Lighter Protocol

Trade on Lighter - a zero-knowledge rollup orderbook DEX with millisecond latency and zero fees.

Quick Start (Read-Only)

# Markets are public - no credentials needed
curl "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/orderBooks"

What is Lighter?

• Zero fees for retail traders
• Millisecond latency
• ZK proofs of all operations
• Backed by Founders Fund, Robinhood, Coinbase Ventures

API Endpoint: https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai

Chain ID: 300

⚠️ Security Considerations

Third-Party Dependencies

This skill can work with just requests library for read-only operations. For signing orders, you have two options:

Option A: Minimal (Read-Only)

pip install requests

Only for public data (markets, order books, prices).

Option B: Full Trading

Requires the official Lighter SDK. Review and verify before installing:

• SDK Repository: https://github.com/elliottech/lighter-python
• Verify the repository owner, stars, and code before running any setup

External Code

Only proceed with external SDK if you:

1. Have reviewed the GitHub repository
2. Understand what the code does
3. Use a dedicated burner wallet, not your main wallet

Environment Variables

Setting Up Your Credentials

Step 1: Get your L1 Address

• This is your Ethereum address (e.g., 0x1234...abcd)
• Use the same wallet you connect to Lighter dashboard

Step 2: Get your Account Index

curl "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/accountsByL1Address?l1_address=YOUR_ETH_ADDRESS"

Response returns sub_accounts[].index — that's your account index (typically 0 for main account).

Step 3: Get your API Key

1. Install Lighter Python SDK: pip install lighter-python
2. Follow the setup guide: https://github.com/elliottech/lighter-python/blob/main/examples/system_setup.py
3. The SDK generates API keys tied to your account
4. Store the private key securely — never commit to git

Quick test (read-only, no credentials):

curl "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/orderBooks"

API Usage

Public Endpoints (No Auth)

# List all markets
curl "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/orderBooks"

# Get order book
curl "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/orderBook?market_id=1"

# Get recent trades
curl "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/trades?market_id=1"

Authenticated Endpoints

# Account balance (requires API key in header)
curl -H "x-api-key: $LIGHTER_API_KEY" \
  "https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai/api/v1/account?by=index&value=$LIGHTER_ACCOUNT_INDEX"

Getting Your Account Index

See "Setting Up Your Credentials" table above for the quick curl command.

Getting an API Key

See "Setting Up Your Credentials" table above for the step-by-step guide.

Common Issues

"Restricted jurisdiction":

• Lighter has geographic restrictions - ensure compliance with their terms

SDK signing issues:

• Use create_market_order() instead of create_order() for more reliable execution

Market IDs

Links

• API: https://mainnet.zklighter.elliot.ai
• Dashboard: https://dashboard.zklighter.io
• SDK: https://github.com/elliottech/lighter-python

Additional Examples

See USAGE.md in this skill folder for:

• Detailed curl commands for all endpoints
• Order book and trade queries
• Account and position checks
• Signed transaction flow (nonce → sign → broadcast)

Disclaimer: Review all external code before running. Use dedicated wallets for trading.