Zaps - Lightning Payments on Nostr

Zaps are instant Bitcoin Lightning payments tied to Nostr events. Defined by NIP-57, they're the most common payment method in the Nostr ecosystem.

What Are Zaps?

Zaps are:

• Lightning payments sent via Nostr
• Publicly visible on the recipient's content
• Cryptographically verified by signed receipts
• Social signals indicating content value

Why "Zaps"?

The name comes from the lightning bolt emoji (⚡) commonly used for Lightning Network payments. Zapping is like "liking" content, but with real Bitcoin value.

How Zaps Work

The Zap Flow

Step-by-Step

1. Zap Request Created

   • Sender's client creates kind 9734 event
   • Contains: amount, recipient, event being zapped, optional message

2. LNURL Processing

   • Request sent to recipient's LNURL endpoint
   • Endpoint validates and returns Lightning invoice

3. Lightning Payment

   • Sender's wallet pays the invoice
   • Payment routes through Lightning Network

4. Zap Receipt Published

   • Recipient's wallet service creates kind 9735
   • Contains: proof of payment, original request
   • Published to relays for all to see

Event Structures

Zap Request (kind 9734)

{
  "kind": 9734,
  "pubkey": "sender_pubkey",
  "created_at": 1234567890,
  "content": "Great post! 🔥",
  "tags": [
    ["p", "recipient_pubkey"],
    ["e", "event_id_being_zapped"],
    ["amount", "1000000"],
    ["relays", "wss://relay1.com", "wss://relay2.com"],
    ["lnurl", "lnurl1..."]
  ]
}

Tag	Purpose
p	Recipient's public key
e	Event being zapped (optional)
amount	Amount in millisatoshis
relays	Where to publish receipt
lnurl	Recipient's LNURL

Zap Receipt (kind 9735)

{
  "kind": 9735,
  "pubkey": "lnurl_provider_pubkey",
  "created_at": 1234567890,
  "content": "",
  "tags": [
    ["p", "recipient_pubkey"],
    ["P", "sender_pubkey"],
    ["e", "event_id_zapped"],
    ["bolt11", "lnbc1000n1..."],
    ["description", "{...zap_request...}"],
    ["preimage", "payment_preimage"]
  ]
}

Tag	Purpose
p	Recipient
P	Sender (uppercase)
e	Zapped event
bolt11	Lightning invoice
description	Original zap request
preimage	Payment proof

Setting Up Zaps

For Receiving

Add LNURL to your profile (kind 0):

{
  "name": "YourName",
  "about": "Nostr user",
  "lud16": "yourname@getalby.com"
}

Or use raw LNURL:

{
  "lud06": "lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7..."
}

For Sending

1. Connect a Lightning wallet via NWC
2. Ensure sufficient balance
3. Click the ⚡ button on any post

Zap Amounts & Etiquette

Common Amounts

Sats	USD (approx)	Meaning
21	$0.02	Symbolic gesture
100	$0.10	Small tip
500	$0.50	Nice appreciation
1,000	$1.00	Good tip
2,100	$2.10	Generous
5,000	$5.00	Very generous
10,000	$10.00	Exceptional
21,000	$21.00	Maximal

Zap Messages

Include a message to make zaps more meaningful:

• "Great thread!"
• "This helped me understand X"
• "Keep up the good work"

Zaps as Social Signals

Aggregation

Clients typically show:

• Total sats received
• Number of zaps
• Top zappers

⚡ 42,069 sats (23 zaps)

Quality Indicators

High zap counts signal:

• Valuable content
• Community approval
• Engagement quality

Advanced Features

Zapping Events vs Profiles

• Event zaps: Tip specific posts
• Profile zaps: General support for a user

Anonymous Zaps

Some clients support anonymous zapping:

• Sender identity hidden
• Uses anonymous pubkey
• Still publicly visible on content

Common Issues

Zaps Not Appearing

1. Check relay connectivity - Receipts need relay propagation
2. Wait a moment - Network latency
3. Check LNURL - Recipient setup may be wrong

Can't Send Zaps

1. Wallet not connected - Set up NWC
2. Insufficient balance - Fund your wallet
3. LNURL error - Recipient issue

LNURL Not Working

1. Domain issues - HTTPS required
2. Configuration - Check wallet service
3. Rate limits - Some services limit requests

Implementations

Wallets with Zap Support

• Alby - Browser extension, NWC
• Zeus - Mobile, self-custodial
• Mutiny - Web wallet
• Phoenix - Mobile Lightning

Clients with Zaps

• Damus - iOS native
• Amethyst - Android
• Primal - Web/mobile
• Nostrudel - Web
• Coracle - Web

See Also

• NIP-57 Specification
• Lightning Network
• Nostr Wallet Connect
• On-Chain Payments

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Zaps reached 1 million

On June 16, 2023, Nostr zaps crossed 1 million transactions - just four months after the feature launched. This demonstrated strong demand for micropayments in social media.