LNtxBot User's Guide
How to use Bitcoin LN on Telegram
16 Jan 2023 - The LNTXBOT shuts down for rebuilding, until further notice
LNtxBot is a wonderful tool if you are using Telegram. It is a bot that makes it easy to send BTC / satoshis through Telegram chats/groups. It is widely used to give tips (tips) to other members of a chat group or directly to another Telegram user. From here you can do even more interesting things, all within Telegram and some functionalities also outside of Telegram.
LNtxBot offers a specific LN wallet for your Telegram account, using the LNDHUB protocol. It is maintained by Fiatjaf, developer of this bot and many other cool stuff with LN.
But at any time you can withdraw your sats (satoshis) from there in any other LN wallet and even onchain. You can also connect this wallet-bot with your Bluewallet mobile app or Zeus LN mobile app and thus have more control, outside of Telegram whenever you want.
REMINDER
Keep in mind that this is a custodial wallet, that means yo do not have full 100% control of your funds in this wallet. The bot server is a single point of failure: can be seized, shut down, destroyed. So keep in mind this aspect and do not use as it should be your own HODL wallet. We use this bot wallet, to get familiarized with sats, LN, invoices, QR codes, tips and fun. So users don’t have to buy some BTC before testing their wallets. Fiatjaf (the dev) is doing all his best to keep it updated and alive.
If you want to add the bot to a group, make sure also that is "admin" in that group. Is working better, in special if there's another bot in the group. When are various bots in the same group chat, you have to "call" the bot using the @lntxbot, example: /tip@lntxbot. If the lntxbot is the only bot in the group, you can use as command just /tip <amount>. If you use the LNTXBOT together with other anti-spam Telegram bots (eg. shieldy), keep in mind to make it admin and remove restrictions for it, otherwise some commands will not work.
This bot was created to help new users with their first steps into LN (Lightning Network). Please don't abuse it and use it more to promote LN usage. It can be a very handy tool in teaching new users.
If you need help or you have some issues with the bot, you can join to dedicated TG group for LNtxBot support. You will have to pay an entrance fee using LN invoice (is more to keep away the spammers). Bellow in this mini-guide you can learn how to use this feature for your own groups.
Save your lntxbot lndhub link in a safe place (eg. password manager). This is your wallet backup! Do not share this link! The link is in this format:
lndhub://4400:<long_string>https://lntxbot.com
Now @LNTXBOT also supports Lightning Address so by default you have one like TGusername@lntxbot.com and anybody can send you sats to that LN Address. Simply type /send 10 TGuser@lntxbot.com to send 10 sats to that user.
BASIC SETUP
1. Telegram User Profile
Verify in your Telegram, your user profile to have set / configured a nickname, as if it were an email. Video tutorial here. It starts with @ and you can put any fictitious name there. It is a way to hide / protect your mobile number in groups of public chats. I have seen many people who leave their public mobile numbers and advertise with this number shortly after using a @nick. It is good that this nickname is not related to your real name, and also the name above that appears public. Another important thing: do not let everyone see your mobile number, also if you are in public groups. In Telegram options you enter security and adjust as little as possible.
NOTICE! If you start using the LNtxBot it is recommended that you do not change this name, because the LNtxBot wallet is linked to this name.
As soon as you have it configured, a link like this will be created containing your @name: https://lntxbot.com/@YourTGName. This link contains a QR code and an LNURL that is like a blank LN invoice, always ready to receive sats. You can easily post this QR and/or the link on your web pages, social media profiles, print it on paper, wherever you want, where people can scan & send you tips, directly to your wallet-bot in Telegram (which you can also see in your Bluewallet /Zeus app).
2. Using the bot outside Telegram
a. Connect the wallet-bot with Bluewallet app on your mobile.
Once you have done point 1. you enter the LNtxBot chat in your Telegram @lntxbot / https://t.me/lntxbot (if you can’t find it, you simply search for lntxbot). In this private chat you type /bluewallet and you will get a QR code and a link.
