SolBolt ⚡ (STILL ON TESTNET)

A payment channel implementation for Solana enabling off-chain micropayments with on-chain settlement, inspired by Bitcoin's Lightning Network.

Overview

SolBolt provides a developer toolkit for building payment channels on Solana, allowing two parties to conduct numerous off-chain transactions and settle with a single on-chain transaction.

Current Status: Active development - Testnet deployment

Features

• Off-chain transactions - Instant micropayments without blockchain fees
• Cryptographic vouchers - Secure state updates signed by both parties
• Single settlement - Batch hundreds of transactions into one on-chain close
• TypeScript SDK - Easy integration for developers
• CLI tools - Interactive testing and management

Architecture

solbolt/
├── program/          # Solana smart contract (Rust/Anchor)
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── lib.rs              # Program entry point
│   │   ├── state/              # Channel state management
│   │   ├── instructions/       # Open/close operations
│   │   └── errors/             # Error definitions
├── sdk/             # TypeScript SDK
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── solbolt.ts         # Main SDK class
│   │   ├── voucher.ts         # Off-chain voucher system
│   │   └── utils/             # Helper functions
├── cli/             # Command-line interface
└── examples/        # Usage examples

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Rust 1.70+
• Solana CLI 1.18+
• Anchor 0.29+

Installation

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/solbolt.git
cd solbolt
npm install
npm run build

Run Demo

cd cli
npm run build
node dist/index.js real-demo

Usage

Opening a Channel

import { SolBolt } from '@solbolt/sdk';
import { Connection, Keypair } from '@solana/web3.js';

const solbolt = new SolBolt({
  connection: new Connection('https://api.devnet.solana.com'),
  wallet: yourKeypair,
});

const result = await solbolt.openChannel(
  yourKeypair,
  counterpartyPublicKey,
  {
    initialDeposit: 1_000_000_000, // 1 SOL in lamports
  }
);

Creating Off-Chain Vouchers

const voucher = solbolt.createVoucher(
  channelId,
  newBalanceA,
  newBalanceB,
  nonce
);

const signature = voucher.sign(yourKeypair.secretKey);
voucher.addSignature(signature, true);

Closing a Channel

const result = await solbolt.closeChannel(
  finalVoucher,
  yourKeypair,
  counterpartyPublicKey
);

Development Roadmap

Current Phase - Core Protocol

• Basic channel open/close
• Off-chain voucher system
• TypeScript SDK
• CLI demo tool
• On-chain nonce verification
• Signature verification
• Dispute resolution mechanism
• Timeout protection

Next Phase - Production Features

• Challenge period implementation
• Unidirectional channels
• Partial withdrawals
• Watchtower protocol
• Security audit
• Mainnet deployment

Security Considerations

SolBolt is under active development. The following security features are being implemented:

• State verification - On-chain validation of state updates
• Dispute resolution - Challenge period for contested closures
• Timeout mechanisms - Protection against unresponsive counterparties
• Signature verification - Cryptographic proof of authorization

See SECURITY.md for current implementation status.

Testing

# Run tests
npm test

# Test on devnet
cd cli
node dist/index.js demo --network devnet

# Test with real funds (testnet)
node dist/index.js real-demo --network testnet

Deployment

For testnet deployment instructions, see README.md.

Mainnet deployment will be available after security audit completion.

Use Cases

• Micropayments - Sub-cent transactions for content, APIs, gaming
• Streaming payments - Pay-per-second for video, music, or services
• Gaming - Instant in-game transactions without network delays
• IoT payments - Machine-to-machine micropayments
• Subscription services - Fine-grained billing without overhead

Performance

• Throughput - Unlimited off-chain transactions per second
• Latency - Instant voucher signing (~10ms)
• Fees - Only 2 on-chain transactions (open + close)
• Scalability - Independent of blockchain congestion

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Areas of focus:

• Security enhancements
• Protocol improvements
• SDK features
• Documentation
• Testing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Documentation

• Security Status
• Deployment Guide

Community

• GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
• Discussions: Protocol design and improvements
• Twitter: @solbolt

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

Inspired by Bitcoin's Lightning Network and Ethereum state channels. Built with Anchor framework and Solana's high-performance blockchain.

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Building the future of instant, low-cost payments on Solana.