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Bitcoin Stack

Bitcoin Stack is a Docker Compose template for running a local regtest environment with Bitcoin, Lightning implementations, Elements/Liquid and Electrs. It includes a CLI for operating the containers and examples for application integration, node queries, wallet setup, Lightning payments, invoice notifications and fee-estimation activity.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Bitcoin Stack — OpenViST project profile in Developer Tools.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use it when you need a configurable, local development and testing setup rather than a production network deployment.

Who it is for

  • Developers building or testing applications that connect to Bitcoin or Lightning services.
  • Teams that need a local environment for experimenting with LND, C-Lightning, Eclair, Elements/Liquid or Electrs.

Documented uses

  • Run Bitcoin and related services in a controlled regtest environment.
  • Exercise Lightning invoice and payment flows between local nodes.
  • Test an application's interaction with Electrs or listen for invoice notifications.
  • Generate local transaction activity to explore Bitcoin fee estimates.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The project is a public GitHub repository licensed under MPL-2.0. Docker with Compose is required; the README's examples use jq for JSON parsing.

  • The stack runs in regtest mode, which is intended for development and testing.
  • Elements/Liquid and its related nodes are optional; the README gives separate startup and wallet commands.
  • The README lists precompiled images for AMD64 and ARM64 and notes manual builds may be needed for other architectures.
  • Ports and daemon configuration can be changed in the .env and Docker Compose files.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Start a Bitcoin regtest environment with Electrs

Bring up Bitcoin and Electrs, initialize the default Bitcoin wallet, and generate regtest blocks.

Before you start

  • Docker with Compose
  • A terminal in the Bitcoin Stack project folder
  • The repository's provided CLI tool, bin/stack

Steps

  1. Run bin/stack up -d bitcoin electrs.

  2. Create the default wallet with bin/stack bitcoin -named createwallet wallet_name=default descriptors=false.

  3. Set the wallet seed using the README's example command, bin/stack bitcoin sethdseed true cSXteaZPxiDNEjtsgMhDKik5CL6YUc2hrEdkm51DrL85873UUFiQ.

  4. Generate 101 blocks with bin/stack bitcoin generate 101, then check the containers with the command below.

    Documented command
    docker ps -a

Expected outcome

A Bitcoin regtest node and Electrs are started, and the example wallet has generated blocks.

Guide limitations

  • The project is intended only for development and testing, not production deployments.
  • The README says nodes sync after the first Bitcoin and Elements regtest blocks are generated.
Documentation 1 ↗
Source-based practical guide

Simulate an LND payment over local channels

Exercise an AMP payment from the Alice LND node to Bob after opening channels in the local regtest setup.

Before you start

  • Docker with Compose
  • A running Bitcoin Stack environment with Alice and Bob LND nodes
  • The project CLI tool, bin/stack
  • jq for extracting the payment request from JSON

Steps

  1. Open channels from Alice to Bob using the documented bin/stack alice channelto bob commands and amounts.

  2. Create a Bob invoice and extract its payment request with BOB_INVOICE=$(bin/stack bob addinvoice 5275000 | jq -r '.payment_request').

  3. Pay the invoice using bin/stack alice payinvoice --amp -f $BOB_INVOICE.

  4. Inspect the channel lists with bin/stack alice listchannels and bin/stack bob listchannels.

Expected outcome

The example simulates an AMP invoice payment between the two local LND nodes and provides commands to inspect their channels.

Guide limitations

  • The README frames the environment as development and testing only.
  • This workflow depends on channels being opened before the payment.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
16 October 2026
Original website title
NGUtech/bitcoin-stack · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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