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What is Zapf?

Zapf is an application and LNURL server that bridges the Nostr protocol and Lightning network to web identities by implementing AltZap. Our mission is simple: Zap Anyone, Anywhere.

With Zapf, you can send micro-payments (zaps) to anyone using identifiers they already have—like an Email address, Discord ID, X handle, or Phone number—even if they haven't set up a wallet yet.

The Core Problem​

Traditional Lightning or crypto payments require the recipient to generate an invoice. This means both sender and recipient must be online, and the recipient must already have a wallet. This creates friction when onboarding new users to energy-backed coins like Bitcoin and Flokicoin.

Zapf solves this by elevating Nostr's NIP-57 (Zaps) ↗ standard beyond native pubkeys. It lets you send payments across chains and platforms without locking into one provider. Zapf follows the Web of Fun (WoF) ↗ philosophy: a cooperative, permissionless web where identity and payments work together.

The AltZap Implementation​

At its core, AltZap relies on a strict separation of concerns—think of it like a credit card transaction:

  • Identity Authority (IA): Acts as the "Bank". It verifies who you are (e.g., via challenge-token — bot-assisted for Discord/Telegram) and cryptographically links that identity to a Nostr public key.
  • LNURL server: Acts as the "Payment Processor". It manages the Lightning/Flokicoin node, moves the money, and issues the final cryptographic receipt.

Using this architecture, Zapf serves as a multi-chain gateway built on Nostr that connects traditional accounts to crypto wallets non-custodially:

  1. Universal Identity: Map any abstract legacy identifier (email:loki@gmail.com) to a Nostr public key via an Identity Connection.
  2. Fallback Escrow: If the user doesn't have a wallet, an LNURL server holds the funds securely via the Fallback Address and notifies them.
  3. Stateless Claiming: Users prove ownership of their legacy identifier, generating a local Nostr keypair to publish their connection, which signals the server to sweep the funds to their new node.
  4. Verifiable Settlement: Every payment generates a cryptographically verifiable AltZap Receipt, ensuring finality even for custodial payments.

Key Features​

  • User-Owned Profiles: Users own their social graph and payment routing preferences via NIP-05 ↗.
  • NWC Native: Full support for Nostr Wallet Connect (NIP-47 ↗) for 1-click, permissionless sending and receiving.
  • Multi-Chain Zaps: Native support for standard NIP-57 zaps ↗ and On-Behalf AltZaps open to all energy-backed liquidity networks (like Bitcoin and Flokicoin).
  • Protocol Extensibility: Because of the separation of concerns, anyone can run their own Identity Authority (IA), operate an independent LNURL server, or integrate new identity providers.

Where to Next?​