Lightning Addresses - How They Work and How to Create a Custom One

Modified on Mon, 29 Sep at 9:19 AM

What Is a Lightning Address?

A Lightning Address looks like an email address (for example: name@walletofsatoshi.com), but instead of sending emails, people can use it to send you Bitcoin over the Lightning Network.

It makes receiving Bitcoin as easy as sharing your email address.

Your Default Lightning Address

Every new WoS wallet (self-custody and custodial) is automatically given a randomly generated Lightning Address.
This means you can start receiving payments right away - no setup required.
Your Lightning Address and QR code is shown on the main Receive page.

How to Create a Custom Lightning Address

Once you’ve used your wallet a bit, you can upgrade to a custom Lightning Address (e.g., yourname@walletofsatoshi.com).

To unlock this feature, you’ll need to complete some “proof of work”:

Back up your wallet.
Make a Lightning payment - send or receive at least 10 Lightning transactions.
Use your wallet on-chain - send or receive at least 100,000 sats total via Bitcoin on-chain.

After you’ve completed these steps:

Go to the Receive page.
Tap the Edit button next to your current Lightning Address.
Choose your new custom Lightning Address and confirm.

If you already have a custom Lightning Address in your custodial WoS wallet and you'd like to move it over to your new self-custody WoS wallet, reach out to our support team and we'll help you.

Things to Remember

Custom Lightning Addresses are unique - once you choose one, it’s yours.
You can continue to use your default address until you’re ready to upgrade.
Your Lightning Address works globally - anyone can send to it from a compatible wallet.

Quick Recap

You start with a random Lightning Address by default.
After backing up and actively using your wallet, you can create a custom address.
To set it, just tap the Edit icon next to your Lightning Address on the Receive page.