Questions, answered.
Short answers. If something's missing, it's because we haven't been asked yet.
The basics
Is this gambling?
Depends where you live. In some jurisdictions a peer-to-peer coin flip for sats is regulated gambling; in others it isn't; in plenty of places the law simply doesn't contemplate it. We don't pretend to know the rules in yours. You are responsible for knowing your local laws and for your own participation. If it's not legal where you are, don't play.
How do I know it's not rigged?
The outcome is SHA-256(secretA || secretB), and both secrets are committed to before either is revealed. Neither player — and neither the operator — can choose a secret after seeing the other side. Every settlement is published and signed on Nostr so you can verify the math yourself. See /trust for the full breakdown.
What if my opponent doesn't reveal their secret?
A 10-minute cheat timer starts once both players have funded escrow. If one side reveals and the other doesn't, the no-show forfeits and the honest player is paid the full pot (minus the house cut). If neither side reveals, both wagers are refunded.
What's the house cut?
3% by default, taken from the winner's payout at settle time. It funds development of this project and the operator's Lightning node. The exact fee is set by an env var on the backend and disclosed on the settlement record published to Nostr.
Wallets and keys
What Lightning wallet do I need?
Anything that supports a Lightning Address or LNURL-pay. Wallet of Satoshi, Phoenix, Zeus, Strike, Alby, Blink, Breez, Mutiny — all fine. You pay invoices to enter the flip and receive payouts to your Lightning Address.
What's the Nostr key for? Do I need one?
Optional. A Nostr key lets you sign a public event that says "I played in this flip" so your results are tied to an identity you control. If you don't want that, don't connect a key — you can play anonymously. The commit-reveal protocol works either way.
Is my money safe?
Honest answer: during a flip, your wager sits in the operator's LNbits node. That's a custodial step. You are trusting the operator (Thomas Hunt / 1n2.org) not to abscond with the pot. The commit-reveal outcome is trustless; the escrow is not. A non-custodial model using HTLCs or PTLCs is on the roadmap. See /trust for the full story.
What happens if Lightning routing fails on payout?
Your funds stay in escrow. You can claim them later at /claim by providing a different Lightning Address or LNURL-withdraw. The settlement record on Nostr includes a claim token so you can prove you're the winner.
Product
Is it open source?
Yes — the repository will be published at github.com/1n2-org/coin-flip (placeholder until the initial release is tagged). You'll be able to audit the commit-reveal implementation, the settlement publisher, and the LNbits integration.
How much can I bet?
The operator sets a minimum and maximum wager via FLIP_MIN_SATS and FLIP_MAX_SATS. The current values are shown in the lobby on the main flip page. Start small — this is a research/demo product.
What chains or rails work?
Lightning only. No on-chain BTC. No altcoins. No stablecoins. No fiat. If it isn't sats over Lightning, it isn't accepted.
Do I need an account?
No. No email, no password, no KYC. A flip is identified by its commit hashes and funded with Lightning invoices. If you connect a Nostr key, that's your identity. If you don't, you're just pubkey-less sats.
Who's behind this?
Thomas Hunt (a.k.a. Mad Bitcoins), operating as 1n2.org. The operator's identity is public on purpose — see /trust. Contact: thecuriobot@gmail.com.