[jb55]

There is no "zaps balance". Zaps are just receipts of lightning payments.

The basic idea is that a lightning node will detect when the invoice with a nostr note inside is paid, and then send the receipt to nostr as a nostr note, with the original bolt11 invoice inside with the signature from the user who sent the zap.

It's all described by NIP-57, a spec I put together to support this:

https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/57.md

I was working on c-lightning at the time and I thought it would be really cool to replace the "like" button with an instant bitcoin micro-payment. I think it worked out quite well! There are many sites utilizing zaps in all aspects of the protocol, such as a decentralized market for AI job requests (data vending machines), zapgoals and zap fundraisers. All built on this note type. protocol synergy!

[evbogue]

I read NIP-57 just now.

I guess what confused me is I've used Nostr clients where everyone has a Zap button. Who is holding onto those lighting receive addresses until they specify where they want the funds to go?

Like if someone Zaps me right now, I haven't specified a place for those Zaps to go. Do I call the Damus staff and they send the total of the micropayments Zapped to me over Nostr to a Bitcoin receive address? I don't think anyone has Zapped me, I'm just trying to wrap my mind around how it works since I was wrong earlier.

Maybe I need to set aside an afternoon and read about how Lighting works, perhaps I just don't get that protocol.

[supertestnet]

> if someone Zaps me right now, I haven't specified a place for those Zaps to go

then you can't be zapped

you can only be zapped if your profile has a tag in it that tells people where to send your zaps to

without that, a zap button shouldn't show up, and if it does show up, it shouldn't do anything

[evbogue]

Ok, this makes sense. I must have been using a client that had 'Zap' icons and because I didn't have a Zap balance I just assumed the buttons didn't work because I had no balance.

I didn't realize every single person who downloads a zap-supporting client had to also set up a separate app to handle the micro-transactions and host that app somewhere where it is available 24/7 in case their post gets zapped.

[kdragon]

it's not that big a deal if you use a hosted wallet. There's quite a few options out there, like stacker.news or wallet of satoshi.

[clarkmoody]

Lightning is an online protocol, so your wallet must be available to complete the transaction. No online wallet, no zaps.