Copy this link. You open the Bluewallet mobile app, and from the top of the “+” you add another wallet, but you do not select one of the 2 types that appear there (blue and yellow). Below you have the “Import” button, you click it there and you get a box to paste the link that you have copied from the LNtxBot.
Once the new wallet-bot is connected / imported, you can give it a name, for example LNtxBot and thus identify it easier. From this moment you can already operate with this wallet-bot from both, the Bluewallet and Telegram and also receive alerts when you receive a tip.
b. Connect the wallet-bot with Zeus app on your mobile.
Open Zeus app, go to top right corner - settings, click on red button "add new node".
Click on "node interface" and select LNDHUB
in "host" box, just paste/scan QR the lntxbot LNDHUB link (obtained from private chat with @lntxbot typing /bluewallet, see previous point)
no need to put "certificate validation"
save node config and done, your bot-wallet is connected to your Zeus app and can use it as a normal LN wallet.
In case you want to reset your LNTXBOT credentials to link to a lndhub account, use the command: /bluewallet_refresh
This command erases your previous password and prints a new string. You'll have to re-import the credentials on Bluewallet after this step. Only do it if your previous credentials were compromised.
3. Learn more about bot commands
From the @LNtxBot chat you write /help and he will get a complete list of commands that can be used with this bot. Be within a group or communicate with the bot.
Also if you write /tutorial in the @LNtxBot chat then you will get other wonders that can be done with this bot.
You can use @LNtxBot to pay and receive Lightning invoices, it keeps track of your balances and a history of your transactions.
- To pay invoices, just paste them in the bot chat or forward them to @lntxbot
- To generate invoices, use /invoice (see /help_invoice)
- To pay or withdraw or login with lnurl, just paste the lnurl code in the bot chat
- To see your history of transactions use /transactions
- To see your balance use /balance, you write this command only in the chat of the @LNtxBot and it indicates the balance of your wallet-bot.
- All other actions have commands that can be quite complex, /help and /help <command>
REMINDER: If the bot is not member of a group, but you still want to send some sats to an user, you could start the command using @lntxbot <command> <amount sats> @userX. A popup window with the command will appear and you just click on ti to be send.
You can use also the following monikers to tip/send:
Multiply animals is not allowed. We love animals and inter-breeding is a bad thing.
Now you can use also the Lightning Address format to send, like user@lntxbot.com
BASIC COMMANDS
a - Tipping
/tip – a way to tip a member of a TG group. This command works only in a group where the bot is member. You write this in a chat group, which has as a member the bot @LntxBot: /tip 10 @userX – it means you send 10 sats to userX (username in TG). You can also reply to a message from userX and then just put /tip 10
b - Giving
/giveaway - If the @LNtxBot is not added to the group (it would be better to add it) then if you want to give some satoshis to this group, simply in the group chat you write @lntxbot giveaway 10. Whoever first clicks on “claim” receives this gift .
c - Sending
Other ways to give to somebody some sats, without need of LN invoice (use this command in the chat room with the bot or in the group chat):
/send 50 @UserName – send 50 sats to indicated user
/send 2*50 @UserName – send 2 x 50 sats (100) to indicated user
/send 'rand()*bear' - will send a random amount from 1 to bear (5 sats)
/send 50 user@lntxbot.com - using the new Lightning Address format
d - Funding
To fund your wallet in Telegram (@LNtxBot), you have the following options:
Simply scan your donation page https://lntxbot.com/@YourTGName with a LN wallet that supports LNURL (Bluewallet, SBW, Phoenix, Zeus, Blixt etc) and send whatever amount you want (min is 100 sats).
Simply create an invoice using the bot command /invoice 1000 "text comment" and then you scan/copy-paste that invoice with another wallet.
