BlueWallet

What is BlueWallet?

BlueWallet is a Bitcoin-only software walletGlossarySoftware walletA wallet in the form of an app on a smartphone or computer. It stores your keys on a device with internet access – convenient and usually without a purchase price, but more vulnerable than a hardware wallet. Good for smaller amounts and for practising.On the learning path: Stage 5 · Step 2 – Setting up your first wallet →In the glossary →× for iPhone, Android and Mac, with no purchase price. The code is open source (MIT licence) and the keys stay on your device – you hold your bitcoin yourself.^[1],[2] The app is available in many languages.^[3]

Features

• Watch-only: shows the balance of a hardware walletGlossaryHardware walletA small dedicated device that keeps your private keys offline and signs transactions internally. The key never leaves the device, so malware on your computer can’t get at it.On the learning path: Stage 6 · Step 1 – Hardware wallets compared →In the glossary →× without knowing its keys. Supported devices include COLDCARDProvider · Hardware walletCOLDCARDBitcoin-only signing device from Coinkite (Canada) with an air gap via microSD, NFC and QR – more for advanced users.Hardware manufacturer – no financial licence required · reviewed Sept 2026Price: Q $319, Mk5 $219 (promotional prices, as of Sept 2026)On the learning path: Stage 6 · Step 1 – Hardware wallets compared →Our profile →Official website ↗Only buy hardware wallets from the manufacturer or an authorised reseller.×, Passport, JadeProvider · Hardware walletBlockstream JadeAffordable open-source hardware wallet from Blockstream: Jade Core without a camera, Jade Plus with a camera for QR signing without a cable.Hardware manufacturer – no financial licence required · reviewed Sept 2026Price: Jade Core $99, Jade Plus $149 (plastic) or $169 (metal) (as of Sept 2026)On the learning path: Stage 6 · Step 1 – Hardware wallets compared →Our profile →AdVisit Blockstream Jade* (paid link, opens in a new window)on blockstream.comOnly buy hardware wallets from the manufacturer or an authorised reseller.*Paid link: if you sign up or buy through it, we earn a commission. Your price stays the same. How we make money →×, Keystone and others that understand PSBTGlossaryPSBT (partially signed Bitcoin transaction)A standard format for Bitcoin transactions that are not yet fully signed. It lets a wallet app, a hardware wallet and co-signers pass a payment between them without sharing private keys.On the learning path: Stage 6 · Step 1 – Hardware wallets compared →In the glossary →×.^[1]
• MultisigGlossaryMultisig (multi-signature)A wallet in which several keys jointly control the bitcoin – for example 2 of 3. If one key is lost or stolen, the bitcoin stays safe. In return, setting it up and backing it up is considerably more demanding.On the learning path: Stage 6 · Step 4 – Inheritance & emergency plan →In the glossary →× vaults and coin control: view individual coins and freeze them.^[1]
• Fee control: speed up or cancel stuck transactions (RBFGlossaryReplace-by-fee (RBF)A method of replacing a still-unconfirmed transaction with a new version that pays a higher fee. This lets you speed up a stuck payment, as long as it isn’t in a block yet.On the learning path: Stage 5 · Step 4 – First withdrawal →In the glossary →×/CPFPGlossaryCPFP (Child Pays for Parent)A way to speed up a stuck transaction: a follow-up transaction (the ‘child’) spends one of its outputs and pays a high fee. It then pays off for miners to include both transactions together.On the learning path: Stage 5 · Step 4 – First withdrawal →In the glossary →×).^[1]
• Plausible deniability: a second password opens a separate, fully functional storage area – in case someone forces you to open the app.^[7]

Costs (as of September 2026)

The app has no purchase price, and BlueWallet does not mention a service fee. When you send, you only pay the network fee to the miners, and you choose how much.^[1]

Security

BlueWallet is a hot walletGlossaryHot walletA wallet whose private keys are stored on a device connected to the internet – such as a smartphone app. Handy for payments and small amounts, but more exposed to online attacks than cold storage.On the learning path: Stage 5 · Step 1 – Understanding custody →In the glossary →×: the keys sit on a smartphone connected to the internet. That is fine for everyday amounts; for larger sums, a hardware wallet is more robust. You write your seed phraseGlossarySeed phrase (recovery phrase)A sequence of usually 12 or 24 words from which your wallet derives all its private keys. Anyone who knows the words has full access to your bitcoin – so they belong in an offline backup and never in anyone else’s hands.On the learning path: Stage 5 · Step 3 – Backing up your seed phrase →In the glossary →× down on paper during setup and keep it offline.^[5] If you like, a password encrypts the app’s storage. It cannot be reset; if you forget it, you restore your wallets with the seed phrase.^[6] Step by step: Setting up your first wallet.

Lightning only with your own server

The project shut down its Lightning service lndhub.io, where BlueWallet held users’ funds, on 31 May 2023; regular Bitcoin wallets were not affected.^[4] Since then, LightningGlossaryLightning NetworkA second layer on top of Bitcoin for fast, low-cost payments. Amounts move off the blockchain via payment channels; only opening and closing a channel ends up in a block as a normal transaction.On the learning path: Stage 1 · Step 3 – How does Bitcoin work? →In the glossary →× in BlueWallet only connects via LNDHub to a node of your own, and the documentation advises keeping Lightning balances small.^[5] For Lightning without running your own infrastructure, you need a different app, such as Phoenix.