Bankify: Turn Cashu Mints into Lightning Wallets with NWC
Bankify is a highly experimental tool for turning any Cashu mint into a Lightning wallet with Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) support.
![Bankify: Turn Cashu Mints into Lightning Wallets with NWC](/content/images/size/w1200/2024/08/bankify2.jpg)
- "Bankify is a response to a frustration I've had: not enough custodial bitcoin wallets support Nostr Wallet Connect aka NWC. The only ones I'm aware of (til I released this app) are getalby.com, cashu.me, and mutiny wallet if you configure it to use a federation first. But Mutiny wallet is shutting down and Alby wallet stopped opening new accounts for their custodial service, so only cashu.me will work in the near future. Bankify to the rescue," announced Super Testnet.
- Cashu mints offer a standardized API for "melting" and "minting" eCash tokens, similar to "receive" and "send" functions in other custodial wallets. The "melt" option allows users to pay a mint with eCash, settling a Lightning invoice on their behalf. The "mint" option lets users request a Lightning invoice from the mint, which, once paid, provides an equivalent amount of eCash tokens.
"So I made a simple storage service that does those things automatically in the background, including managing ecash, and just gives you nice and easy Send and Receive buttons," explained the developer.
- This app also runs a Nostr Wallet Connect server in the background so that NWC clients can connect to it and give it commands using that standardized api. So essentially this app just translates between two custodial api standards.
WARNING: "I made this app for testing purposes and I warn you: don't put any money in it unless you're happy to lose that money for the pursuit of science and the enrichment of someone-who-isn't-you."
- This wallet stores private keys and eCash notes unencrypted in localStorage, making them vulnerable to browser extension attacks and deletion during cookie clearing. Additionally, eCash wallets carry custodial risks, such as theft by the mint, loss if the mint is arrested, or hacking incidents. The NWC connection only works while Bankify is open in a browser tab, so it’s not currently recommended for zaps on Nostr.