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What is Zapf?

Zapf is an application and Zap Settlement Provider (ZSP) that bridges the Nostr protocol and Lightning network to web identities by implementing the Zap Protocol. 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 Zap Protocol Implementation​

At its core, the Zap Protocol 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 Discord or Email OAuth) and cryptographically links that identity to a Nostr public key.
  • Zap Settlement Provider (ZSP): 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, a settlement 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 Zap 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 Proxy Zaps 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 settlement server (ZSP), or integrate new identity providers.

Where to Next?​