# Lightning addresses: an email-like name that requests an invoice A Lightning Address is a human-readable name, such as alice@example.com, that a compatible wallet resolves through a service to obtain a Lightning invoice. It is not an ordinary on-chain Bitcoin address, and it need not be an email mailbox. The domain and service are part of the payment path, so check the resolved request and the recipient before paying. Evidence: [Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md); [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md) Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/lightning-addresses/ Published: 2026-10-02 Substantively modified: 2026-10-02 Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T19:29:20.637Z Data current through: 2026-10-02 AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied. ## Key facts - **Format:** A username and domain ([Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md)) - **Resolution:** The wallet asks a service for payment details ([Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md); [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md)) - **Payment:** The service returns a Lightning invoice ([LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md)) ## A readable name leads to a fresh invoice The Lightning Address convention maps a name to an LNURL-pay endpoint. The wallet first obtains metadata and permitted amounts, then requests an invoice for the selected amount. It checks that the returned invoice agrees with that request before attempting payment. The service therefore participates when the invoice is obtained. A memorable name does not remove server availability, domain-control or software-compatibility assumptions. Evidence: [Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md); [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md) ## The wallet still needs to check the amount Suppose a service permits payments from 1,000 to 100,000 satoshis and you choose 5,000. The protocol represents that chosen amount as 5,000,000 millisatoshis because one satoshi contains 1,000 millisatoshis. The returned invoice should request that amount. These are illustrative limits, not defaults. The domain example.com is a reserved example domain here, not a payment destination. Evidence: [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md) ## A stable name comes with a service relationship The resolution service receives the requests needed to supply payment metadata and invoices. Its operator may be different from the person whose name you recognize. A valid invoice does not prove that a lookalike domain belongs to the intended recipient. Confirm changed payment details through a trusted channel. The convention describes how to obtain invoices; it does not itself tell you whether the recipient controls their Lightning keys or uses a custodial account. Evidence: [Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md); [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md) ## Questions ### Can I send on-chain BTC to a Lightning Address? The email-like name is not itself an on-chain Bitcoin destination. A compatible wallet resolves it to a Lightning payment request. Any additional on-chain conversion is a separate wallet or service feature. Evidence: [Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md); [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md) ### Does the address have to receive email? No. Its email-like syntax identifies a payment-resolution endpoint. The convention does not require an email mailbox at that name. Evidence: [Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md) ## Claims and scope ### lightning-addresses-quick-answer A Lightning Address is a human-readable name, such as alice@example.com, that a compatible wallet resolves through a service to obtain a Lightning invoice. It is not an ordinary on-chain Bitcoin address, and it need not be an email mailbox. The domain and service are part of the payment path, so check the resolved request and the recipient before paying. Educational explanation. Product-specific behavior is scoped to the cited documentation, checked 2026-10-02. Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### lightning-addresses-fact-format Format: A username and domain Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### lightning-addresses-fact-resolution Resolution: The wallet asks a service for payment details Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### lightning-addresses-fact-payment Payment: The service returns a Lightning invoice Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ## Sources - [Pay to static internet identifiers](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/16.md) — LNURL contributors. Lightning Address resolution to a domain-hosted LNURL-pay endpoint. Locator: Paying to internet identifiers: username/domain resolution to LNURL-pay; metadata text/identifier versus text/email. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:57.523Z. - [LNURL-pay](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnurl/luds/913c49e5b65081473eed7889eee5f806dd30f049/06.md) — LNURL contributors. HTTP callback, amount bounds, metadata and invoice verification in LNURL-pay. Locator: LNURL-pay: metadata and amount response, invoice callback and wallet verification steps. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:57.478Z. ## Revision history - 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and separate automated verification. ## Cite this entry Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Lightning addresses: an email-like name that requests an invoice.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/lightning-addresses/