E-light

Ask the Bitcoin lightning network out loud : a remote MCP server for Alexa+ with voice-first answer

Comment

I want to tell you what inspired me to build this lighting explore . the lightning network based on peer to peer transaction and its data live on the blockchain . it is my passion to explore the possibility of decentralized system . The people I build for in the Nostr and Bitcoin community ask simple questioned : " How big is lightning network right now ?" , " is this node reliable ?" . so i inspired to. build this lightning explorer so the " Light " can give answer by using voice integrated with Alexa +

What it does ?

E-light lets anyone tap on the "light" and ask the bitcoin lighning network a question out of loud and hear the answer : for example : Q : How big is the lightning network ? , tell me about ACINQ , Which node is behind [email protected] , which node is this wallet belong too? how much transaction on the lighning network right now . At its core is a remote MCP server (Streamable HTTP, spec 2025-11-25) that Alexa+ can connect to, with four read-only tools:

  • search_nodes: find a node by name or pubkey
  • get_node_details: capacity, channels, rank and uptime
  • get_network_stats: the size of the whole network and its 30-day trend
  • find_node_for_nostr_profile: follows a Nostr identity to its lightning address, resolves the LNURL endpoint, and finds the Lightning node that actually receives the payments

Every tool returns a one-sentence answer written to be spoken (rounded numbers, no hex strings, no emoji), plus the full structured data for agents that want to reason further.

Because Alexa+ is in limited preview, E-light also includes Ask E-light, a simulated Alexa+ experience in the browser: tap, speak, and it answers out loud by calling the same MCP server Alexa+ would.

How we built it

E-light is a Next.Js 16 app on Netlify . Lightning Data comes from the Amboss GraphQL API , and Nostr Profile come from my own relay , wss://hasky.chat.

MCP server , : build with official Typescript SDK ('@modelcontextprotocol/sdk') and its web-standard streamable HTTP transport , served as a Next.js route at '/api/mcp' . it is stateless ( a fresh server per request ) , which fits serverless hosting and every tool is annotated read-only .

Voice -first answer , : each tool turns into raw data into a sentence that sounds natural out loud . sats become rounded bitcoin , ranks become "number 2" , and emoji in node names are stripped so the voice doesn't real "octopus "

Simulated Alexa : the '/ask page uses the web search API to listen and speak.its backend is. a real MCP client that conect to '/api/mcp/' over streamable HTTP and cals tools teh way Alexa+ would , chaining 'search_nodes_' , 'get_info_details' , when you ask about anode by name

Challenges we ran into

Iphone won't speak . Safari onæy allow speech that start during a tap , but the answer arrive after a network call. i fixed it by unlocking speech engine with a sillence utterence during the tap it self.

the voice is very ugly like frog or robotic , so E light pick the best natural voice on the device .

Data that does not speak well . Lightning data is full of hex keys , sat amounts and emoji node names . making answer sounds natural is more than just fetching the data .

No Alexa+plus access from Denmark , it is in limtoed preview so i built a simulated experienced on the top os the same MCP server , the real one would use.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • *A live, public MCP server * on the latest spec that any MCP client can use today
  • The Nostr → Lightning node tool, which connects a social identity to the payment infrastructure behind it
  • A voice experience that works on iPhone and desktop, with answers that sound like a person, not a database

What we learned

  • Designing tools for **voice **is different from designing for screens: one clear sentence beats a full table.
  • How the MCP Streamable HTTP transport works, and how to run it stateless on serverless hosting.
  • Browser speech has hidden rules (tap-to-speak on iOS, voice quality) that matter as much as the backend.

What's next for E-light

  • Connect E-light to Alexa+ as soon as preview access opens up
  • Add Amazon Polly for a natural Amazon voice
  • Voice alerts: "Tell me when my node goes offline"
  • Zaps by voice: send a Lightning tip to a Nostr profile through Nostr Wallet Connect

Built With

Share this project:

Updates

Submission history