June 17, 2025

Accepting Lightning donations (without the pain)

Exploring how to use a static QR code for free, low-maintenance, privacy-focused Lightning payments.

This one’s for the tinkerers.

After getting my Bitcoin node running, I dove deeper into the Lightning network. I wanted to accept Lightning payments via my node without giving up privacy or wrestling with port forwarding. I ended up using LNBits, a lightweight Lightning wallet server, and Cloudflare Tunnels to expose it safely.

Here’s the guide:
→ Accept Lightning donations using LNBits + Cloudflare Tunnels

It’s not a full-blown merchant setup — just a neat way to receive small tips while keeping control of your keys.

Enjoy,
Tom