NIP-47: Nostr Wallet Connect

Status: Final Author: benthecarman Category: Payments

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Overview

Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) enables seamless Lightning payments in Nostr applications by creating a secure connection between apps and your Lightning wallet.

Instead of manually copy-pasting Lightning invoices:

1. Apps request payments through the NWC protocol
2. Your wallet approves each transaction
3. Payments happen instantly with minimal friction

This transforms the payment UX from manual invoice handling to one-click transactions.

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Why NWC Matters

Before NWC

1. App generates a Lightning invoice
2. You copy the invoice
3. Open your wallet app
4. Paste the invoice
5. Confirm payment
6. Return to the app

With NWC

1. Click “Zap” in the app
2. Your wallet requests approval (or auto-approves small amounts)
3. Done!

NWC removes friction from Lightning payments, making zapping as easy as clicking a like button.

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How It Works

Connection Flow

1. Wallet generates connection string with public key and relay
2. User shares connection with Nostr app (one-time setup)
3. App sends payment requests via relay
4. Wallet receives requests and processes them
5. Results returned to app via relay

Connection String Format

nostr+walletconnect://wallet_pubkey?relay=wss://relay.example.com&secret=app_secret

• wallet_pubkey: Your wallet’s public key
• relay: Relay for communication
• secret: Shared secret for this connection (optional)

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Supported Methods

NWC defines several methods for wallet operations:

Core Methods

Method	Description
pay_invoice	Pay a Lightning invoice
make_invoice	Create a Lightning invoice
lookup_invoice	Check invoice status
get_balance	Get wallet balance
get_info	Get wallet info
list_transactions	List transaction history

Payment Request Example

{
  "method": "pay_invoice",
  "params": {
    "invoice": "lnbc100n1..."
  }
}

Response Example

{
  "result_type": "pay_invoice",
  "result": {
    "preimage": "abc123..."
  }
}

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Setting Up NWC

For Users

1. Open your wallet that supports NWC (Alby, Mutiny, etc.)
2. Create a connection - generates a connection string
3. Set spending limits (optional but recommended)
4. Copy connection string to your Nostr app
5. Start zapping!

Recommended Settings

• Daily limit: Set a reasonable daily spending cap
• Per-transaction limit: Cap individual payments
• Auto-approve threshold: Auto-approve payments under X sats

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Wallet Support

Wallets with NWC

Wallet	Platform	Type
Alby	Browser Extension	Custodial/Self-custodial
Mutiny	Web/Mobile	Self-custodial
Primal	Mobile	Custodial
Phoenix	Mobile	Self-custodial (via plugin)
NWC Server	Self-hosted	Any Lightning node

Apps with NWC Support

Most major Nostr clients support NWC for zapping:

• Damus
• Primal
• Amethyst
• Coracle
• noStrudel
• Snort

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Security Considerations

Protection Measures

1. Separate connection per app - Revoke individually
2. Spending limits - Control maximum exposure
3. Approval modes - Manual vs automatic
4. Connection expiry - Time-limited access

Best Practices

• Review permissions before connecting
• Set conservative limits initially
• Monitor transactions regularly
• Revoke unused connections
• Use dedicated wallets for NWC if holding significant funds

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Event Structure

NWC uses encrypted Nostr events for communication.

Request Event (App → Wallet)

{
  "kind": 23194,
  "pubkey": "app_pubkey",
  "tags": [
    ["p", "wallet_pubkey"]
  ],
  "content": "<encrypted request>"
}

Response Event (Wallet → App)

{
  "kind": 23195,
  "pubkey": "wallet_pubkey",
  "tags": [
    ["p", "app_pubkey"],
    ["e", "request_event_id"]
  ],
  "content": "<encrypted response>"
}

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For Developers

Implementing NWC in Your App

import { nwc } from 'nostr-tools';

// Parse connection string
const connection = nwc.parseConnectionString(connectionString);

// Create NWC client
const client = new nwc.NWCClient(connection);

// Pay an invoice
const result = await client.payInvoice({
  invoice: "lnbc100n1..."
});

if (result.preimage) {
  console.log("Payment successful!");
}

Running Your Own NWC Server

For Lightning node operators:

1. nwc-server - Connect any LND/CLN node
2. Alby Hub - User-friendly NWC server
3. LNbits - NWC extension available

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Related NIPs

• NIP-57 - Lightning Zaps
• NIP-46 - Nostr Connect (remote signing)

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Common Questions

Is NWC safe?

Yes, when used properly. Apps never see your private keys - they only get permission to request payments. Spending limits provide additional protection.

Can I revoke access?

Yes, connections can be revoked from your wallet at any time. The app immediately loses payment access.

What if the relay goes down?

You need the relay to be online for payments to work. Use reliable relays. Some wallets support multiple relays for redundancy.

Does NWC work with any Lightning wallet?

Only wallets that implement NWC. Most modern wallets support it or have plans to add support.

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Summary

Nostr Wallet Connect transforms Lightning payments in Nostr:

• Seamless UX - One-click payments
• Secure - App never sees your keys
• Configurable - Set your own limits
• Growing support - Most wallets and clients

If you’re using Nostr and Lightning, setting up NWC is highly recommended.

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Last updated: January 2026 Official specification: GitHub