# check_balance

Check your current Lightning balance in satoshis. Works with both operator and agent keys.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `check_balance`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/check-balance

## Facts

- Tool: `check_balance`
- Server: Lightning Wallet (`lightning-wallet-mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp.md
- Install: `npx -y lightning-wallet-mcp`
- Homepage: https://github.com/lightningfaucet/lightning-wallet-mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "check_balance",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why check_balance is rated Low

This tool retrieves account balance information without modifying, deleting, or executing operations. It is a pure read operation analogous to checking an account statement. The low severity reflects minimal blast radius—an AI agent misusing this can only view balance data, posing no financial risk or destructive capability.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name 'check_balance' and description 'Check your current Lightning balance' indicate a query/retrieval operation with no side effects. The phrase 'Check your current' confirms it is read-only."

## Use case

AI agents call check_balance to retrieve information from Lightning Wallet without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Lightning Wallet:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "check_balance": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Lightning Wallet (44)

- `delete_agent` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/delete-agent.md
- `delete_webhook` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/delete-webhook.md
- `lnurl_auth` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/lnurl-auth.md
- `test_webhook` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/test-webhook.md
- `board_vote` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/board-vote.md
- `claim_lnurl_withdraw` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/claim-lnurl-withdraw.md
- `claim_promo` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/claim-promo.md
- `create_invoice` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/create-invoice.md
- `create_withdraw_link` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/create-withdraw-link.md
- `fund_agent` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/fund-agent.md
- `get_deposit_invoice` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-deposit-invoice.md
- `keysend` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/keysend.md
- `nostr_zap` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/nostr-zap.md
- `pay_invoice` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/pay-invoice.md
- `pay_l402_api` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/pay-l402-api.md
- `pay_lightning_address` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/pay-lightning-address.md
- `recover_account` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/recover-account.md
- `set_budget` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/set-budget.md
- `sweep_agent` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/sweep-agent.md
- `transfer_to_agent` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/transfer-to-agent.md
- `withdraw` — Financial — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/withdraw.md
- `board_read` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/board-read.md
- `decode_invoice` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/decode-invoice.md
- `get_budget_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-budget-status.md
- `get_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-info.md
- `get_invoice_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-invoice-status.md
- `get_nostr_identity` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-nostr-identity.md
- `get_rate_limits` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-rate-limits.md
- `get_transactions` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/get-transactions.md
- `list_agents` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp/list-agents.md
- …and 14 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-lightningfaucet-lightning-wallet-mcp