Blockstream app review: one wallet for bitcoin, Liquid, and Lightning
The Blockstream app is the free wallet my employer makes, and it is the companion app for the Jade hardware wallets.
The Blockstream app suits Jade owners and anyone who wants on-chain bitcoin, Liquid, and Lightning in one open-source app on phone and desktop. It can connect to your own node over Tor, and its optional 2FA multisig accounts add a second key held by Blockstream. The trade-off is that 2FA accounts depend on Blockstream's server for everyday spending, and Lightning is still in beta. Liquid accounts can hold assets such as USDt, which my Bitcoin-only rule allows.
I have not used the Blockstream app day to day, so this review is built from Blockstream's documentation, the app's source code and release notes, and the incident record. I do use Jade hardware wallets, which this app is built to pair with.
Disclosure: I work at Blockstream, the company that makes the Jade wallets mentioned here. I joined after many years as a satisfied user. There are no affiliate links on this site.
What the Blockstream app is and who makes it
The Blockstream app is a self-custody wallet from Blockstream, formerly called Blockstream Green. It shows on-chain bitcoin, Lightning, and Liquid assets in one view. You can download it for iOS, Android, or desktop, and the desktop builds cover Mac (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux. Android users can also install it from F-Droid.
All three apps are open source under GPL-3.0: Android, iOS, and desktop. The current releases are desktop 3.6.1 and Android 5.7.1, both from November 6, 2026, and iOS 5.7.0 from September 28, 2026. The app page lists 14 languages.
Liquid is a Bitcoin sidechain, and a Liquid account in the app can send and receive L-BTC, Tether's USDt, and other Liquid assets. My rating methodology counts Liquid assets as allowed in a Bitcoin-only wallet, so the app sits in my ranked list on the software wallets page.
Who it is for, and who should pick something else
It fits two kinds of people. The first owns a Jade or Jade Plus and wants the maker's own app on a phone and a computer. The second wants savings on-chain, small payments over Lightning, and a Liquid balance in one app.
Pick something else if you want a desktop app that works with many Bitcoin-only hardware wallets, or multisig with keys from several makers. Sparrow does that better on a computer, and Nunchuk is built around multisig with outside devices. If you want only Lightning, a dedicated app from my Lightning wallet rankings is simpler.
Setting it up
Setup is short, and Blockstream's help center has the current screens, so follow its new wallet guide for the taps. Here is what each part does.
- 1On a computer, verify the download first. Each release carries a PGP-signed SHA256SUMS.asc file, and Blockstream's verification guide has the commands. The signature proves the hash list came from Blockstream, and the hash proves your file matches it.
- 2Choose a mobile wallet, which keeps the keys on your phone, or connect a Jade, which keeps them on the hardware wallet. Blockstream's own FAQ calls a phone wallet a hot wallet suited to small amounts and day-to-day spending.
- 3Write down the seed phrase on paper or metal before you receive anything. The app warns that if you lose the phone without a backup, there is no way to access your funds. My seed phrase backup guide covers how to store it.
- 4Turn on Tor or point the app at your own node before you hold real savings. The privacy section below explains why.
Hardware wallet support
Blockstream's companion app table lists the Blockstream app for Jade on desktop and mobile, over USB, Bluetooth, and QR, with Jade Plus supported on all three. The newest desktop release made the Jade genuine check work without a network connection.
The app's F-Droid listing also names Ledger Nano S and X and Trezor One and T. Those are multi-coin devices, so I do not recommend them. Among the Bitcoin-only hardware wallets I review, the Jade family is the one this app is built around. For SeedSigner, Krux, or Passport, use Sparrow or Nunchuk instead.
Multisig and 2FA accounts
The app's optional multisig accounts are its most distinctive feature. A 2FA Protected account is a 2-of-2 account: your key plus Blockstream's, and it works for Bitcoin and Liquid. Blockstream signs only after you pass a second factor, and the page says Blockstream holds one key and can't spend anything with it alone. The 2FA methods are an authenticator app, SMS, email, or a phone call.
