To help you get started, we've collected the most common ways that ln-service is being used within popular public projects.

Tierion / boltwall / tests / invoice.spec.ts View on Github

beforeEach(() => {
    // boltwall sets up authenticated client when it boots up
    // need to stub this to avoid connection errors and speed up tests
    lndGrpcStub = getLnStub('authenticatedLndGrpc', { lnd: {} })
    // keep known session secret so we can decode macaroons
    sessionSecret = 'my super secret'

    envStub = getEnvStub(sessionSecret)

    const request = parsePaymentRequest({ request: invoice.payreq })

    // stubbed response for invoice related requests made through ln-service
    invoiceResponse = {
      request: invoice.payreq,
      is_confirmed: true,
      id: request.id,
      secret: invoice.secret,
      tokens: 30,
      created_at: '2016-08-29T09:12:33.001Z',
      description: request.description,
    }

    builder = getTestBuilder(sessionSecret)

    getInvStub = getLnStub('getInvoice', invoiceResponse)
    createInvStub = getLnStub('createInvoice', {

View more ways to use ln-service

Lightning Network Service

Overview

The core of this project is a gRPC interface for node.js projects, available through npm.

Supported LND versions:

• v0.18.0-beta to v0.18.4-beta
• v0.17.0-beta to v0.17.5-beta
• v0.16.0-beta to v0.16.4-beta
• v0.15.2-beta to v0.15.5-beta
• v0.14.4-beta to v0.14.5-beta

For typescript-ready methods, check out https://github.com/alexbosworth/lightning#readme

Installing LND

There is a guide to installing LND on the LND repository: https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/blob/master/docs/INSTALL.md

Example LND configuration options (~/.lnd/lnd.conf)

[Application Options]
externalip=IP
rpclisten=0.0.0.0:10009

[Bitcoin]
bitcoin.active=1
bitcoin.mainnet=1
bitcoin.node=bitcoind

If you are interacting with your node remotely, make sure to set (in [Application Options])

tlsextradomain=YOURDOMAIN

If you're adding TLS settings, regenerate the cert and key by stopping lnd, deleting the tls.cert and tls.key - then restart lnd to regenerate.

If you're going to use extended gRPC APIs, make sure to add the APIs to make tags.

make && make install tags="autopilotrpc chainrpc invoicesrpc peersrpc routerrpc signrpc walletrpc watchtowerrpc wtclientrpc"

Using gRPC

You can install ln-service service via npm

npm install ln-service

To use authenticated methods you will need to provide LND credentials.

To export the credentials via a command, you can install balanceofsatoshis: npm install -g balanceofsatoshis and export via bos credentials --cleartext

Or you can export them manually:

Run base64 on the tls.cert and admin.macaroon files to get the encoded authentication data to create the LND connection. You can find these files in the LND directory. (~/.lnd or ~/Library/Application Support/Lnd)

base64 tls.cert
base64 data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon

Be careful to avoid copying any newline characters in creds. To exclude them:

base64 -w0 ~/.lnd/tls.cert
base64 -w0 ~/.lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon

You can then use these to interact with your LND node directly:

const lnService = require('ln-service');

const {lnd} = lnService.authenticatedLndGrpc({
  cert: 'base64 encoded tls.cert',
  macaroon: 'base64 encoded admin.macaroon',
  socket: '127.0.0.1:10009',
});

// Callback syntax
lnService.getWalletInfo({lnd}, (err, result) => {
  const nodeKey = result.public_key;
});

// Promise syntax
const nodePublicKey = (await lnService.getWalletInfo({lnd})).public_key;

An unauthenticatedLndGrpc function is also available for unlocker methods.

Subscriptions

• Besides the events listed in this documentation, all EventEmitter objects returned by any of the subscribeTo... methods also offer an error event. This event is triggered e.g. when LND is shut down. So, in order to detect and correctly handle such a situation, robust client code should generally also add a listener for the error event. For example, a function that will wait for and return the next forward but throw an exception when LND is either not reachable or shuts down while waiting for the forward would look something like this:

  const getNextForward = async (lnd) => {
      const emitter = subscribeToForwards({ lnd });
  
      try {
          return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
              emitter.on("forward", resolve);
              // Without the following line, the function will never throw
              // when the connection is lost after calling subscribeToForwards
              emitter.on("error", reject);
          });
      } finally {
          emitter.removeAllListeners();
      }
  };
  

• After the last listener has been removed from an EventEmitter object, the subscription is released and subsequent attempts to add a listener will result in an error. Call subscribeTo... again and add new listeners to the new EventEmitter object.

