Relay

Relay is a Node.js wrapper around LND, handling connectivity and storage for Sphinx. Communication between Relay nodes takes place entirely on the Lightning Network, so is decentralized, untraceable, and encrypted. Message content is also end-to-end encrypted using client public keys, on the Sphinx app itself.

Relay stores:

• Aliases
• Messages
• Recurring payment configurations
• Invites (so you can add your friends)
• Media Keys: keys for decrypting media files, asymetrically encrypted for each contact in a chat

run your own sphinx node

Using Docker on Raspberry Pi

Install docker-compose: https://medium.com/@techiebouncer/install-docker-and-docker-compose-on-raspberry-pi-4-raspbian-buster-c5b78b9a0d08

Clone this repo.

git clone https://github.com/stakwork/sphinx-relay.git

Copy your id_rsa to clone the private lnd-lean repo.

cp ~/.ssh/id_rsa .

Build it.

docker-compose build

Edit your docker-compose.yml file replacing NODE_IP and NODE_ALIAS.

Relay will run on port 3000 local. You would need to point your router's port forwarding from 80 to 3000 to your docker machine.

Start up LND separately first.

docker-compose up lnd

• In another terminal, go to the project folder and run.

docker-compose exec lnd bash

Once you're given a bash, run ping lnd and take note of the IP, this is because we need to tell Relay where lnd is via the IP, this is a temporary measure due to the limitation of the grpc connection can only be done via IP and not domain name.

Edit your app.json file inside config and on the production key replace node_ip with the one from the ping.

Run Relay.

docker-compose up node_server

Create / Unlock your wallet

docker-compose exec lnd lncli create

docker-compose exec lnd lncli unlock

NOTE: All lncli commands need to be prepended with docker-compose exec lnd, this tells docker to execute something on the lnd container.

Without Docker

You can run your own Sphinx node in order to have full ownership over your communication!

guide

mynode users: here is a complete guide provided by someone who is running Relay at home: MyNode Guide

download

git clone https://github.com/stakwork/sphinx-relay

cd sphinx-relay

npm install

dependencies

sqlite3: apt-get install sqlite3

configure

Make sure your LND is running with the --accept-keysend flag! If you are using lnd.conf file, add accept-keysend=1

Edit the "production" section of config/app.json:

• Change macaroon_location to the location of your LND admin macaroon
• Change tls_location to the location of your LND cert

Edit the "production" section of config/config.json

• Update "storage" to point to where you want your DB file to live

To connect to your app

• export NODE_IP=x.x.x.x (you can use a domain name instead if you have that set up)
• For extra security, export USE_PASSWORD=true

run

npm run prod

When Relay starts up, it will print a QR in the terminal. You can scan this in your app (Android & iOS) to connect!

Roadmap

• linking recurring payments to files, to enable use cases such as subscribing to podcasts with BTC!