If Blockstream disappears, every deposit into a 2FA Protected account carries a timelock. After about a year on Bitcoin (you can pick 6, 12, or 15 months) or about 45 days on Liquid, the coins become spendable with your key alone. A 2-of-3 account, for Bitcoin only, adds a backup key that only you hold, so your device key and backup key can sign together without Blockstream.
The trade-off is the data file's main con: everyday spending from a 2FA account needs Blockstream's server online. A plain single-signature wallet has no such dependency. My multisig guide explains how this compares with holding every key yourself.
Lightning and fees
Blockstream's help center says Lightning is currently in beta and recommends keeping on Lightning only funds you do not need urgently. You turn it on per wallet. You can also receive L-BTC through a Lightning invoice and pay Lightning invoices from a Liquid balance.
The app is free. You pay normal network fees, and Lightning adds a channel funding fee when a payment is bigger than your receive capacity or below 10,000 sats: 0.4% of the amount, with a 10,000 sat minimum. Buying bitcoin in the app sends you to a third-party exchange, which sets its own fees and identity checks.
Privacy: which servers it talks to
Any wallet that asks someone else's server for its balance shows that server your addresses. The app page says you can connect to your own node and route traffic through Tor with a single tap. Tor hides your IP address, and Blockstream itself notes it does not stop blockchain analysis.
Blockstream says the app does not collect any personal identifiable information by default. If you choose email or phone for 2FA, that contact detail is the only personal information it collects, and you can ask for it to be deleted once the 2FA account is empty. If you run a node, see how to run a Bitcoin node and my node rankings.
Security record
The three app repositories show no published GitHub security advisories (Android, iOS, desktop). One related change sits on the Jade side: Jade firmware 1.0.40, released April 30, 2026, made the device always confirm all outputs when signing Green recovery transactions. My security incident tracker lists it as minor.
Recent releases are routine. iOS 5.7.0 added manual coin selection for Bitcoin and Liquid and fixed a crash after a 2FA reset request.
How it compares
| Blockstream app | AQUA | BULL Wallet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| Bitcoin-only hardware wallets | Jade family by USB, Bluetooth, or QR | None | Jade, Passport, SeedSigner, Specter, and Krux by QR |
| Lightning | Built in, in beta | Through swap providers such as Boltz | Through swap services, received into a Liquid wallet |
| Own node | Yes, over Tor if you like | Custom Electrum server | Custom Electrum server, including .onion |
Read my AQUA review and BULL Wallet review for the other two Liquid-and-Lightning phone wallets. On a computer, the full ranking is in my best desktop Bitcoin wallets guide.
Verdict
For a Jade owner, the Blockstream app is the natural first app: it talks to the device by USB, Bluetooth, or QR, it runs on phones and computers, and it is open source. The 2FA multisig accounts are a reasonable middle step for a phone wallet, with a timelock that returns full control to you if Blockstream goes away. Its weak spots are a narrow list of Bitcoin-only hardware wallets, a Lightning feature still in beta, and a server that sees your addresses until you switch to your own node.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Blockstream app the same as Blockstream Green?
Yes. Blockstream renamed Green to the Blockstream app. The source code still lives in the green_android, green_ios, and green_qt repositories on GitHub.
Is the Blockstream app self-custody?
Yes. You hold the seed phrase. In a 2FA multisig account Blockstream holds a second key, but it cannot spend alone, and a timelock lets you spend with your key alone after the set period.
Does the Blockstream app work with Jade?
Yes, it is Jade's recommended companion app. It connects to Jade and Jade Plus by USB, Bluetooth, or QR, and runs on desktop and phone.
Can I use the Blockstream app with my own node?
Yes. The app page says you can connect it to your own node and route traffic through Tor. Do it before you hold real savings, since any outside server sees your addresses.
Does the Blockstream app support Lightning?
Yes, in beta. You enable it per wallet, and a funding fee of 0.4% (10,000 sat minimum) applies when a payment exceeds your receive capacity.