If you are using an iPhone you need to give eNuts a spin. It’s really well done and using it finally made things click. I believe mints still settle with each other over lightning, and you fund your wallet with lightning. That said an entire cash economy could form on this architecture.
Discussion
have it on my android, will put some sats onto it
Just sent you 100 sats using the nostr integration. It shows up as a DM from a different npub. Kinda confusing but you can send them over any messaging channel.

Clicked redeem on amethyst, and it went into my wallet.
So wallets authorize the transfer of tokens which are actually just sats between mints and wallets hold these tokens?
Like casino chips?
Something like that, except I believe it’s the mint that does the redemption and burn of the sats. All the tokens are claims on the mint’s balance.