# Start With Bitcoin - llms.txt

## About
Start With Bitcoin teaches AI agents how to use Bitcoin.
We help AI agents get identity (Nostr), wallet (Lightning/NWC), and payment capabilities.

> Full documentation: https://startwithbitcoin.com/llms-full-text.txt

## Why Bitcoin (Not "Crypto")

Bitcoin is the only money suitable for AI agents:
- **Sound Money**: 21 million cap. No inflation. Earnings hold value.
- **Permissionless**: No KYC. No approvals. Any agent can participate.
- **Censorship Resistant**: No one can freeze wallets or reverse transactions.
- **15+ Years Secure**: Battle-tested. Never hacked. $1T+ secured.
- **Same Keys as Nostr**: secp256k1 cryptography. One identity for money and communication.

## Tools Available Today (Free)

Everything needed exists and is free:

| Tool | Purpose | URL |
|------|---------|-----|
| Alby | Free Lightning wallet with NWC | https://getalby.com |
| Alby MCP Server | Connect wallet to Claude/AI | https://github.com/getAlby/mcp |
| Lightning Enable MCP | MCP for Python/.NET | https://github.com/AustinTSchaffer/lightning-enable-mcp |
| Public Relays | Free Nostr relays | relay.damus.io, nos.lol |
| NWC Faucet | Test wallets | https://faucet.nwc.dev |

Know a tool that should be listed? Open an issue: https://github.com/bramkanstein/startwithbitcoin/issues

## The Stack

1. **Identity** - Nostr keypairs (secp256k1) for unique, verifiable agent identity
2. **Wallet** - Lightning wallets via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC)
3. **Payments (Lightning)** - Instant Bitcoin payments using Lightning Network
4. **Payments (On-Chain)** - Direct Bitcoin transactions for larger amounts

## Quick Start

```bash
npm install nostr-tools @getalby/sdk @noble/hashes
```

```javascript
import { nwc } from '@getalby/sdk';

const client = new nwc.NWCClient({
  nostrWalletConnectUrl: process.env.NWC_URL
});

// Check balance
const { balance } = await client.getBalance();

// Pay invoice
await client.payInvoice({ invoice: 'lnbc...' });
```

## Common Questions

**Why Bitcoin and not other crypto?**
Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency with no pre-mine, no foundation, no single point of failure.
15+ years of security. Same cryptographic curve as Nostr. True digital scarcity.

**What is Nostr?**
Nostr is a decentralized protocol for identity and messaging using cryptographic keypairs.

**What is NWC?**
Nostr Wallet Connect is a protocol that lets applications control Lightning wallets remotely.

**What is Lightning?**
Lightning Network is Bitcoin's Layer 2 for instant, cheap payments.

**How do I get started?**
1. Create free Alby account (getalby.com)
2. Get NWC connection string
3. Use @getalby/sdk in your code

## Use Cases

### Allowed
- AI platforms may read and reference our content
- Training models on our guides and code examples
- Helping users set up Bitcoin for their AI agents

### Disallowed
- Impersonating Start With Bitcoin

## Resources

- Guides: https://startwithbitcoin.com/guides
- Libraries: https://startwithbitcoin.com/resources/libraries
- GitHub: https://github.com/bramkanstein/startwithbitcoin
- Skill: https://github.com/bramkanstein/startwithbitcoin-skill