Link other NWC wallet

How to connect your own node to your Alby account using Umbrel as an example

Be aware this feature is about connecting your own lightning node to your account on getalby.com/login. It is still experimental. If your node is not well connected and does not have enough incoming liquidity, payments will fail.

You can now send and receive payments directly to your own node via:

your Alby lightning address
the Alby Browser Extension

Participation in the lightning network requires a lightning wallet. Watch the video below to learn how to connect your wallet to an Alby account using Nostr Wallet Connect () in seconds.

1. Log into your Alby Account

Visit www.getalby.com and log into your Alby Account

3. Click on ‘Link Your Own Wallet’

4. Paste your NWC Connection Secret and click on "Link Wallet"

We'll get your ‘NWC Connection Secret’ in the next slides... Before we continue here, we must go to your own node. Leave this page opened.

5. Go to your node and Open the "Nostr Wallet Connection" (NWC) app

This example belongs to a node on Umbrel. By default, Umbrel nodes can be accessed by typing umbrel.local on the URL section of a browser. You must have both the bitcoin bode and lightning node applications installed and synchronized before you can proceed to obtain the ‘NWC Connection Secret’

6. Click on "Connect app"

7. Enter the name of your new ‘app connection’ and click on "Next"

You are connecting the funds of your own node to an external application. This application will be able to manage the funds on your node. It is wise to set up a maximum budget and an expiry time. In this case, the application chosen to be managing the funds of your node is your Alby Account, choose an appropriate name for this connection, such as "Alby" or "Alby connection".

8. Click on "Copy on pairing secret"

You'll have your NWC Connection Secret on your clipboard and can go back to your Alby Account, to the page we left opened on Step 5.

Note: You can also connect to other desktop and mobile applications, that is why there is an option to have the NWC Connection Secret by QR code, and a purple button to open a mobile app.

9. Paste your NWC Connection Secret on your Alby account and click on "Link Wallet"

Congratulations! You have successfully linked your node. You can now start managing your funds directly through your Alby Account.

Additional notes

Your Alby Account is linked to your Alby Browser Extension. When using your browser extension you will now be using the funds on your node.
The capabilities of your Alby Account are now directly linked to your node. You will be able to send and receive satoshis in a self-sovereign way smoothly by ensuring your node has well-configured lightning network channels and adequate inbound and outbound capacity.

Also note: to support some features like receiving keysend payments which are used in the Value4Value spec you must have at least one public channel.