Set Up Custody Lightning Wallets

Overview

Custody Lightning wallets provide a seamless way to interact with the Lightning Network without managing infrastructure. BitGo handles node operations, signing, channel management, liquidity provisioning, and network connectivity on your behalf. The nodes are professionally monitored and maintained, ensuring reliability and security.

Prerequisites

Get Started
Sign a custody Lightning license by contacting [email protected].

1. Create Lightning Wallet

Endpoint: Generate Wallet

export BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST="<YOUR_LOCALHOST>"
export COIN="tlntbc"
export ACCESS_TOKEN="<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
export LABEL="<YOUR_WALLET_NAME>"
export PASSPHRASE="<YOUR_BITGO_LOGIN_PASSPHRASE>"
export ENTERPRISE_ID="<YOUR_ENTERPRISE_ID>"

curl -X POST \
http://$BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST/api/v2/$COIN/wallet/generate \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
-d '{
    "label": "'"$LABEL"'",
    "passphrase": "'"$PASSPHRASE"'",
    "enterprise": "'"$ENTERPRISE_ID"'"
    "type": "hot",
    "subType": "lightningCustody"
}'

const { BitGo } = require('bitgo');

// Fill in with actual access token
const accessToken = '<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>';

// Initialize the SDK
const bitgo = new BitGo({
    accessToken: accessToken,
    env: 'test',
});

// Generate hot wallet
async function createCustodialHotWallet() {
    const newWallet = await bitgo.coin('tlnbtc').wallets().generateWallet({
    label: '<YOUR_WALLET_NAME>',
    passphrase: '<YOUR_BITGO_LOGIN_PASSPHRASE>',
    enterprise: '<YOUR_ENTERPRISE_ID>'
    subType: 'lightningCustody'
});

    console.log(JSON.stringify(newWallet, undefined, 2));
}

Step Result

Once you create a Lightning wallet, BitGo creates a Lightning node with a hosting service provider. This process takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. BitGo sends you an email notification when the wallet is ready to use.

