About

Matrix-Lightning-Tip-Bot (MLTB) is a lightning network BTC tip bot for the matrix network. It is inspired by the LightningTipBot Telegram project at https://github.com/LightningTipBot/LightningTipBot.

@AE9999 has started this project so he is the main actor here and all appreciations belong to him. Just updating and adding new functions here.

Warning

While I have tested this bot, it is in 'beta', don't put in more than you are willing to lose.

How to use

MLTB can either be used directly or be self run. Running your own instance requires access to a LNbits (https://lnbits.com/) instance with the https://github.com/lnbits/usermanager plugin installed.

Directly

I am are running a dedicated MLTB instance over at @lightning-wallet-bot:matrix.yourdevice.ch. Invite it to a room to get started immediately. After joining the bot should display the possible commands which are:

!tip     - Reply to a message to tip it: !tip <amount> [<memo>]
!balance - Check your balance: !balance
!send    - Send funds to a user: !send <amount> <@user> or <@user:domain.com> or <[email protected]> [<memo>]
!invoice - Receive over Lightning: !invoice <amount> [<memo>]
!pay     - Pay  over Lightning: !pay <invoice>
!help    - Read this help.\n\
!donate  - Donate to the matrix-lighting-tip-bot project: !donate <amount>
!party   - Start a Party: !party
!fiat-to-sats - Convert fiat to satoshis: !fiat-to-sats <amount> <currency (USD, EUR, CHF)>
!sats-to-fiat - Convert satoshis to fiat: !sats-to-fiat <amount> <currency (USD, EUR, CHF)>
!version - Print the version of this bot

My MLTB instance runs on this LightningNode https://amboss.space/node/034efe9ae4eecacc0a2d7cdff59852665398968cfea347185479cc049ccac5e8ec

Running your own instance

We recommend running your own MLTB instance using Docker https://www.docker.com/.

Running your own instance is done by:

1. Install prequisites
2. Create a new user for your lnbits instance
3. Building the docker image.
4. Generating a local Database file
5. Create a new user on your matrix-server for the bot to use
6. Constructing a config file
7. Running a MLTB

Install prequisites

Install java and libsqlite3 on your debian/ubuntu server with sudo apt install openjdk-17-jdk sudo apt install libsqlite3-dev

Create a new user for your lnbits instance

Create a new user on your instance which manages the wallets. Install the user manager application plugin for that user. The user can be a normal user, doesnt need to be a admin or a superuser account

Build Docker image

Building the Docker image is done with:

1. Install Docker (https://www.docker.com/)
2. Run ./gradlew buildDocker to build the docker image. On Windows this might need the --project-cache-dir=../cache option due to caching issues.

Generate local sqlite Database file

Generating the local Database file is done with:

1. Install Rust (https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install)
2. Install diesel (sqlite only) by running cargo install diesel_cli --no-default-features --features sqlite.
3. Run diesel migration run --database-url=wallet-bot.db to generate a local sqlite Database file.

Create a new matrix user for the bot

Create a new user on your matrix server which will be used my MLTB.

Construct a config file

Construct a file config.conf with the following entries:

--matrix-server=https://matrix.my-matrixserver.org     # Your Matrix Instance
--matrix-username=your_user_for_the_bot                # The username of the account your created
--matrix-password=the_passwort_for_that_user_account   # The password of your matrix bot
--lnbits-url=http://mylnbitsurl.com                    # The url of your LNbits instance
--lnbits-x-api-key=<LNBITS-X-API-KEY>                  # The user x-api-key for your LNbits instance. See https://github.com/lnbits/lnbits/wiki/LNbits-Extensions on how to obtain it.
--database-url=/db/db.db                               # The absolute path to your generated db.

Running

Run docker run --rm -v <path-to-config-directory>:/config/ -v <path-to-database-directory>:/db matrix-lightning-tip-bot matrix-lightning-tip-bot @/config/config.conf to start the MLTB container.

It is also possible to use the docker-compose file. This will require .env file containing the entries

CONFIG_DIR=<path-to-config-directory>
DATABASE_DIR=<path-to-database-directory>
CONFIG_FILE=@/config/config.conf

See https://docs.docker.com/compose/environment-variables/ for more information.

Contact

The developer has public matrix room at #matrix-lightning-tip-bot-discussion:s-software-solutions.nl

BTC Donations

Non lightning BTC donations are welcome at bc1q72dzh04fwxx780w05twtmn5fxzegpawdn5zg3g

Contributors lightning address (me) = [email protected]

Thanks

A big thanks the people over at LightningTipBot and @AE9999. This fork-project is in no way ment to replace or critique the great work they have been doing, merely to give more people access to the lightning network.

Scheduled TODOs

• make this work as an registered AS (Application Service) on your matrix homeserver instead of using a a matrix-user-account
• limit usage to specific matrix instances
• Inform users about donated funds.
• Graceliously handle multiple bots is a single
• integrate a fiat/rate conversion tool (✅)
• send sats directly to a lightning address (✅)