{"id":18744,"date":"2026-09-15T11:06:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=18744"},"modified":"2026-09-15T11:06:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:06:41","slug":"introducing-lightning-in-the-bitboxapp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2026\/09\/15\/introducing-lightning-in-the-bitboxapp\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Lightning in the BitBoxApp"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the wake of the Liquid Bitcoin hack and people being unable to exit, there is another compelling Lightning branching option for those that don’t run their own Lightning node, also without having to manage payment channels, Spark. If you have a Bitbox Bitcoin hardware wallet, they’ve included the beta feature for a Lightning wallet in their mobile app, and you can have a small amount of Bitcoin available in the Lightning wallet for transactions not requiring the hardware wallet. I’ve enabled the Lightning wallet and sent $30 of Lightning to it as a test, and sent $10 back to my Lightning node wallet. When the new version of the Breeze SDK is released and incorporated, you’ll be able to use a unilateral exit to convert funds out. At present you’ll need to use an exchange or send them to another Lightning wallet. This requires a level of trust for the Spark network, so I wouldn’t have a large balance, but good for small Lightning purchases. And the BitBoxApp is very good. And any business with a Square Terminal can take Lightning payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/blog.bitbox.swiss\/en\/introducing-lightning-in-the-bitboxapp\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
Fast, low-cost Bitcoin payments directly in the BitBoxApp, with the backup you already have.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\"Introducing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Paying for a coffee or sending bitcoin to a friend should be quick and straightforward. Lightning<\/a> makes these small, everyday payments practical, and with the Meggen update<\/a>, it is now available in the mobile BitBoxApp as a public beta for all BitBox users<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re excited to bring Lightning payments and cold storage together in one app<\/strong>. You can keep your savings secured with your BitBox, move a small amount to your Lightning wallet for spending, and recover both wallets using your existing backup<\/strong>. Let’s take a closer look at how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy to use, straight in the BitBoxApp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Lightning wallet is built into the BitBoxApp you already use. You can top it up from your on-chain BitBox wallet, pay a Lightning invoice, receive bitcoin, and move funds back to cold storage at any time, all within the same app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To get started, update the mobile BitBoxApp and navigate to Advanced settings<\/em> > Enable Lightning wallet<\/em>. Connect and unlock your BitBox, then follow the on-screen instructions to create your Lightning wallet. Both the BitBox02 and BitBox02 Nova can create a Lightning wallet on a compatible mobile device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once set up, you can transfer a small amount of bitcoin from your on-chain wallet to get ready for your first payment. As with any transaction spending from your BitBox, you verify and confirm this transfer on the hardware wallet. If you already have another Lightning wallet in use, you can of course start receiving sats right away, without going through an on-chain top-up first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it’s time to pay, simply scan a Lightning invoice and confirm the payment in the BitBoxApp. Because the Lightning wallet is a hot wallet, you don’t need to connect your BitBox for everyday Lightning payments, so it can stay at home while you use your phone on the go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lightning payments can be made without connecting a BitBox.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One backup, two wallets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adding another wallet would usually mean creating and safely storing another backup. With the BitBoxApp, your BitBox takes care of that part for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During setup, the BitBox derives a separate secret from the wallet already on the device. The BitBoxApp uses this to create the seed for your Lightning wallet, from which its private keys are generated. This derivation is based on BIP-85<\/a>, a standard for creating additional wallet secrets from an existing one. The process is repeatable: the same BitBox wallet can always recreate the same Lightning keys.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In practice, this means you can use your BitBox to restore your Lightning wallet in the BitBoxApp on a new phone. If you also lose your BitBox, restoring its existing backup on a replacement device allows it to derive the Lightning keys again as well. There is no additional set of recovery words to write down and look after. Note that if you use an optional passphrase<\/a> for the original wallet, you need that same passphrase as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This derivation only works in one direction<\/strong> using the BIP-85 standard. Knowing the Lightning wallet’s secret does not reveal any information about your original seed or the private keys securing your cold storage. Your BitBox provides the app with the derived secret, while its own seed stays on the hardware wallet. In other words: should the keys to your Lightning wallet ever get compromised, your original backup of your BitBox would not be affected at all. We explain the mechanism in more detail in our article on how the BitBox derives the seed for the Lightning wallet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This makes the Lightning wallet in the BitBoxApp a hot wallet<\/strong>: its spending keys are stored on your phone, and payments are authorized there. This is why you should keep a smaller spending balance<\/strong> in Lightning and your long-term savings secured on your BitBox. You can think of the BitBox as your secure vault at home, whereas the Lightning wallet is like a physical wallet containing some cash that you take with you. And of course, you always have to protect your existing backup carefully \u2013 now it can recover two wallets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powered by Spark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To make this experience possible, we use the Breez SDK<\/a> together with Spark<\/a>. Spark is a system for transferring bitcoin off-chain on a statechain<\/a>, meaning that each payment does not need its own transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain. It also connects to the Lightning Network<\/a>, allowing you to pay Lightning invoices and receive Lightning payments from other wallets. You don’t need to run a node or open and manage payment channels yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what makes small payments way more practical: they can complete quickly, with low fees, without waiting for a new Bitcoin block each time. Moving bitcoin between your on-chain wallet and your Lightning wallet still involves network fees and confirmation times, so topping up your spending balance in advance can make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wallet is non-custodial, with your keys held in the BitBoxApp. Spark does introduce its own trust assumptions, however, which you should be aware of: transfers depend on a group of operators, and security requires a minimum number of them to cooperate and follow the protocol. These assumptions differ from holding bitcoin directly on-chain which makes using Spark not entirely trustless. We consider this a reasonable trade-off for a wallet intended for smaller amounts and everyday payments, given the improved user experience and lower technical overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restoring the wallet on a new phone also requires access to Spark’s services to retrieve wallet data. Your backup recreates the keys; it does not contain all of that data. This is why you still depend on the Spark operator to cooperate to be able to access your funds. We plan to support unilateral exits in the future with an upcoming version of the Breez SDK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your own Lightning address<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A regular Lightning invoice is a payment request that you share with the sender. That works well when someone is ready to pay you, but for repeated payments, sharing one reusable address is more convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Lightning wallet supports a Lightning address, which looks similar to an email address. It uses LNURL-Pay in the background to let the sender’s wallet request a fresh invoice for each payment. You can give someone the same address again without manually creating a new invoice each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can even claim your own name in the Lightning wallet settings, subject to availability. Once you’ve chosen an address, share it with a friend so they can send you sats from a compatible wallet. It’s a simple way to receive a tip or get paid back for lunch, with an address that’s easy to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lightning in the BitBoxApp makes it easier to use bitcoin for everyday payments while keeping your savings in cold storage and without the need to install and use another third party app. Your existing backup covers both wallets, Spark enables fast and low-cost payments, and your Lightning address makes receiving even more convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public beta is ready for you to try<\/strong>. Update the BitBoxApp<\/a>, enable your Lightning wallet, and start with a small spending balance. We’d love to hear your feedback<\/a> as we continue to improve the Lightning experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the wake of the Liquid Bitcoin hack and people being unable to exit, there is another compelling Lightning branching option for those that don’t run their own Lightning node, also without having to manage payment channels, Spark. If you have a Bitbox Bitcoin hardware wallet, they’ve included the beta feature for a Lightning wallet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18744"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18745,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18744\/revisions\/18745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}