Using LNurl-pay - you have by default a LNurl for your Telegram account as https://lntxbot.com/@YourTGName but also you can generate another one for other deposits. So go to @lntxbot chat and type: /receive lnurl - it will generate a new LNURL that can be used anywhere to deposit to.
e - LN Vouchers
You can create withdraw vouchers, with specific amount, directly from your LNTXBOT wallet. If you want to print them or give them to other people that can't/don't want to use Telegram/LNTXBOT just their usual LN wallets, these vouchers are perfectly usable with any wallet app that support LNURL-w.
LNurl-withdraw, example command is /withdraw_lnurl_50 is generating a QR code and a LNURL-w address with "pre-loaded" sats to be withdraw. People can scan them and receive directly into their wallets the sats you setup to be taken from your lntxbot wallet balance. Each code is one time use available.
f - Advertising
LNTXBOT have a nice specific feature to broadcast messages with ads to all Telegram users that subscribed to receive those ads and be paid for reading them. Is a perfeect way to promote your businesses, commercial messages, announcements etc.
Receive ads
As an user that want to receive ads and be paid for reading them example: /sats4ads_on_15
(the number is the amount of millisats you want to receive / character) you write this command only in the bot’s chat and they will activate ads (advertisements / small messages with a promotional link), every day, which they pay you to see them. You do not need to open the ad, you simply give it “viewed” and it enters the sats. If you are interested in the content of the ad you can click to see them. At the moment there are not so many spams and nonsense, usually they are companies or programmers who promote their new apps to test or websites. Remember, they pay you for this!
Broadcast ads
If you want to see more options with the ads, you simply write in the chat with the bot /help_sats4ads and you get a help commands list.
For example /sats4ads rates makes you a list of how many users charge for each amount of msats / ads
If you want to create an advertisement and promotion, there are two steps:
Step 1 - in the chat with the bot, you send the text of the promotion, as if it were a normal message. You could add images too (more costly). Don't use hyperlinks (are not taken in consideration), use direct links in the construction of the ad message.
Step 2 - Then to the ad message that you have already sent to the bot, you give it a reply with the following example command:
/sats4ads_broadcast_2000 --max-rate=600
where (2000 is the amount of sats you want to spend on this promotion, 600 is the max msats fee/char that users accept). Remember that the cost depends on how many users you want to receive this promotion. The cost of the promotion is paid per character with msats (millisats) /character. Do your calculations before sending the promotion.
g - Fundraising
You can use this specific command to create fundraising campaigns and is not necessary to be promoted in a group where LNTXBOT is member, can be shared in many groups. Only that participants have to activate their LNTXBOT wallet and have funds in it.
/fundraise <satoshis> <num_participantes> <receptor>
(the parentheses are replaced with the content).
Start a crowdfunding event with a predefined number of participants and a contribution amount. If the given number of participants contributes, it will be updated. Otherwise it will be canceled in a few hours.
Example:
/fundraise@lntxbot 10000 8 @user
Telegram @user will get 80,000 satoshis after 8 people contribute.
h - Hiding
Very powerful command, a way to send hidden messages and only when the mentioned amount is paid, the message is revealed privately to the user who has paid or in public chat if is configured that way.
Example (you have to construct it first in the chat with the bot @lntxbot):
/hide 20 ‘Message title’ ~ ‘Hidden message’
Also you can just send a simple text message to the bot then you reply to the same message with:
/hide 20 Title message --private
This will reveal the message in private message ONLY to the user that pay it. Can be multiple payers.
If you do not add --private at the end, the message will be revealed publicly in the chat group was posted by the first user will pay the fee to reveal it.
The link to share in another chat group appears in the chat, you can copy it or simply click on share and select the target chat
If someone clicks “View”, they have to pay with their wallet-bot for the mentioned satoshis and they can see the hidden message.
Here are the optional arguments and how they work:
--revealers=<num_revealers> will only allow this number of people to see the secret.
--crowdfund=<num_participants> will show the secret to the whole group once this many people pay.
--private will allow any number of people to pay to see the secret privately in their chat with the bot.
