satsrail-mcp
An MCP server that enables AI agents to accept Bitcoin Lightning payments. It allows agents to create orders, generate invoices, check payment status, and manage the full SatsRail merchant API through natural language.
README
<p align="center"> <h1 align="center">⚡ satsrail-mcp</h1> <p align="center"> <strong>Bitcoin Lightning payments for AI agents via Model Context Protocol</strong> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/package-json/v/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp" alt="version"></a> <a href="https://github.com/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp/actions/workflows/test.yml"><img src="https://github.com/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg" alt="tests"></a> <a href="https://github.com/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp" alt="license"></a> <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/protocol-MCP-blue" alt="MCP"></a> <a href="https://www.satsrail.com/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/payments-Lightning-orange" alt="Lightning"></a> </p> </p>
Give any MCP-compatible AI agent the ability to accept Bitcoin Lightning payments. Create orders, generate invoices, check payment status — all through natural language. No browser, no forms, no redirects.
Works with: Claude Desktop · Cursor · Windsurf · Cline · any MCP client
Why Lightning for AI Agents?
| Credit Cards | Lightning (SatsRail) | |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Browser forms, 3D Secure, redirects | One API call → invoice string |
| Settlement | 2-3 business days | Instant (seconds) |
| Fees | 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | Fractions of a cent |
| Microtransactions | Economically irrational under $5 | Works at any amount |
| Agent-friendly | Requires browser rendering | Pure API — no UI needed |
| Custody | Funds held by processor | Non-custodial — you keep your sats |
Quick Start
1. Get your API key
Sign up at satsrail.com and grab your secret key (sk_live_... or sk_test_...) from the dashboard.
2. Configure your AI tool
<details> <summary><strong>Claude Desktop</strong></summary>
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"satsrail": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "satsrail-mcp"],
"env": {
"SATSRAIL_API_KEY": "sk_test_your_key_here"
}
}
}
}
</details>
<details> <summary><strong>Cursor / Windsurf</strong></summary>
Add to .cursor/mcp.json (or .windsurf/mcp.json) in your project:
{
"mcpServers": {
"satsrail": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "satsrail-mcp"],
"env": {
"SATSRAIL_API_KEY": "sk_test_your_key_here"
}
}
}
}
</details>
<details> <summary><strong>Any MCP client (npx)</strong></summary>
SATSRAIL_API_KEY=sk_test_... npx satsrail-mcp
</details>
3. Use it
Ask your AI agent:
"Create a $25 order for a monthly subscription and generate a Lightning invoice"
The agent calls create_order, returns the bolt11 Lightning invoice, and the customer pays with any Lightning wallet. Settlement in seconds.
Available Tools
46 tools covering the full SatsRail merchant API.
Orders
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
create_order |
Create a payment order with optional auto-generated Lightning invoice. Supports idempotency_key. |
get_order |
Get order details by ID (expandable: invoice, payment, merchant) |
list_orders |
List and filter orders by status, currency, amount range, date range |
update_order |
Update a pending order, mark cash orders paid, mark paid orders shipped |
cancel_order |
Cancel a pending order |
Invoices
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
get_invoice |
Get invoice details including bolt11 Lightning payment string |
generate_invoice |
Generate a new invoice for an existing order. Supports idempotency_key. |
check_invoice_status |
Real-time payment verification against the Lightning node |
get_invoice_qr |
Get a QR code (SVG) for an invoice |
Payments
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_payments |
List confirmed payments with optional date and amount filters |
get_payment |
Get payment details by ID |
Payment Requests
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
create_payment_request |
One-call flow: creates an Order and Invoice together. Supports idempotency_key. |
get_payment_request |
Get details of a payment request |
get_payment_request_status |
Real-time payment status |
Checkout Sessions
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
create_checkout_session |
Create a hosted checkout. Supports product_id, customer pre-fill, success/cancel URLs |
