A Lightning address is like an email address, except instead of for messages, it’s for payments. It’s a unique identifier that enables simple and easy payments to be received through Bitcoin’s Lightning Network.

Lightning addresses are a user-friendly way to send and receive payments on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. They’re designed to simplify transactions by using a familiar format that looks and functions much like your email. This lets you make fast and secure bitcoin transactions, while matching a familiar experience.

Lightning addresses follow the standard email-like format: “username@domain.com”

• Username (the part before the “@”): This is the unique name that identifies the user.
• Domain (the part after the “@”): This is the name of the service providing the Lightning address, similar to an email service provider.

Each Lightning address is unique, just like how each email address is unique. Before sending to a friend’s Lightning address, make sure they’re the owner of that Lightning address because Lightning payments are not reversible.

It’s also important to note that not all Lightning-enabled Bitcoin wallet apps currently support Lightning addresses, though they are gaining popularity. The Strike app is a Bitcoin app that supports both sending and receiving via Lightning address.

How does a Lightning address work?

Using a Lightning address is as easy as using email. You input the Lightning address in your Lightning-enabled wallet app, enter an amount to send, tap “Confirm,” and the payment will be sent.

Under the hood, there are a couple extra steps that make this convenience possible. Here are the basics of how payments work using a Lightning address:

1. Entry of the address: In your wallet app, you enter the Lightning address of your recipient, an amount to send, and tap “Confirm.”
2. Invoice request: Your wallet app then contacts the server of the domain of the Lightning address, such as “strike.me,” and requests that the server generate a new Lightning invoice, payable to the specific username.
3. Invoice generation: The server then generates a Lightning invoice, containing the encoded details for the payment, such as an amount , a timestamp, and a unique identifier (the payment hash) required to secure and verify the transaction.
4. Invoice delivery: The server shares the Lightning invoice with your wallet app, which it is able to process automatically.
5. Completion of payment: The Lightning invoice is paid and the funds are transferred instantly through the Lightning Network.

Each time a payment to a Lightning address is initiated a new invoice is requested, generated, and paid ensuring that each transaction is unique and secure.

What are the benefits of Lightning addresses?

Lightning addresses offer convenience and familiarity to transacting via the Lightning Network. They add new dimensions to the payment experience:

• Simplicity: When requesting payments, people don’t have to generate a Lightning invoice, show and scan a QR code, or deal with expiration times of invoices.
• Memorability: Just like an email address, a Lightning address is easy to remember, making it much more convenient for sending payments.
• Reusability: Unlike Bitcoin addresses, which are best used only once for security and privacy reasons, a Lightning address can be used repeatedly. Each use will generate a new invoice, maintaining the same level of security and privacy, while offering added convenience.

The convenience of a Lightning address means that you can easily share your Lightning address with friends and family, post it on your social media account or add it to your email footer. Since bitcoin is a global money that operates 24/7/365 and the Lightning Network offers immediate payment delivery with no chargebacks, you can easily receive payments from anyone, anywhere, anytime.

How to get a Lightning address with Strike

Every Strike user is automatically given their own Lightning address when they sign up.

Your Strike Lightning address is simply your username followed by “@strike.me,” for example “jack@strike.me”. You can visit your Account screen to check your Lightning address and to share it with friends. You can also post your Strike Lightning address to your social media account, your email footer, or business card as a way to receive payments or tips into your account.

Receiving to your Lightning address:

When someone sends a payment to your Lightning address from any other Lightning-enabled wallet, the payment will be delivered to your Strike account. You can also choose to receive such unrequested (aka “passive”) payments to either your cash or bitcoin balance by visiting your Account screen, tapping “Bitcoin” settings, selecting “Receive currency,” and setting it to either cash or bitcoin.

Whenever someone sends you a payment that you didn’t request, that payment will be delivered according to your settings (unless the payment is less than $0.01, and therefore must be delivered as bitcoin).

Sending to a Lightning address:

You can also send cash or bitcoin payments to any Lightning address globally using the Strike app. As always, cash transactions are made from your Cash screen, while bitcoin payments are made from your Bitcoin screen.

To send to a Lightning address, tap “Send,” select “Username,” then input your recipient’s Lightning address. You can then enter an amount to send and confirm the payment. The Strike app will send the payment from your account (with cash payments being automatically converted to bitcoin when sent).

Strike also provides every user with their own unique “Tipping page,” which is like your own website through which to receive payments. Your tipping page is simply https://strike.me/username (with your actual username in place of your username).