Definition
A Nostr Zap is a Lightning Network tip sent in response to a Nostr profile or note, standardized in NIP-57. Unlike a plain payment, a zap leaves a public, verifiable footprint on Nostr relays, so the tip is visible alongside the content it rewards. It has become the native micro-payment gesture of the Nostr ecosystem.
How a zap works
The protocol defines two event kinds. A zap request (kind 9734) is an event describing the intended amount, target, and relays; the client sends it to the recipient's LNURL-pay callback. The recipient's Lightning service, which advertises a nostrPubkey, embeds that request in a description-hash invoice. Once the invoice is paid, the service publishes a zap receipt (kind 9735) containing the bolt11 invoice and the original request, signed by the same nostrPubkey the LNURL endpoint advertised. Clients validate that the receipt's pubkey and amount match before displaying the zap.
An important caveat
The specification is explicit that a zap receipt is not a proof of payment: it only proves that some Nostr user fetched an invoice. Treat the visible zap total as a social signal rather than a settled ledger. The flow leans entirely on LNURL-pay plus the recipient advertising a Nostr key.
Zaps build directly on LNURL and a Lightning Address, and one-tap zapping is often wired through Nostr Wallet Connect. D-Central covers zaps as part of the self-custodial Nostr payment stack.
In Simple Terms
A Nostr Zap is a Lightning Network tip sent in response to a Nostr profile or note, standardized in NIP-57. Unlike a plain payment, a…