list_checkout_sessions |
List sessions with filters |
get_checkout_session |
Get session by ID |
Products
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_products |
List products with name/status/SKU/external_ref filters |
get_product |
Get a product (UUID or slug) |
create_product / update_product / delete_product |
Full CRUD |
get_product_key |
Read the AES-256-GCM encryption key (sensitive — for re-encryption windows) |
rotate_product_key |
Rotate the encryption key, retaining old_key for re-encryption |
clear_product_old_key |
Clear old_key after re-encryption is complete |
Product Types
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_product_types / get_product_type / create_product_type / update_product_type / delete_product_type |
Full CRUD for product categories |
Webhooks
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_webhooks / get_webhook / create_webhook / update_webhook / delete_webhook |
Full CRUD for webhook endpoints (signing secret returned once on create) |
Catalog & Merchant
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
get_catalog |
Full catalog: product types, products, taxes, discounts |
get_catalog_version |
Lightweight version timestamp for cache invalidation |
get_merchant |
Current merchant profile and settings |
list_wallets / get_wallet |
Connected Lightning / Bitcoin wallets |
Compliance & Access
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_merchant_documents / get_merchant_document |
Read KYC and compliance documents (uploads and deletions are admin-only) |
verify_access_token |
Verify a macaroon access token, returns key + remaining time on success |
get_api_token_usage |
RPM and monthly request stats for an API token |
list_subscription_plans |
Public list of subscription plans (no auth required) |
All list_* tools accept page and per_page (1–100, default 25). All metadata fields follow the portal's limits: ≤50 keys, ≤40-char keys, ≤500-char string values.
Example: Complete Payment Flow
User: "Charge me $50 for the pro plan"
Agent → create_order(amount_cents: 5000, description: "Pro Plan", generate_invoice: true)
← order_id: "ord_abc123", bolt11: "lnbc500u1pj...kqq5yxmetu"
Agent: "Here's your Lightning invoice — scan the QR or copy the payment string."
User: "Paid!"
Agent → check_invoice_status(invoice_id: "inv_xyz789")
← { status: "paid", settled_at: "2026-02-19T..." }
Agent: "Payment confirmed! Your Pro plan is active. ⚡"
Use Cases
- SaaS billing — Agents that sell API access, subscriptions, or per-task services and collect payment in the conversation
- Agent-to-agent commerce — Autonomous agents paying each other for services (translation, compute, data) with instant settlement
- Invoice automation — Generate and send Lightning invoices programmatically based on milestones, usage, or schedules
- Multi-merchant platforms — Build agent-powered marketplaces where AI handles checkout across vendors
- Micropayments — Pay-per-query, pay-per-generation, pay-per-anything — amounts too small for credit cards
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
SATSRAIL_API_KEY |
Yes | Your SatsRail API key (sk_live_* or sk_test_*) |
SATSRAIL_BASE_URL |
No | API base URL (default: https://satsrail.com) |
Test Mode
Use sk_test_* keys to create test orders and invoices in a fully isolated sandbox. No real payments processed, no test data mixing with production.
Non-Custodial
SatsRail never holds your funds. Connect your own Lightning node — payments settle directly to your wallet. Learn more about our non-custodial architecture →
SDKs
Need direct API access instead of MCP? Use our SDKs:
Resources
- Developer Docs — Quickstart, testing, webhooks, embed
- AI Agents Guide — Agent payment flows and architecture
- API Reference — Full REST API documentation
- Use Cases — Bitcoin payments across industries
- Pricing — Zero transaction fees
- Blog — Lightning payments, agent economy, Bitcoin adoption
Local development
git clone https://github.com/SatsRail/satsrail-mcp
cd satsrail-mcp
npm install
npm test # vitest — unit + smoke against a fake server
SATSRAIL_API_KEY=sk_test_xxx npm start
Drive it interactively with the MCP Inspector:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node src/index.js
Contributing
Issues and PRs welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
License
MIT — see LICENSE for details.
<p align="center"> <strong>The payment rail for the agent economy.</strong><br> <a href="https://www.satsrail.com/">satsrail.com</a> · <a href="https://x.com/satsrail">@satsrail</a> </p>
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