We added linked Lightning wallets to LN Markets accounts. You can now link one or more wallets, name them, and use any of them to sign in.
We've supported signing in with a Lightning wallet for years (almost from the beginning, actually), using the LNURL-Auth protocol. But it'd always been a distinct authentication method: you could either login with a username/password, or with your Lightning wallet. Not both.
Since all LN Markets accounts now require an email and a password, this distinction didn't make sense anymore. We've hence moved Lightning login from a separated authentication method to a complementary one. Simply link a LNURL-Auth compatible wallet, and from then on use it to login instead of your password.
What changed
Before: LNURL-auth was either-or. You either signed up with a wallet, or with credentials. Linked accounts couldn't sign in with both.
Now: LNURL-auth is an additional authentication method on credentials accounts. Add a wallet, name it, sign in with it. Add another. Rename. Delete. The list is yours.
If you initially signed up with a Lightning wallet only, you'll be asked to add an email and password the next time you sign in — it takes a minute and unlocks email recovery, 2FA, and the new linked-wallets list.
How it works
1. Go to Account → Additional authentication methods → Lightning wallet and tap Add.
2. Give the new wallet authentication method a name (for example, the name of the wallet you'll use, e.g. Phoenix).
3. Scan the LNURL QR code with any LNURL-auth compatible wallet.
4. Done. The wallet is linked. Next time you sign in, choose Sign in with Lightning wallet, scan with any linked wallet, and you're in.
Why we did it
Passwords are the most widely used authentication method on the web today, but they can be cumbersome to use safely. Lightning wallets are signing devices users already trust with their money — and you likely already use (at least) one to interact with LN Markets.
LN Markets was built with the conviction that money must flow without barriers and at the speed of light. Lightning login lets you connect securely in the blink of an eye ; while your password remains available as a backup.
Security notes
Linking proves you control the wallet's signing key by producing a signature — no balance is touched, no payment is made.
Each linked wallet is independently revocable. Lost a phone? Delete the wallet from your account, your other authentication methods remain available. But keep in mind that any linked wallet is a gateway to your account, so linking too many isn't necessarily the right call. Crucially, you never need to link a Lightning wallet as an authentication method to deposit or withdraw funds via Lightning. For increased security, enable 2FA to require another layer of authentication for withdrawals.
Email/password and security keys keep working unchanged. This is additive.
Privacy Note
When you link a Lightning wallet as an authentication method in LN Markets, your wallet will derive a domain-specific identity. This means that you can use the same wallet to authenticate on different apps, and each app will see a different identity.
Try it
lnmarkets.com/account → Additional authentication methods.
Have questions? Contact us or reach out via the in-app chat.