Lightning

Methods for working with the Lightning Network

LND Authentication

To connect to an LND node, authentication details are required.

Export credentials via CLI: balanceofsatoshis: npm install -g balanceofsatoshis and export via bos credentials --cleartext

Or 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 ~/.lnd/tls.cert | tr -d '\n'
base64 ~/.lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon | tr -d '\n'

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

const {authenticatedLndGrpc} = require('lightning');

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

To access unauthenticated methods like the wallet unlocker, use unauthenticatedLndGrpc instead.

Methods

authenticatedLndGrpc

Initiate an gRPC API Methods Object for LND authenticated methods.

{
  [cert]: <Base64 or Hex Serialized LND TLS Cert>
  macaroon: <Base64 or Hex Serialized Macaroon String>
  [socket]: <Host:Port String>
}

@throws
<Error>

@returns
{
  lnd: {
    autopilot: <Autopilot gRPC Methods Object>
    chain: <ChainNotifier gRPC Methods Object>
    default: <Default gRPC Methods Object>
    invoices: <Invoices gRPC Methods Object>
    router: <Router gRPC Methods Object>
    signer: <Signer gRPC Methods Object>
    wallet: <WalletKit gRPC Methods Object>
  }
}

Example:

const {authenticatedLndGrpc} = require('lightning');

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

emitGrpcEvents

Emit events from a gRPC call

{
  [cert]: <Base64 or Hex Serialized LND TLS Cert String>
  [socket]: <Host:Port Network Address String>
  ws: {
    on: <Add Event Listener Function>
    send: <Send Data Function>
  }
}

Example:

const {emitGrpcEvents} = require('lightning');
const {Server} = require('ws');

const app = express();

const server = app.listen(port);

const wss = new Server({server});

wss.on('listening', () => {});
wss.on('connection', ws => emitGrpcEvents({cert, socket, ws}));

grpcRouter

Get a gRPC gateway router

{
  [cert]: <Base64 or Hex Serialized LND TLS Cert String>
  [socket]: <Host:Port Network Address String>
}

@returns
<Router Object>

Example:

const {grpcRouter, lndGateway} = require('lightning');

const app = express();

// Start an Express server
app.listen(port);

// Attach grpc as a router
app.use('/grpc/', grpcRouter({}));

lndGateway

Interface to an LND gateway server.

{
  [cert]: <Base64 or Hex Serialized Gateway TLS Cert String>
  [macaroon]: <Use Base 64 Encoded Macaroon String>
  request: <Request Function>
  url: <LND Gateway URL String>
}

@throws
<Error>

@returns
{
  lnd: <LND gRPC Gateway Object>
}

Example:

const {lndGateway} = require('lightning');
const request = require('request');

// Set request to npm request package, macaroon to base64, url to Express server
const {lnd} = lndGateway({request, macaroon, url});

// Use lnd to make API calls proxied through the grpcRouter gateway server

unauthenticatedLndGrpc

Unauthenticated gRPC interface to the Lightning Network Daemon (LND).

Make sure to provide a cert when using LND with its default self-signed cert

{
  [cert]: <Base64 or Hex Serialized LND TLS Cert String>
  [socket]: <Host:Port String>
}

@throws
<Error>

@returns
{
  lnd: {
    unlocker: <Unlocker LND GRPC Api Object>
  }
}

Example:

const {unauthenticatedLndGrpc} = require('lightning');
const {lnd} = unauthenticatedLndGrpc({});