Base layer payments are self-custody. You alone have the private key. It uses my whisper addresses protocol to automatically derive infinite bitcoin keys from a single nostr private key, that way every time you receive a payment, it shows up in a different bitcoin address, but you can still recover it all.

Lightning payments are custodial by default. It automatically sets you up with a custodial lnbits account when you first load the page, which lowers the barrier to entry for people to get started. Also, I don't run the lnbits instance (Ben Arc's company does), so I am not responsible for having custody of anyone's funds.

I plan to make it easy to point it at your own node, but I need to write some software for that. Still, there is a way to do it right now if you're okay with a but of coding in the browser.

Here are instructions to point it at your own node:

• type console.log( localStorage[ "wallet_info" ] ) into your browser console
• it will show you your lnbits info
• change that info so that it shows info hosted on your own node (or e.g. a voltage node)
• then type in localStorage[ "wallet_info" ] = your_modified_lnbits_info
• then resubmit your store

If you do all that, all the sats you earn on lightning will flow to your own node. (But be aware! If your lnbits instance is hosted as a hidden onion service, as most of them are, people won't be able to send you funds on lightning unless they happen to be using a tor compatible web browser.)