Introducing $PAY: The First Protocol Token Born on Lightning

4 min readApr 30, 2025

We’re excited to partner with Lnfi Network to unveil the upcoming Initial Lightning Offering (ILO) for $PAY — the first protocol token ever issued using Taproot Assets.

The ILO will launch on LN Starter, the first native launchpad purpose-built for the Bitcoin Lightning Network ecosystem. This marks a major step forward for Lightning-native finance and real-world utility, powered by Astra’s AI-driven payment layer.

By bridging assets from other blockchains to Lightning, Astra enables users to settle Lightning payments with stablecoins on other blockchains — bringing real-world utility to crypto at Lightning speed.

At its core is $PAY, the token that powers Astra’s growing ecosystem. It incentivizes Lightning usage and unlocks premium features throughout the ecosystem. As Astra adoption grows, $PAY becomes the key to accessing AI agents, automated payment flows, and cross-chain DeFi — all on the Lightning Network.

Imagine paying for coffee directly from your blockchain wallet, instantly settled over Lightning — that’s the magic of Astra & $PAY.

$PAY Tokenomics

The total supply of $PAY is 1,000,000,000 tokens.

Here’s the token allocation breakdown:

Community Reserves (70%)

700,000,000 $PAY
*For community growth and incentivising Lightning usage.

Team & Advisors (20%)

200,000,000 $PAY

Community Fundraising (5%)

50,000,000 $PAY

Liquidity Provision (4%)

40,000,000 $PAY

Airdrop (1%)

10,000,000 $PAY

Refer to Astra Gitbook for full tokenomics details:
https://astranetwork.gitbook.io/read/tokenomics

Why $PAY?

Value Accrual — from protocol revenue.
Real Usage, Real Demand — $PAY will be used to incentivize Lightning Network usage via Payment Mining i.e. more $PAY would only be put into circulation if only there is adoption. This ensures alignment between existing and future users.
AI-Powered Finance — $PAY will be integral to powering the future of agentic payments.
Stablecoin-Driven Utility — With the upcoming native USDt issuance by Tether on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, the growing payment activity is set to further benefit $PAY holders.
Cross-chain Interoperability — $PAY holders benefit from cross-chain interoperability and a unified payment standard.

Astra $PAY Roadmap

Launching $PAY is just the beginning — here’s what’s coming next:

Astra Pay — Instantly pay any Lightning invoice using tokens from supported blockchains.
Astra Shop — A Lightning-powered shopping experience, bringing seamless crypto payments to platforms like Amazon.
Astra SDK — The “Stripe for Lightning.” Platforms and merchants can effortlessly integrate Astra to accept Lightning payments from users across any blockchain.

Why This Matters Now

Tether Goes Lightning — Tether brings USDt back to Bitcoin, unlocking stablecoin liquidity on the Lightning Network.
Lightning Speed & Scale — Global 1M TPS real-time, open, ultra-low fee payments — scaling transactions to billions worldwide.
Built for AI Agent Economies — Designed for high-frequency micro- or even nano-payments, supporting both human-to-agent and agent-to-agent transactions.
Cross-Chain Interoperability — Seamlessly integrates the Lightning Network with other major blockchains, enabling broader connectivity and unlocking new possibilities.

Find out more about Astra:
Website: https://www.astra-labs.io/
X: https://x.com/Astralabs_LN
Telegram: https://t.me/astra_labs

ILO Details:

Below are the key details for the token sales:
Link: [Launchpad Link]

Start: Friday, 2 May 2025, 20:00 UTC+8
End: Monday, 5 May 2025, 00:00 UTC+8 or earlier if fully filled.
Sale Type: Launchpad*
Use of Funds: Liquidity Provisioning

Total Raise: $250,000
Token Price: $0.005
Total Supply for Sale: 5%

Price per Lot: 100 USDt (20,000 $PAY)
Maximum Lots per address: 10

*First-come, first-served mechanism for participants on Lightning Network.
*Any unsold $PAY will be reallocated to the community reserves for future ecosystem incentives.

$PAY FAQ

How to join $PAY ILO?

Step 1
If you are new to Lnfi, get your Nostr Address via OKX Wallet.
https://docs.lnfi.network/user-guides/okx-wallet

Step 2
Deposit USDt to Lnfi
You need need minimum of 100 USDt to purchase 1 Lot (20,000 $PAY), and you will also need to prepare for the required gas fees on the respective blockchains.

Follow this guide to deposit USDt to Lightning via other blockchain mainnets.

https://docs.lnfi.network/receive-and-send-assets#deposit-to-lnfi-from-blockchain-mainnets

Step 3
$PAY ILO will start on 2 May 20:00 UTC+8 >> https://mainnet.lnfi.network/#/ecosystem/lightning-starter/mint-detail/1746065259759

Once you have your USDt on Lnfi, follow this user guide to join the ILO:
https://docs.lnfi.network/products/ln-starter/ln-launchpad

Disclaimer

Refer to https://docs.lnfi.network/terms