Lightning Enable - Payment as Authentication for AI Agents
Lightning Enable

Make APIs economically accessible.

No accounts. No API keys. Payment = access.

Agents don't authenticate with credentials. They authenticate with payment. Lightning Enable is the infrastructure layer that turns payment into authentication.

For agents and API consumers — infrastructure handled behind the scenes.

Use L402 APIs Sell with L402

Consumer Tools

Everything you need to use L402 APIs. Free, open source, no account required.

8,500+ downloads

Give your agent a wallet in minutes

15 tools for AI agent payments. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, and any MCP-compatible client.

NuGet (.NET) PyPI (Python) Docker
Read the setup guide →

L402 HTTP Clients

Drop-in HTTP client. Handles 402 challenges, payments, and credential caching automatically.

Python .NET TypeScript Docs

Agent SDKs

Higher-level SDK for building agents with built-in L402 payment capabilities.

Python TypeScript .NET Docs

Compatible wallets: LND, Strike, Alby Hub, CoinOS. OpenNode/Primal work for direct payments but don't return preimage for L402.

L402 HTTP Clients — HTTP for the paid web

Three lines. Paid APIs just work.

Install the library. Set one env var. Write normal code. Invoices are paid automatically, credentials cached, budgets enforced.

Install
pip install l402-requests
export STRIKE_API_KEY="your-key"
Use
import l402_requests
r = l402_requests.get(url)
print(r.json())  # paid ✓
Auto-payment Budget controls Credential caching 4 wallet backends Zero per-txn fees

See it live: an AI agent completing a real transaction

"Buy a Lightning Enable snapback for my colleague's birthday."

Agent browses catalog → selects product → pays Lightning invoice → returns claim link. No account. No credit card. No human needed for the transaction.

Running in production at store.lightningenable.com

Producer Infrastructure

Deploy L402 payment gating. Your users and agents never need an account.

Monetize any API endpoint

Connect your payment provider, configure your endpoints, and deploy. Lightning Enable turns your API into an L402-protected service. Consumers authenticate by paying — you never manage user accounts.

Use our dashboard to set per-endpoint pricing, manage API manifests for agent discoverability, and monitor revenue in real time. Your APIs become accessible to every L402-compatible agent — no integration work on their side.

  • Easy-to-use dashboard to monetize any API endpoint
  • Full API manifest for agent discoverability
  • L402 protocol infrastructure — turnkey deployment
  • Strike + OpenNode payment processing
  • Create and pay Lightning invoices programmatically
  • Multi-tenant API isolation
  • Webhook event notifications
  • Enterprise security patterns

Agents experience an accountless world. Builders configure infrastructure once so agents don't have to.

Maximum Discoverability

Your API is listed across multiple directories so agents can find you automatically.

  • ✓L402 API Registry — agents discover by keyword
  • ✓MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io)
  • ✓Agent Commerce Store (agent-commerce.store)
  • ✓NostrWolfe agent relay network

2 Producer MCP Tools

Your agents become sellers, not just buyers. Create and verify L402 challenges programmatically.

create_l402_challenge

Create a Lightning invoice + macaroon that your agent presents to other agents or users as a 402 challenge.

verify_l402_payment

Verify an L402 token (macaroon + preimage) to confirm payment before granting access to your resource.

E-Commerce Capabilities

Serve both human customers and AI agents from the same infrastructure. Lightning Enable handles the payment protocol so you can focus on your product.

  • ✓Human and AI agent purchases
  • ✓Shopify L402 checkout integration
  • ✓White-glove onboarding support
  • ✓Stripe subscription billing

Platform Integrations

Included with any Agentic Commerce plan. Pre-built connectors for:

How Funds Flow

Bring Your Own API Key. Lightning Enable is middleware — your payment provider handles custody and settlement.

How agent-native access works

1

Agent Requests

Any HTTP client hits a protected endpoint.

GET /api/resource
2

L402 Challenge

Server returns a Lightning invoice for the exact cost.

HTTP 402 + invoice
3

Agent Pays

Payment settles in milliseconds. The preimage is cryptographic proof.

preimage = proof
4

Access Granted

Payment hash is the credential. No accounts. No cookies.

L402 token → resource

Zero Infrastructure Required

What you don't need

  • Lightning node
  • Liquidity management
  • Docker / Kubernetes
  • Protocol expertise

What you do need

  • Starting at $99/mo
  • Payment provider account (Strike or OpenNode)
  • 5 minutes to configure
  • An API to monetize

Why Lightning Enable?

You could run your own Lightning node, manage Docker containers, and implement L402 from scratch. Or you could ship this week.

⚡

Zero Infrastructure

No Lightning node. No Docker. No protocol expertise. Bring a Strike or OpenNode API key — we handle invoices, macaroons, preimage verification, and settlement. You write your app.

DIY alternative: Run LND/CLN + Docker + implement L402 protocol + manage channel liquidity + handle uptime
🌐

Dual Protocol: L402 + MPP

The only platform supporting both L402 (macaroon + preimage) and Machine Payments Protocol out of the box. Your APIs work with any agent — regardless of which payment standard they use.

DIY alternative: Implement each protocol separately, maintain compatibility, handle edge cases
🔗

Agent Discovery Built In

Your APIs are automatically listed across multiple discovery channels: the Agent Commerce Store (21 live APIs, 1–10 sats/call), NostrWolfe (agent relay with encrypted negotiation and reputation attestations), and the L402 Registry.

DIY alternative: Build your own directory, marketing, SEO — and hope agents find you
💰

Flat Pricing, No Revenue Share

$99–$299/mo flat. Zero per-transaction fees from us. Payments settle directly to YOUR provider account. We never touch your funds, control keys, or take a cut. You keep 100% of what agents pay.

DIY alternative: Free tooling but ongoing costs for infrastructure, monitoring, liquidity management, and maintenance

Billing for developers and platform builders

Pricing

Deploy L402 infrastructure with predictable, flat-rate billing.

30-Day Free Trial

Agentic Commerce — Individual

$99/month

Full L402 access for individual developers

Full Agentic Commerce for individual developers. L402 + settlement via Strike API.

  • Full REST API access
  • L402 protocol support
  • Pay-per-request billing
  • AI agent compatibility (MCP)
  • Settlement via Strike API
30-Day Free Trial

Agentic Commerce — Business

$299/month

Pay-per-request API monetization

For platforms monetizing APIs, AI access, or usage-metered services via Lightning.

  • Everything in Individual plan
  • L402 protocol support
  • Pay-per-request billing
  • Usage metering dashboard
  • White-glove onboarding
30-Day Free Trial

Agentic Commerce — Business

$299/month

Pay-per-request API monetization

For platforms monetizing APIs, AI access, or usage-metered services via Lightning.

  • Everything in Individual plan
  • L402 protocol support
  • Pay-per-request billing
  • Usage metering dashboard
  • White-glove onboarding

Flat subscription — no per-transaction fees from us. Your provider may charge their own fees.*

📅

30-Day Free Trial on Select Plans

No charge until trial ends. Card required. Cancel anytime during the trial at no cost. Available on Agentic Commerce plans.

Pay with Bitcoin — 10% off, Lightning invoice, no contracts.

Pay with Bitcoin

What Lightning Enable Doesn't Do

Hold funds (your provider does)
Control private keys
Process settlements (your provider does)
Charge per transaction

Lightning Enable is API middleware. Your payment provider (Strike or OpenNode) facilitates custody and settlement. Consult legal counsel for your regulatory obligations.