Lightning Network MCP Server

Lightning Network MCP Server

The Lightning Network MCP Server allows large language model (LLM) agents—such as those running in Goose—to query Lightning node data using natural language. It implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) specification version 2025-03-26 and is fully compatible with MCP Inspector 1.7.0.

The server connects to your node using gRPC or Lightning Node Connect (LNC), and returns both readable summaries and machine-readable JSON output. It is designed to be modular, testable, and extensible to support additional node types such as Core Lightning and Eclair.

For architecture details, see ARCHITECTURE.md.

What It Does

The system interprets natural-language prompts, determines user intent, evaluates domain logic, and queries your Lightning node. Responses are returned in plain language and structured JSON. It currently supports basic channel queries and is actively evolving to cover broader node status, invoices, and routing data.

Example Query

Ask in natural language:

Show me my channels

Get human-readable responses:

Your node has 5 channels with a total capacity of 0.05000000 BTC (5,000,000 sats).
4 channels are active and 1 is inactive.

Your channels:
1. ACINQ: 0.02000000 BTC (2,000,000 sats) (active)
2. Bitrefill: 0.01000000 BTC (1,000,000 sats) (active)
3. LightningTipBot: 0.00800000 BTC (800,000 sats) (active)
4. Wallet of Satoshi: 0.00700000 BTC (700,000 sats) (active)
5. LN+: 0.00500000 BTC (500,000 sats) (inactive)

Plus structured JSON data for applications:

{
  "channels": [
    {
      "remote_alias": "ACINQ",
      "capacity": 2000000,
      "local_balance": 800000,
      "active": true
    },
    ...
  ],
  "summary": {
    "total_capacity": 5000000,
    "active_channels": 4,
    "inactive_channels": 1,
    "largest_channel_alias": "ACINQ",
    "average_local_balance": 750000
  }
}

The JSON output provides a structured version of the same data and is optimized for use by LLM agents, UI layers, or downstream applications.

Supported Features

Today, the system supports basic channel queries:

• “Show me my channels”

More robust queries are in development across the following domains:

• Channels
  “What is the health of my channels?”
  “Do I have any inactive channels?”

• Invoices
  “How many invoices have I received this week?”
  “What was my last payment?”

• Nodes
  “What node am I connected to the most?”
  “What node did I last forward a payment to?”

• Routing
  “How much have I routed in the last 24 hours?”
  “Which channels are doing most of the routing?”

Quick Start

This provides a zero-configuration development experience using real nodes.

Run with a Real Node (LND via gRPC or LNC)

cp .env.example .env
# Configure .env with your LND credentials
npm run mcp:prod

Connecting to an LND Node over Tor

To connect to an LND node running as a Tor hidden service:

1. Ensure Tor is installed and running on your system:

   # macOS (using Homebrew)
   brew install tor
   brew services start tor
   
   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt install tor
   sudo systemctl start tor
   

2. Configure your .env file with the Tor SOCKS proxy settings:

   CONNECTION_TYPE=lnd-direct
   LND_HOST=your-node-address.onion
   LND_PORT=10009
   LND_TLS_CERT_PATH=/path/to/tls.pem  # Use PEM format for better compatibility
   LND_MACAROON_PATH=/path/to/admin.macaroon
   SOCKS_PROXY_HOST=localhost
   SOCKS_PROXY_PORT=9050
   

3. Make sure your TLS certificate is in PEM format (begins with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----). If you have a raw certificate, you can convert it using the extract-credentials.js script.

Using the Credential Extraction Tool

If you have an lndconnect URL (commonly used in mobile apps), you can extract the credentials using:

# Extract credentials from an lndconnect URL
node scripts/extract-credentials.js "lndconnect://your-node.onion:10009?cert=BASE64CERT&macaroon=BASE64MACAROON"

# Or set LNDCONNECT_URL in your .env file and run
node scripts/extract-credentials.js

This script will:

• Extract the host, port, certificate, and macaroon
• Convert the certificate to PEM format (required for proper connection)
• Save the files to the test/fixtures directory
• Print the configuration to add to your .env file

Test with MCP Inspector

To test the server using the official MCP inspector:

npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
npm run build
LOG_LEVEL=warn npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node scripts/inspect.js

Compatibility

• MCP Specification version 2025-03-26
• MCP Inspector version 1.7.0
• MCP agent compatibility (e.g., Goose)
• gRPC support for direct node access
• LNC support for secure remote access
• JSON and natural-language output formats

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup, style, and testing guidance.

License

Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE.