I built a small PWA for instantly topping up a debit card with bitcoin and make payments with Apple Pay, which helps me live on bitcoin. Before I start: I do pay directly in bitcoin where possible. This is one of my fallback approaches that in my opinion is sustainable. This is also not a post about KYC or no-KYC, or Apple Pay, or Google Pay, really. This post is also not about crypto, it's about living on bitcoin in a way that actually has a good user experience. I have been doing this for a long time with 2fiat card connected to Apple Pay (I have a small PWA for instant 2fiat lightning topups), but after some repeated problems I needed a fallback, and realized Satora enables a nice flow that works with many different debit card providers. The problem: - I keep funds in a self-custodial bitcoin wallet - Most merchants still accept only card or fiat payments - Most debit cards are not bitcoin-native and do not support the lightning network Satora fixes this with near-instant atomic lightning<->stablecoin swaps. I can keep using bitcoin, and topup my debit card just before I pay. NWC @Nostr Wallet Connect enables a super-simple interface on my phone that I can open and press one button to top up my debit card from my bitcoin lightning wallet. The swap takes less than 10 seconds, and my debit card balance tops up within a minute. How It Works - Setup once: Input your card’s deposit address, network, and currency, then connect your wallet via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC). This is the only time you are exposed to "crypto". From a UX perspective after that, it's only bitcoin and a USD debit card balance. - Swap via Satora.io: Tap “Top Up” to trigger a Lightning-funded swap. BTC is converted and sent to your card's deposit address. - Seamless payment: NWC pays the Lightning invoice automatically through a budgeted connection to your lightning wallet. Questions for people trying to live on bitcoin - Do you use a bitcoin/crypto/prepaid card today? Which one? - How do you top it up now? What is the annoying part? - Do you keep a balance on it, or top up only when needed? - What would stop you from testing this with a small amount? Early Access to the App - Want to be one of the first to try the app? send an email to hello@getalby.com Your bitcoin stays in your wallet until you need it. Works best with @Alby Alby Hub:

Replies (17)

My biggest friction point is having to use an ETH-based stablecoin Is there any way we can just use a stablecoin on Bitcoin/Lightning rails, if at all possible? “Lightspark's Spark protocol enables stablecoins to be issued and transferred directly on Bitcoin's infrastructure”
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frphank 3 weeks ago
> I built a small PWA for instantly topping up a debit card with bitcoin and make payments with Apple Pay, which helps me live on bitcoin. Apple Pay is fiat? Why take the detour via Bitcoin?
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frphank 3 weeks ago
How did you obtain the Bitcoin.
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frphank 3 weeks ago
You didn't answer the question.
I can't understand how you moved from anonymous 2fiat to topping up your "debit card"? Having an anonymous debit card is the real issue. If you're saying kyc debit card, why bother topping it up with Bitcoin? It's not that most of the population gets paid in bitcoin — the majority are being paid their salaried in fiat and buy bitcoin with what's left. The flow you're describing is for someone who earns bitcoin but cannot spend it as merchants do not accept it.