Terms of Service

1. Introduction

Welcome to BTC.email. These Terms of Service govern your use of the BTC.email service, operated by BTC.email. By accessing or using our Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

2. Service Description

BTC.email is a Bitcoin-native email service that uses Lightning Network micropayments to reduce spam. The Service provides:

• Registration of @btc.email email addresses
• Email receiving and sending capabilities
• Pay-per-email functionality using the L402 protocol
• Lightning Network payment processing
• User dashboard for account management
• Whitelist and blocklist management

3. Eligibility

To use BTC.email, you must be at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements, and not be prohibited from using the Service under applicable law.

4. Account Registration

You may create an account using email and password, Lightning login, or OAuth providers (Google, Microsoft), or Lightning Login (LNURL-auth). You are responsible for providing accurate registration information, maintaining the security of your account credentials, and all activities that occur under your account.

5. Username Registration and Pricing

Usernames are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Pricing is based on character length:

USD prices are approximate based on Bitcoin exchange rates at time of payment.

Reservation and Verification

• Username reservations are held for up to 60 minutes while a payment is pending
• Unpaid reservations expire automatically and the username becomes available
• Completed registrations must verify the forwarding email within 14 days or the username may be released after notice

Anti-Squatting and Inactivity

• Premium usernames (1-4 characters) require activity at least once every 90 days to remain active
• Standard usernames require activity at least once every 12 months to remain active
• Activity includes logging in, sending emails, or receiving paid emails through the Service
• We provide advance notice before releasing inactive or abandoned usernames and a grace period to restore activity

6. Payment Terms

All payments are processed via the Bitcoin Lightning Network. We do not accept fiat currency, credit cards, or other payment methods. Lightning Network payments are final and irreversible. All payments are non-refundable except as required by applicable law.

7. Acceptable Use

You may not use the Service to:

• Send spam, bulk unsolicited messages, or commercial solicitations
• Engage in phishing, fraud, scams, or deceptive practices
• Distribute malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Harass, threaten, defame, or abuse others
• Transmit illegal content or facilitate illegal activities
• Impersonate individuals, organizations, or entities
• Attempt to circumvent payment requirements

8. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with third-party providers including OAuth providers (Google, Microsoft), Lightning Network infrastructure, and other service providers. Your use of these integrations remains subject to their respective terms of service.

9. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. We do not guarantee continuous, uninterrupted, or secure access to the Service, that the Service will be error-free, or email delivery to or from external parties.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100).

11. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. We may suspend or terminate your account for violation of these Terms, extended inactivity, or legal requirements. Upon termination, your access to the Service will cease.

12. Dispute Resolution

Before initiating formal proceedings, you agree to contact us at support@btc.email to attempt informal resolution. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in Delaware courts.

13. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or Service notification at least thirty (30) days before taking effect. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Refund Policy

All payments on BTC.email are processed via the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Lightning payments are final and non-reversible by design. As such:

• Username registration fees are non-refundable once the username is claimed
• Email delivery payments are non-refundable once the email is delivered to the recipient
• Credit purchases are non-refundable but remain available in your account indefinitely
• If an email fails to deliver due to a technical error on our part, we will credit your account with the equivalent amount

For billing inquiries or if you believe a payment was processed in error, contact support@btc.email with your payment hash within 30 days.

15. Payment Disputes

If you have a concern about a payment or believe you have been charged incorrectly:

1. Contact support@btc.email with your payment hash, transaction details, and description of the issue
2. We will investigate within 5 business days and respond with our findings
3. If we determine an error occurred, we will credit your account or, at our discretion, issue a Lightning payment to a wallet address you provide
4. If you remain unsatisfied with the resolution, you may escalate per Section 12 (Dispute Resolution)

We maintain records of all Lightning transactions for 7 years to support dispute resolution.

16. DMCA and Copyright

BTC.email respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content transmitted through our Service infringes your copyright, you may submit a DMCA takedown notice to:

Your notice must include:

• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing and information sufficient to locate it
• Your contact information (address, phone number, email)
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner
• Your physical or electronic signature

Upon receipt of a valid DMCA notice, we will respond expeditiously to remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material.

17. Abuse Reporting

To report spam, phishing, harassment, or other abuse of the BTC.email Service:

When reporting abuse, please include:

• The email address of the sender (if applicable)
• Full email headers (if available)
• Description of the abusive content or behavior
• Any relevant screenshots or evidence

We review all abuse reports within 48 hours. Confirmed violations may result in account warnings, suspension, or permanent termination depending on severity. Users who accumulate 3 or more abuse complaints may be automatically suspended pending review.

18. Law Enforcement Requests

BTC.email cooperates with law enforcement agencies when required by valid legal process. We respond to:

• Subpoenas for subscriber information
• Court orders for stored communications
• Search warrants
• Emergency disclosure requests involving imminent danger

Law enforcement requests should be sent to legal@btc.email. Requests must come from official government email addresses and include proper legal documentation.

Where legally permitted, we will notify affected users of law enforcement requests. We publish an annual transparency report detailing the number and types of requests received.

19. Financial Compliance

BTC.email processes Lightning Network micropayments for email delivery. These payments are:

• Micropayments (typically under $0.10 USD equivalent) for individual email delivery
• Pseudonymous by nature of the Lightning Network protocol
• Not intended for money transmission or financial services

BTC.email is an email service provider, not a money services business or virtual currency exchange. We do not convert between fiat and cryptocurrency, hold customer funds beyond earned email payments, or provide financial services. Users are responsible for their own tax reporting obligations related to Bitcoin transactions.

20. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at support@btc.email.