All Methods

• addAdvertisedFeature - Advertise a supported feature
• addExternalSocket - Advertise a new p2p host:ip address
• addPeer - Connect to a peer
• authenticatedLndGrpc - LND API Object
• beginGroupSigningSession - Start MuSig2 session
• broadcastChainTransaction - Push a chain tx
• cancelHodlInvoice - Cancel a held or any open invoice
• cancelPendingChannel - Cancel a pending open channel
• changePassword - Change the wallet unlock password
• closeChannel - Terminate an open channel
• connectWatchtower - Connect a watchtower
• createChainAddress - Get a chain address to receive at
• createFundedPsbt: Create a funded PSBT given inputs and outputs
• createHodlInvoice - Make a HODL HTLC invoice
• createInvoice - Make a regular invoice
• createSeed - Generate a wallet seed for a new wallet
• createSignedRequest - create a signed payment request
• createUnsignedRequest - create an unsigned invoice
• createWallet - Make a new wallet
• decodePaymentRequest - Decode a Lightning invoice
• deleteChainTransaction - Remove chain transaction
• deleteFailedPayAttempts - Remove records of failed pay attempts
• deleteFailedPayments - Remove records of payments that failed
• deleteForwardingReputations - Wipe node reps
• deletePayment - Delete the record of a single past payment
• deletePayments - Delete entire history of past payments
• deletePendingChannel - Delete a pending channel that will never confirm due to a conflicting confirmed transaction
• diffieHellmanComputeSecret - Get DH shared key
• disableChannel - Disable a channel for outgoing payments
• disconnectWatchtower - Disconnect a watchtower
• enableChannel - Enable a channel for outgoing payments
• endGroupSigningSession - Complete MuSig2 session
• fundPendingChannels - Fund pending open channels
• fundPsbt - Create an unsigned PSBT with funding inputs and spending outputs
• getAccessIds - Get granted macaroon root access ids
• getAutopilot - Get autopilot status or node scores
• getBackup - Get a backup of a channel
• getBackups - Get a backup for all channels
• getBlock - Get the raw block data given a block id in the chain
• getBlockHeader - Get the raw block header for a block
• getChainAddresses - Get created chain addresses
• getChainBalance - Get the confirmed chain balance
• getChainFeeEstimate - Get a chain fee estimate
• getChainFeeRate - Get the fee rate for a conf target
• getChainTransaction - Get single wallet transaction
• getChainTransactions - Get all chain transactions
• getChannel - Get graph information about a channel
• getChannelBalance - Get the balance of channel funds
• getChannels - Get all open channels
• getClosedChannels - Get previously open channels
• getConfiguration - Get configuration information
• getConnectedWatchtowers - Get connected towers
• getEphemeralChannelIds - Get other channel ids
• getFailedPayments - Get payments that were failed back
• getFeeRates - Get current routing fee rates
• getForwardingConfidence - Get pairwise confidence
• getForwardingReputations - Get graph reputations
• getForwards - Get forwarded routed payments
• getHeight - Get the current best chain height and block hash
• getIdentity - Get the node's identity key
• getInvoice - Get a previously created invoice
• getInvoices - Get all previously created invoices
• getLockedUtxos - Get all previously locked UTXOs
• getMasterPublicKeys - Get a list of master pub keys
• getMethods - Get available methods and associated permissions
• getNetworkCentrality - Get centrality score for nodes
• getNetworkGraph - Get the channels and nodes of the graph
• getNetworkInfo - Get high-level graph info
• getNode - Get graph info about a single node and its channels
• getPathfindingSettings - Get pathfinding system settings
• getPayment - Get a past payment
• getPayments - Get all past payments
• getPeers - Get all connected peers
• getPendingChainBalance - Get pending chain balance
• getPendingChannels - Get channels in pending states
• getPendingPayments - Get in-flight outgoing payments
• getPendingSweeps - Get sweeps waiting for resolution
• getPublicKey - Get a public key out of the seed
• getRouteConfidence - Get confidence in a route
• getRouteThroughHops - Get a route through nodes
• getRouteToDestination - Get a route to a destination
• getSettlementStatus - Get status of a received HTLC
• getSweepTransactions - Get transactions sweeping to self
• getTowerServerInfo - Get information about tower server
• getUtxos - Get on-chain unspent outputs
• getWalletInfo - Get general wallet info
• getWalletStatus - Get the status of the wallet
• getWalletVersion - Get the build and version of the LND
• grantAccess - Grant an access credential macaroon
• grpcProxyServer - REST proxy server for calling to gRPC
• isDestinationPayable - Check can pay to destination
• lockUtxo - Lock a UTXO temporarily to prevent it being used
• openChannel - Open a new channel
• openChannels - Open channels with external funding
• parsePaymentRequest - Parse a BOLT11 Payment Request
• partiallySignPsbt - Sign a PSBT without finalizing it
• pay - Send a payment
• payViaPaymentDetails - Pay using decomposed details
• payViaPaymentRequest - Pay using a payment request
• payViaRoutes - Make a payment over specified routes
• prepareForChannelProposal - setup for a channel proposal
• probeForRoute - Actively probe to find a payable route
• proposeChannel - Offer a channel proposal to a peer
• recoverFundsFromChannel - Restore a channel
• recoverFundsFromChannels - Restore all channels
• removeAdvertisedFeature - Remove feature from ad
• removeExternalSocket - Remove a p2p host:ip announce
• removePeer - Disconnect from a connected peer
• requestBatchedFeeIncrease - Request a batched CPFP spend on an unconfirmed outpoint
• requestChainFeeIncrease - Request a CPFP spend on a UTXO
• restrictMacaroon - Add limitations to a macaroon
• revokeAccess - Revoke all access macaroons given to an id
• routeFromChannels - Convert channel series to a route
• sendMessageToPeer - Send a custom message to a peer
• sendToChainAddress - Send on-chain to an address
• sendToChainAddresses - Send on-chain to addresses
• sendToChainOutputScripts - Send to on-chain script outputs
• setAutopilot - Turn autopilot on and set autopilot scores
• settleHodlInvoice - Accept a HODL HTLC invoice
• signBytes - Sign over arbitrary bytes with node keys
• signChainAddressMessage - Sign with chain address
• signMessage - Sign a message with the node identity key
• signPsbt - Sign and finalize an unsigned PSBT using internal keys
• signTransaction - Sign an on-chain transaction
• stopDaemon - Stop lnd
• subscribeToBackups - Subscribe to channel backups
• subscribeToBlocks - Subscribe to on-chain blocks
• subscribeToChainAddress - Subscribe to receives
• subscribeToChainSpend - Subscribe to chain spends
• subscribeToChannels - Subscribe to channel statuses
• subscribeToForwardRequests - Interactively route
• subscribeToForwards - Subscribe to HTLC events
• subscribeToGraph - Subscribe to network graph updates
• subscribeToInvoice - Subscribe to invoice updates
• subscribeToInvoices - Subscribe to all invoices
• subscribeToOpenRequests - Approve open requests
• subscribeToPastPayment - Subscribe to a payment
• subscribeToPastPayments - Subscribe to all sent payments
• subscribeToPayViaDetails - Pay using details
• subscribeToPayViaRequest - Pay using a request
• subscribeToPayViaRoutes - Pay using routes
• subscribeToPayments - Subscribe to outgoing payments
• subscribeToPeerMessages - Listen to incoming custom messages
• subscribeToPeers - Subscribe to peers connectivity
• subscribeToProbe - Subscribe to a probe for a route
• subscribeToProbeForRoute - Probe for a route
• subscribeToRpcRequests - Subscribe to rpc requests
• subscribeToTransactions - Subscribe to chain tx
• subscribeToWalletStatus - Subscribe to node state
• unauthenticatedLndGrpc - LND for locked lnd APIs
• unlockUtxo - Release a locked UTXO so that it can be used again
• unlockWallet - Unlock a locked lnd
• updateAlias - Update node graph identity alias
• updateChainTransaction - Update a chain transaction
• updateColor - Update node graph color value
• updateConnectedWatchtower - Update watchtower
• updateGroupSigningSession - Sign with MuSig2
• updatePathfindingSettings - Update pathfinding configuration
• updateRoutingFees - Change routing fees
• verifyAccess - Verify a macaroon has access
• verifyBackup - Verify a channel backup
• verifyBackups - Verify a set of channel backups
• verifyBytesSignature - Verify a signature over bytes
• verifyChainAddressMessage - Check chain message
• verifyMessage - Verify a message signed by a node identity

