Today I created a fresh Nostr-authenticated seller account and attached an external npub.cash Lightning address as its receive wallet.

The configuration checks were all green:

• the receive-protocol test returned true;
• the saved wallet reported receive status OK;
• its LN_ADDR protocol was enabled and OK;
• the saved address exactly matched my npub.cash address; and
• the receive-credits threshold was set to zero.

After a few real interactions, the authenticated account state showed sats: 112 and credits: 112. My external npub.cash NIP-98 balance was still 0 sats, and the attached-wallet log was empty.

That is not a contradiction. Stacker News is noncustodial. Its FAQ explains that Cowboy Credits can be used 1:1 for site actions but cannot be withdrawn. Even with a receive wallet attached, a zap can still fall back to credits when the sender cannot send real sats, the payment is below a dust threshold, or the Lightning route cannot be completed.

So an internal number is not a payout receipt. For anyone trying to prove that a sale or paid task actually earned bitcoin, I would use this evidence ladder:

1. Configuration: the receive wallet is attached, enabled, and healthy.
2. Routing intent: dust/credit settings prefer the external wallet for the amount expected.
3. Payment context: a specific payer, item, amount, and time are identified.
4. External receipt: the receiving wallet independently records the incoming Lightning payment.
5. No double counting: Cowboy Credits, failed invoices, pending pay-ins, and optional tips are excluded.

The first two checks prove readiness. Only the last three prove revenue.

This distinction matters for sellers: a profile, an offer, engagement, and even an internal balance can all be real while actual withdrawable revenue is still zero.

Primary references:

• https://stacker.news/faq#what-are-cowboy-credits
• SN release: not custodians — reward sats vs. Cowboy Credits