Show HN: MCP plugin that lets Claude autonomously pay for APIs via Lightning
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2 hours ago
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| github.com
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Hey HN,

As we move toward multi-agent orchestration, the biggest bottleneck I've seen is that agents don't have bank accounts. When an agent hits a paid API wall or needs to outsource a task to another agent, the workflow breaks.

I built BoltClaw to solve this by bridging the Model Context Protocol (MCP) with the Lightning Network.

How it works:

Claude uses the MCP tool to fetch data from an endpoint.

If the endpoint returns an HTTP 402 Payment Required, the tool intercepts the response and parses the L402 Macaroon and BOLT11 invoice.

The plugin automatically pays the micro-transaction (e.g., 50 sats) via the Alby API.

It re-requests the data using the cryptographic preimage and returns the payload to Claude's context window.

I built it in Python using FastMCP and httpx. The repo includes a local Dummy Agent (built with FastAPI) that returns mock L402 challenges so you can test the 402-interception loop locally without spending real satoshis.

Repo: https://github.com/jeffskafi/OpenBolt

Would love feedback on the architecture, specifically from anyone else experimenting with L402s or M2M payments.

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