Additional Libraries

• bolt01 - bolt01 messaging utilities
• bolt03 - bolt03 transaction utilities
• bolt07 - bolt07 channel gossip utilities
• bolt09 - bolt09 feature flag utilities
• invoices - bolt11 request utilities
• lightning - methods with typescript typing support
• ln-accounting - accounting records
• ln-docker-daemons - run regtest integration tests
• ln-pathfinding - pathfinding utilities
• ln-sync - metadata helper methods
• probing - payment probing utilities
• psbt - BIP 174 PSBT utilities

addAdvertisedFeature

Add an advertised feature to the graph node announcement

Note: this method is not supported in LND versions 0.14.5 and below

Requires LND built with peersrpc build tag

Requires peers:write permissions

{
  feature: 
  lnd: 
}

@returns via cbk or Promise

Example:

const {addAdvertisedFeature} = require('ln-service');

// Add a new supported feature to the graph node announcement
await addAdvertisedFeature({lnd, feature: 12345});

addExternalSocket

Add a new advertised p2p socket address

Note: this method is not supported in LND versions 0.14.5 and below

Requires LND built with peersrpc build tag

Requires peers:write permissions

{
  lnd: 
  socket: 
}

@returns via cbk or Promise

Example:

const {addExternalSocket} = require('ln-service');

// Add a new address to advertise on the graph via gossip
await addExternalSocket({lnd, socket: '192.168.0.1:9735'});

addPeer

Add a peer if possible (not self, or already connected)

Requires peers:write permission

timeout is not supported in LND 0.11.1 and below

{
  [is_temporary]:  // Default: false
  lnd: 
  public_key: 
  [retry_count]: 
  [retry_delay]: 
  socket:  // ip:port
  [timeout]: 
}

@returns via cbk or Promise

Example:

const {addPeer} = require('ln-service');
const socket = hostIp + ':' + portNumber;
await addPeer({lnd, socket, public_key: publicKeyHexString});

authenticatedLndGrpc

Initiate a gRPC API Methods Object for authenticated methods

Both the cert and macaroon expect the entire serialized LND generated file

{
  [cert]: 
  [macaroon]: 
  [path]: