boltwork-mcp
mcp-name: io.github.Squidboy30/boltwork-mcp
# boltwork-mcp
**MCP server for Boltwork — AI services that pay for themselves via Bitcoin Lightning.**
Give your AI agent PDF summarisation, code review, translation, web extraction, document comparison, and persistent memory — all paid autonomously in sats. No API keys. No subscriptions. No accounts.
[](https://pypi.org/project/boltwork-mcp/)
[](https://www.python.org/)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://parsebit.fly.dev)
---
## What this is
[Boltwork](https://parsebit.fly.dev) is a pay-per-call AI services API that uses the [L402 protocol](https://github.com/lightninglabs/L402) — your agent makes a request, receives a Lightning invoice, pays it automatically, and gets the result back. No human involved.
This package wraps Boltwork as an [MCP server](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) so any MCP-compatible AI (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.) can use it as a tool — with payments handled transparently in the background.
---
## Try it immediately — no wallet required
Two tools work right now with zero setup:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"boltwork": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["boltwork-mcp"],
"env": {}
}
}
}
```
Then ask your AI:
```
"Use trial_review_code to review this: def add(a, b): return a + b"
"Use trial_summarise to summarise this: <paste any text>"
```
Real AI results instantly. No Lightning wallet. No setup. Rate limited to 5 calls/hour.
---
## Install
```bash
pip install boltwork-mcp
# If using NWC (Alby, Mutiny, Coinos, etc.):
pip install "boltwork-mcp[nwc]"
```
Or use directly with `uvx` — no install needed:
```bash
uvx boltwork-mcp
```
---
## Setup — pick a wallet
Four wallet backends are supported. Pick whichever fits your setup:
### Option A — NWC / Nostr Wallet Connect *(easiest)*
Works with **Alby**, **Mutiny Wallet**, **Coinos**, **Primal**, **Cashu.me**, and any NWC-compatible wallet.
1. Get a connection string:
- **Alby** — go to [nwc.getalby.com](https://nwc.getalby.com), create a budget, copy the string
- **Mutiny** — Settings → Connections → Add connection
- **Coinos** — [coinos.io](https://coinos.io) → Settings → Nostr Wallet Connect
2. Add to your MCP config:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"boltwork": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["boltwork-mcp"],
"env": {
"NWC_CONNECTION_STRING": "nostr+walletconnect://your-string-here"
}
}
}
}
```
Requires: `pip install "boltwork-mcp[nwc]"`
---
### Option B — LNbits
Works with **lnbits.com** or any self-hosted LNbits instance. Popular with BTCPay Server users and home node operators.
1. Create a wallet at [lnbits.com](https://lnbits.com) or your instance
2. Go to API info → copy your Invoice/read key
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"boltwork": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["boltwork-mcp"],
"env": {
"LNBITS_URL": "https://lnbits.com",
"LNBITS_API_KEY": "your-invoice-key-here"
}
}
}
}
```
For self-hosted: set `LNBITS_URL` to your instance URL (e.g. `https://lnbits.yourdomain.com`).
---
### Option C — Strike
Works with a **Strike** account. Custodial, simple API key setup. Good for US users or anyone who already uses Strike.
1. Create an account at [strike.me](https://strike.me)
2. Go to [dashboard.strike.me/developers/api-keys](https://dashboard.strike.me/developers/api-keys) → create an API key
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"boltwork": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["boltwork-mcp"],
"env": {
"STRIKE_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}
```
---
### Option D — Phoenixd
Works with **Phoenixd** — ACINQ's self-hosted Lightning node. Simple REST API, no channel management.
1. Install Phoenixd: [phoenix.acinq.co/server](https://phoenix.acinq.co/server)
2. Get your HTTP password from the Phoenixd config
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"boltwork": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["boltwork-mcp"],
"env": {
"PHOENIXD_URL": "http://localhost:9740",
"PHOENIXD_PASSWORD": "your-password-here"
}
}
}
}
```
---
## MCP config locations
| Client | Config file |
|--------|------------|
| Claude Desktop (macOS) | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
| Claude Desktop (Windows) | `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` |
| Cursor | `.cursor/mcp.json` in your project |
| Windsurf | `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` |
---
## Available tools
| Tool | What it does | Cost |
|------|-------------|------|
| `trial_summarise` | Summarise text — free trial | Free |
| `trial_review_code` | Review code — free trial | Free |
| `summarise_pdf` | Summarise a PDF from URL | 500 sats |
| `summarise_webpage` | Summarise any web page | 100 sats |
| `review_code` | Full code review with bugs, security, quality | 2000 sats |
| `review_code_url` | Review code from GitHub/GitLab URL | 2000 sats |
| `extract_data` | Extract structured data from PDF | 200 sats |
| `translate` | Translate text or document (24 languages) | 150 sats |
| `extract_tables` | Extract all tables from a PDF | 300 sats |
| `compare_documents` | Diff two PDFs | 500 sats |
| `explain_code` | Explain code in plain English | 500 sats |
| `memory_store` | Store persistent agent memory | 10 sats |
| `memory_retrieve` | Retrieve agent memory | 5 sats |
| `memory_delete` | Delete a memory key | Free |
| `run_workflow` | Chain multiple services in one call | 1000 sats |
---
## Payment flow
When your agent calls a paid tool:
1. boltwork-mcp calls the Boltwork API
2. Receives HTTP 402 with a Lightning invoice
3. Pays the invoice automatically using your configured wallet
4. Retries the request with the payment proof
5. Returns the result to your agent
Your agent never sees this — it just gets the result.
---
## Links
- [Boltwork API](https://parsebit.fly.dev) — live API
- [Agent spec](https://parsebit.fly.dev/agent-spec.md) — full endpoint documentation
- [L402 manifest](https://parsebit.fly.dev/.well-known/l402.json) — machine-readable service discovery
- [Cracked Minds](https://crackedminds.co.uk) — by Cracked Minds
TDQS
Scored across 18 tools
Most tools have distinct purposes, but some PDF-related tools (analyse_contract, extract_data, summarise_pdf) could cause confusion if the agent misinterprets the task. The trial tools are clearly separate as limited versions.
All tools follow a consistent verb_noun pattern in snake_case (e.g., analyse_contract, compare_documents). The memory tools share a common prefix, and trial tools are prefixed with 'trial_'. No naming conflicts or style mixing.
18 tools cover a broad range of services (PDF, image, code, translation, memory, workflow). While slightly above the typical 3-15 range, the tools are well-scoped and justified by the platform's breadth.
The tool surface covers core operations for the domain: analysis, extraction, comparison, translation, summarisation, memory, and code review. Missing potentially useful tools (e.g., image generation) but no critical gaps for the advertised functionality.