice settles, the LNURL server publishes a zap receipt (kind 9735) to Nostr relays.

Connecting a wallet (NWC)

Paste a nostr+walletconnect://… URI from a compatible wallet — for instance Alby Hub, Mutiny or Cashu NWC — into Settings → Lightning → Nostr Wallet Connect. Roadstr verifies the wallet's info event, prefers NIP-44 v2 encryption and falls back to NIP-04 only for a wallet that verifiably advertises it.

The URI lets Roadstr ask that wallet to pay; it does not hand Roadstr the wallet's own keys. It is stored on your phone.

Receiving zaps

Zaps on your own reports show up in the activity inbox and as notifications while you are signed in. For zaps to reach you, your Nostr profile needs a Lightning address.