Boardwalk | Lightning eCash Tips
Boardwalk is a self-custodial eCash wallet that allows users to send and receive dollar-denominated eCash using the Bitcoin Lightning Network and Cashu protocol. Recently, Boardwalk introduced an eTip feature. This allows anyone, even those without an eCash wallet, to send eCash directly to anyone on the Boardwalk platform. For example, if you have a Lightning wallet (such as Zeus, Strike, or Phoenix), you can send Bitcoin to a Boardwalk user, who will then receive it as eCash. This is yet another option for more private transactions (with the tradeoff of trusting custodial eCash mints). For example, an activist can share their eTip link on social media and receive anonymous donations instantly. Since this is a relatively new solution and still in beta, we encourage you to learn more about this project here.
BlueWallet | Implements BIP-47 Payment Codes
BlueWallet, a self-custodial mobile Bitcoin wallet, released v7.0.0 with new privacy features like BIP-47. BIP-47 is a protocol that allows users to create reusable payment codes. More specifically, it generates a new Bitcoin address for each transaction, prevents address reuse, and enhances privacy. With this update, activists can receive donations without revealing their Bitcoin address, making it harder for censorious authorities to surveil their financial activities. Combined with the recent ability to send Silent Payment addresses, Blue Wallet continues to offer a wider set of privacy tools for activists.
Bankify | Turn Any Cashu Mint into a Lightning Wallet
Bitcoin developer SuperTestnet created “Bankify,” a tool that can transform any Cashu mint into a Lightning Wallet with Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) support. Bankify simplifies converting eCash tokens into Lightning payments (and vice versa). This makes it easy for users to send and receive payments with just a “send” and “receive” button. Bankify also runs an NWC server in the background to connect the wallet with external applications, allowing for a greater variety of services and functionalities. However, Bankify stores private keys and eCash without encryption. Given private keys are the most sensitive piece of information in a Bitcoin wallet, this carries inherent security risks. If you decide to try Bankfiy, we recommend using only test funds.
Ark | Releases v0.2.0
Ark, a payment protocol for Bitcoin, released version 0.2.0. Still early in its stages, Ark claims to offer scalable transactions without the liquidity constraints and channel management of the Lightning Network — though it requires users to go online regularly to prevent funds from expiring. Prior to this release, Ark required support for covenants (a potential soft fork that would introduce new conditions on how Bitcoin transactions could be spent) but this update eliminates that requirement. Users can apparently leverage Ark on the Bitcoin network without requiring a covenant soft fork. The update also adds support for offline payments and new client software development kits (SDKs) for developers to integrate Ark into their projects. These enhancements position it as a promising, if nascent, solution for private and scalable Bitcoin transactions.
Zeus | Announces Olympus LSP Integrations with Mutiny, Lightning.Pub, and Alby Hub
Zeus, creators of Zeus Wallet, integrated their Olympus Lightning Service Provider (which helps users connect to the Lightning Network while keeping control of their funds) with three platforms: Lightning.Pub (Pub for short), Mutiny Wallet, and Alby Hub. Pub is an open-source Nostr-powered Lightning node that incentivizes communal node running. With this integration, users can benefit from Olympus’s efficient channel management. Olympus will also become the default LSP for channels in excess of 3 million satoshis. Mutiny Wallet is an open-source Bitcoin Lighting wallet. With this integration, users who self-host can continue using Olympus’s Lightning connection even after the wallet shuts down later this year. Alby Hub is a self-custodial Lightning wallet with a full Lightning node. With this integration, users can choose to manage Lightning channels using Olympus.
OpenSats & Btrust | New Grants for Bitcoin Core Development
OpenSats, a nonprofit supporting open-source projects, and Btrust Builders, a nonprofit supporting Bitcoin developers in the Global South, announced new grants for Bitcoin Core development. OpenSats awarded grants to three Bitcoin Core developers:
• Tdb3, who is working to enhance Bitcoin Core’s stability, security, and performance by reviewing pull requests.
• David Gumberg, who is optimizing the initial block download (IBD) process for Bitcoin Core nodes, helping to reduce time, bandwidth, and storage challenges.
• Hodlinator, who is enhancing Bitcoin Core through code revisions, addressing performance issues, debugging, and refining tests.
Meanwhile, Btrust extended grants to six developers working on Bitcoin Core, Silent Payments, and Lightning: Enigbe Ochekliye, Tobechi Chukwuleta, Kelvin Isievwore, Abubakar Sadiq Ismail, Duncan Dean, and Oghenovo Usiwoma. These grants are a testament to the importance of continued support for the development of Bitcoin Core.
Mi Primer Bitcoin | Launches Initiative to Educate 100,000 Students about Bitcoin
Mi Primer Bitcoin (MPB), a nonprofit organization accelerating Bitcoin education in Central America and beyond, launched an initiative to educate 100,000 students about Bitcoin. Since 2021, they have educated over 35,000 students and created educational materials like the Bitcoin Diploma, which is used in over 20 countries worldwide. To reach its 100,000-student milestone, MPB will focus on its classroom-based education (such as those at the MPB House located in San Salvador), collaborations with public schools, and expanding its program globally. If you’d like to support their work, you can donate to their campaign here.