{
  "wallet": {
    "id": "67e43de27f977e954022b8eb8693f5a7",
    "users": [
      {
        "user": "6101c3790293df0006fb99bc777152ce",
        "permissions": [
          "admin",
          "spend",
          "view"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "coin": "tlnbtc",
    "label": "Test Custody Lightning Wallet",
    "m": 1,
    "n": 1,
    "keys": [
      "67e43de1551f8a42dadaabb0d2ac2264"
    ],
    "keySignatures": {},
    "enterprise": "65302ca0c3939600075905e213ca20dd",
    "bitgoOrg": "BitGo Inc",
    "tags": [
      "67e43de27f977e954022b8eb8693f5a7",
      "65302ca0c3939600075905e213ca20dd"
    ],
    "disableTransactionNotifications": false,
    "freeze": {},
    "deleted": false,
    "approvalsRequired": 1,
    "isCold": false,
    "coinSpecific": {
      "keys": [
        "67e43de1d19e3a9237bf558bed01f8e6",
        "67e43de1ffc2dfc5c5994239ed002fb5"
      ]
    },
    "admin": {},
    "clientFlags": [],
    "walletFlags": [],
    "allowBackupKeySigning": false,
    "recoverable": true,
    "startDate": "2025-03-26T17:48:18.000Z",
    "type": "hot",
    "buildDefaults": {},
    "customChangeKeySignatures": {},
    "hasLargeNumberOfAddresses": false,
    "hasReceiveTransferPolicy": false,
    "creator": "6101c3790293df0006fb99bc777152ce",
    "subType": "lightningSelfCustody",
    "config": {},
    "inboundBalance": "0",
    "inboundPendingBalance": "0",
    "inboundUnsettledBalance": "0",
    "outboundBalance": "0",
    "outboundPendingBalance": "0",
    "outboundUnsettledBalance": "0",
    "balanceString": "0",
    "confirmedBalanceString": "0",
    "spendableBalanceString": "0",
    "pendingApprovals": []
  },
  "userKeychain": {
    "id": "67e43de1551f8a42dadaabb0d2ac2264",
    "pub": "xpub661MyMwAqRbcFKQKbgT6uA46wmi5FrqrYoJjUzQjnPU5VY6Pk7nyqn2Jg9oHdn4gd1Eh8idDbh6wQ4mWMZ8CXBGBLGvoBbva3MpkDVmbjxL",
    "ethAddress": "0x01e0c185c0652fc9d6b67fcb36149aa67a17fab4",
    "source": "user",
    "type": "independent",
    "encryptedPrv": "{\"iv\":\"9tY/nQ9DsTXp71vypxNVGg==\",\"v\":1,\"iter\":10000,\"ks\":256,\"ts\":64,\"mode\":\"ccm\",\"adata\":\"\",\"cipher\":\"aes\",\"salt\":\"v6m97u751w4=\",\"ct\":\"E2d7SNUkJJspAz07uougA3lvih8dA9A0bm7aYt0LVtquUzGZgXji5x5Ez1gaZKb2mESuUOLrDfe8zHOnvDVhYcK015zM1llqxKH5/LOg715AcYKLNoE3hHrZoy4IZlaQV8LntKGX1+pOYlqkjlaZLWNtDMuoB+g=\"}"
  },
  "userAuthKeychain": {
    "id": "67e43de1d19e3a9237bf558bed01f8e6",
    "pub": "xpub661MyMwAqRbcH4SU8XsxRzbNkZWr3zB1Qksxp9b7mqv8f2btQgofwBQixHZFUrUSrtS8r8yH7cs6pMwYQUWuAg13upsCb72v7cnfY5sU7Xx",
    "ethAddress": "0x83c3e1f73925c9013b1ae05da76eb67dbd85e374",
    "source": "user",
    "type": "independent",
    "coinSpecific": {
      "tlnbtc": {
        "purpose": "userAuth",
        "_requestId": "cm8q7x8kj0byf0eys63uk9nsf"
      }
    },
    "encryptedPrv": "{\"iv\":\"7cxr+H0cT7g3xRsACg+Saw==\",\"v\":1,\"iter\":10000,\"ks\":256,\"ts\":64,\"mode\":\"ccm\",\"adata\":\"\",\"cipher\":\"aes\",\"salt\":\"4ZJflpV8Mu8=\",\"ct\":\"1R+f4etETgoyLBQ98ErQ7fMq2vZVJjnDev8Fe88BAfcZ9dGpkFfbKBgc6skJn2Qy0GjsCI0G9qFvSbjfAIWxCtkbrZ7KzLnXCnVyWH3SbagyZfOYNs4UgmCbdEoS7bIMF1ZiMzj+phIeeuP/QGaZZYcL9/Z6+Kk=\"}"
  },
  "nodeAuthKeychain": {
    "id": "67e43de1ffc2dfc5c5994239ed002fb5",
    "pub": "xpub661MyMwAqRbcFbNKN8P6pQuaieXxCdj38JniNNoiX8nL2LNf4RTdTvULEuua4pMxjyid6vFH3BiFoXQ1BHJbbxhwnkte7sd4o2jVtwgk9ig",
    "ethAddress": "0x391004935442ad4237ab7adaae31e0056844f4e2",
    "source": "user",
    "type": "independent",
    "coinSpecific": {
      "tlnbtc": {
        "purpose": "nodeAuth",
        "_requestId": "cm8q7x8u90c7d0e0cekte5rum"
      }
    },
    "encryptedPrv": "{\"iv\":\"9JmKBrVJvWtzsyWhoyqMPg==\",\"v\":1,\"iter\":10000,\"ks\":256,\"ts\":64,\"mode\":\"ccm\",\"adata\":\"\",\"cipher\":\"aes\",\"salt\":\"kxJFetnXI+U=\",\"ct\":\"hlquksFjZJ9EciSbjModTiHE7R4GoHenxRy6OPKHw9nHS2yTkU3ZyV1wMzqXC+/Yq0ZtPDqV7YOFKQ1r9+GWCCyKi8wdX+ZZS5mul0R2WJSsw7nBiFPuiUyqZlK7vrrt/6ERcobzrJBnqU9QN2TkUpWxPxHStLQ=\"}"
  },
  "responseType": "LightningWalletWithKeychains",
  "encryptedWalletPassphrase": "{\"iv\":\"frevNIUliAXK5eS/YU4uaQ==\",\"v\":1,\"iter\":10000,\"ks\":256,\"ts\":64,\"mode\":\"ccm\",\"adata\":\"\",\"cipher\":\"aes\",\"salt\":\"pwl6aQtPxH0=\",\"ct\":\"/tBwHmRzyEo4dsyX0Zv5LSlh05XITpzqDU5rlA==\"}"
}

Next Steps

See Also

Updated about 2 hours ago