intermediate⏱️ 19-29 minutes📅 Updated June 2026

Step-by-step guide to integrate Alby Bitcoin Payments MCP server with Claude Code. Includes send_payment and receive_payment.

Alby Bitcoin Payments + Claude Code: Complete MCP Integration

Alby Bitcoin Payments is a MCP server that Connect any bitcoin lightning wallet to your agent to send and receive instant payments globally with your agent..

When integrated with Claude Code, you can:

  • Send Lightning Network payments instantly
  • Generate invoices to receive Lightning payments
  • Check current Lightning wallet balance

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up Alby Bitcoin Payments in Claude Code, including configuration, examples, and troubleshooting.

What You'll Achieve

After completing this setup:

  • Alby Bitcoin Payments will be fully integrated and operational
  • You can use Alby Bitcoin Payments tools directly in Claude Code
  • All Alby Bitcoin Payments capabilities will be available for your workflows
  • Access to 5 different tools

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Nostr Wallet Connect connection string from Lightning wallet
  • Claude Code installed and configured
  • Compatible operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Installation

Step 1: Install Alby Bitcoin Payments

Configuration

Step 2: Configure Claude Code

  1. Install Claude Code

Download and install Claude Code from the official website

Visit: https://claude.ai/code

Note: Claude Code is available as a native application, not via npm

  1. Navigate to Project

Open terminal in your project directory where you want to use the MCP server

  1. Install MCP Server

Install the MCP server you want to use (e.g., via npm, pip, or other package manager)

  1. Configure MCP Server

Add MCP server configuration to project CLAUDE.md file or use --mcp-config flag

Note: CLAUDE.md is preferred for project-specific configuration

  1. Test Integration

Start Claude Code and verify MCP server is working

claude

Note: Use interactive mode to test MCP server functionality

Configuration Details

Add to your project's CLAUDE.md file:

## MCP Servers

### Alby Bitcoin Payments
- **Installation**: alby bitcoin payments
- **Configuration**: "NWC_CONNECTION_STRING": "nostr+walletconnect://...",
        "ALBY_AUTH_TOKEN": "bearer_token_abc123"
- **Description**: Connect any bitcoin lightning wallet to your agent to send and receive instant payments globally with your agent.

Claude Code will automatically detect and load MCP servers from your project context.

Examples

Once configured, you can use Alby Bitcoin Payments in Claude Code:

E-commerce Integration

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Ask Claude Code: "Create invoice for $25 subscription payment"

Expected Result: undefined

Micropayments for Content

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Ask Claude Code: "Pay 100 sats for premium article access"

Expected Result: undefined

Global Remittance

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Ask Claude Code: "Send $50 worth of Bitcoin to family member"

Expected Result: undefined

Testing Your Setup

  1. Run claude in your project directory
  2. Ask Claude to list available tools and verify Alby Bitcoin Payments tools are present
  3. Test Alby Bitcoin Payments functionality by asking Claude to use specific tools

Test commands:

claude

claude --debug

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Server Not Found

Symptoms: Command not found errors, Server tools unavailable

Cause: Server not installed or not in PATH

Solution:

  • Verify server installation
  • Check PATH environment variable
  • Install server globally or in project

Configuration Not Loaded

Symptoms: CLAUDE.md changes not recognized, Old server config used

Cause: CLAUDE.md file not in correct location or format

Solution:

  • Ensure CLAUDE.md is in project root
  • Verify markdown syntax is correct
  • Restart Claude Code session

Alby Bitcoin Payments not appearing in Claude Code

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

  • Verify configuration syntax
  • Check Alby Bitcoin Payments installation
  • Restart Claude Code
  • Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Alby Bitcoin Payments is integrated with Claude Code:

  • Explore all Alby Bitcoin Payments capabilities through Claude Code
  • Check out other MCP servers that work with Claude Code
  • Join the MCP community for tips and support
  • Consider contributing to Alby Bitcoin Payments development

Need Help?

Related Resources

More Integrations

Explore other MCP servers that work with Claude Code

Need Help?

Join the MCP community for support and discussions

Alby Bitcoin Payments + Claude Code: MCP Setup Guide (2026)