When you post publicly on Nostr, readers can “Zap” bitcoin payments to you in response. Zaps can be for whatever denomination the sender chooses, typically measured in sats. I often zap 50 sats as a way to “like” posts I read, which is about a penny’s worth of bitcoin today.
Zaps are confirmed by the receiving wallet and publicly recorded as Nostr events. Your Nostr profile will need to include your lightning address (LUD16) to receive zaps. Consider using one of these lightning wallets on your smartphone and/or PC to get started.
- Wallet of Satoshi – iOS, Android
- Alby – Mac/PC Chrome Plugin
Send a small amount of bitcoin to your lightning wallet to use with Nostr. Today 45,000 sats are worth about $10 USD. I am amazed how easy it is to send and receive very small amounts of bitcoin aroung the globe in seconds.
Follow these links to learn more about Bitcoin and/or Lightning. If you don’t already own some bitcoin, exchange US Dollars for bitcoin with services like Cash.app, Coinbase, or Gemini.
Warning: Bitcoin value vs. the US Dollar is volatile. Don’t buy more than you can afford to lose.