--public will allow everyone to see the secret once one person pays the price.
--public and --private will both be ignored if one of the other two arguments are used.
Your hidden message will remain in the bot's database for 72 hours.
Here some other guides about specific cases to use this powerful command:
i - Lotteries
Coinflips - Lottery with “flip the coin”, example command would be:
/coinflip 100 4
100 satoshis and 4 participants, who start the lottery participates also with 100 sats and can win 400 sats.
Giveflip – Lottery as before, but in this case the initiator cannot participate and it is only the one who gives the prize. The example command would be (can be put in the group):
/giveflip 100 4
100 satoshis and 4 participants, participants can click "join" and win the total prize that the initiator deposited.
j - Moon
A wonderful command that doesn’t cost anything, it just receive from LNTXBOT a nice reply with a picture with "Bitcoin to the Moon". Each time you type the commend, it will send a new nice picture.
k - Toggle
Toggle is also a very powerful command, that can activate specific features in groups. Funds are going to group owner wallet.
Charge an entrance fee in group
This can keep away spammers and shitcoiners. Usage example:
/toggle_ticket_100
Will charge 100 sats for all new members that join to a group. Anybody can pay that invoice if the new member doesn’t have sats. Also if the user already have balance in lntxbot, can just press "pay" button and will be charged directlky from his LNTXBOT wallet balance. But for sure will keep away shitcoiners, they will never use LN, is against their “religion”.
Block/charge a fee for specific words in a chat group
Usage example, if you want to block the words of some shitcoins, use:
/toggle expensive 10 ‘\bNFT\b|\bbch\b|\bbsv\b|\bpi\b|\beth\b\bcardano\b’
Each word you want to block have to be in between \b<word>\b and separated by | if are multiple words. The user will be charged 10 sats/message (or any other amount you set) that contains those words or if his balance of lntxbot is empty, the message will be rejected. It’s a nice way to keep away spammers.
\b means a word boundary, | means "or", ? means "the previous letter is optional, "." means anything, \w means any letter.
For more options for toggle command use: /help_toggle in bot chat
l - Languages
Now you can change the bot language messages, showed in Telegram. So far languages available are EN, RU, DE and ES. Example command with the bot to change the language will be:
/toggle_language_ru.
Will show current user language with lntxbot in Russian. Default is English.
m - Fine
This command can be used only by group admins to give a warning/fine to users that violate group rules. Paying the fine will let them continue being members.
Example usage, reply to a user message with
/fine 20 [for reason xxx]
Appointed user will have the option to pay the fine to stay in the group or if is ignored, in 15 min will be kicked out. Funds are going to group owner wallet.
n - Group Admin wallet
Now you can have a separate bot wallet as a group admin/owner. So all tips in a group sent to the owner are not going to your TG user alias, but to a separate one.
Requirement: the Telegram group must be public, not private.
If someone sends money to a channel or to a group the funds will go to the channel or group wallet. Those can be controlled by the group or channel admins by sending @lntxbot commands as the group/channel in a group chat (as you can't talk directly to the bot as the group/channel).
How to manage this special wallet?
1. create the TG group
2. add @lntxbot as admin
3. set your user as anonymous admin (you will post as group name alias)
4. type /balance in the group and you will get answer from the lntxbot
5. type /bluewallet and you will get the lndhub link to export and import into BW or Zeus as your admin group wallet, to manage it easier outside TG
o. Swap sats to onchain address
If you want to send out sats from your LNTXBOT account into any onchain address, now you can use the command:
/send <sats> <bc1... bitcoin address>
This is a 3rd party service integrated into LNTXBOT, powered by https://deezy.io
p. Fund your LNTXBOT account using onchain address
Now you can also add funds from an onchain wallet. In order to get a deposit address, use the command:
/fundbtc
More new commands and hints on LNtxBot Twitter page.
More LNTXBOT guides:
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Nice work. I'm wondering, if there is a possibility to change the default value (actually the min value) of a donation without changing the min value.