{"id":"btcpayserver-lnd","name":"lnd","homepage":"https://hub.docker.com/r/btcpayserver/lnd","repo_url":"https://hub.docker.com/r/btcpayserver/lnd","category":"payments","subcategories":[],"tags":["ai-ml","infrastructure","payments","bitcoin","lightning","networking","devtools","self-hosted"],"what_it_does":"lnd is an implementation of the Lightning Network node. It runs as a daemon that connects to the Bitcoin network, manages channels with peers, and provides an RPC/REST-like interface (via gRPC/proxy servers) for creating/monitoring payments over the Lightning Network.","use_cases":["Running a self-hosted Lightning Network node","Sending and receiving Lightning payments","Opening/closing and managing payment channels","Monitoring channel and payment status","Developing Lightning-enabled applications via node RPC"],"not_for":["Custody/escrow or turnkey managed payments without operating a node","Use cases requiring a public hosted SaaS API with centralized uptime/SLA (lnd is self-hosted software)"],"best_when":"You can operate and secure a node (network connectivity, wallet/back-end management, backups) and need direct Lightning Network access.","avoid_when":"You want a simple hosted API with minimal ops/security responsibility; or you cannot maintain Bitcoin/Lightning infrastructure and monitoring.","alternatives":["c-lightning","Eclair","Lightning charge/other Lightning implementations","Managed Lightning providers (if you want hosted payments rather than running lnd)"],"af_score":42.0,"security_score":69.2,"reliability_score":38.8,"package_type":"mcp_server","discovery_source":["docker_mcp"],"priority":"low","status":"evaluated","version_evaluated":null,"last_evaluated":"2026-04-04T19:36:56.713012+00:00","interface":{"has_rest_api":false,"has_graphql":false,"has_grpc":true,"has_mcp_server":false,"mcp_server_url":null,"has_sdk":false,"sdk_languages":[],"openapi_spec_url":null,"webhooks":false},"auth":{"methods":["TLS client authentication for RPC (commonly via macaroons + TLS in lnd deployments)","macaroon-based authorization for RPC"],"oauth":false,"scopes":true,"notes":"lnd typically uses macaroon-based permissions for RPC calls along with TLS on the RPC transport; exact configuration depends on deployment mode and enabled interfaces."},"pricing":{"model":null,"free_tier_exists":false,"free_tier_limits":null,"paid_tiers":[],"requires_credit_card":false,"estimated_workload_costs":null,"notes":"Open-source software; operational costs depend on infrastructure and any Bitcoin/on-chain fees."},"requirements":{"requires_signup":false,"requires_credit_card":false,"domain_verification":false,"data_residency":[],"compliance":[],"min_contract":null},"agent_readiness":{"af_score":42.0,"security_score":69.2,"reliability_score":38.8,"mcp_server_quality":0.0,"documentation_accuracy":55.0,"error_message_quality":0.0,"error_message_notes":null,"auth_complexity":35.0,"rate_limit_clarity":10.0,"tls_enforcement":85.0,"auth_strength":75.0,"scope_granularity":70.0,"dependency_hygiene":50.0,"secret_handling":60.0,"security_notes":"Security posture depends heavily on deployment configuration (TLS, macaroon management, filesystem permissions, and wallet/key protection). lnd uses TLS and macaroon authorization for its RPC in typical setups, which is stronger than unauthenticated APIs, but operational mistakes (leaked macaroons, weak key storage) are a primary risk.","uptime_documented":0.0,"version_stability":65.0,"breaking_changes_history":50.0,"error_recovery":40.0,"idempotency_support":"false","idempotency_notes":"Many Lightning operations are stateful (e.g., channel opening/payment attempts). Idempotency guarantees depend on the specific RPC method semantics and whether callers manage retries safely.","pagination_style":"none","retry_guidance_documented":false,"known_agent_gotchas":["Statefulness: repeated calls may create duplicates (e.g., payment retries or channel-related actions) unless the method supports safe re-use semantics.","Need correct cryptographic configuration (TLS/macaroon) to avoid authorization failures.","Network/chain dependencies: failures can be transient due to Bitcoin connectivity or Lightning peer/channel state.","Rate limiting/flow control may be implicit (peer/channel/backpressure) rather than clearly documented as HTTP-style limits."]}}