How to migrate from Wallet of Satoshi

In November 2023, Wallet of Satoshi removed its app from the US Apple and Google app stores. Users were assured continued access to their funds and the ability to withdraw, but the app is no longer freely installable for US customers. This guide is the practical migration walkthrough.

The same steps apply if you’re moving from any custodial Lightning wallet to a self-custodial one — the procedure is the same.

Why migrate

Three reasons people typically migrate from Wallet of Satoshi or another custodial wallet:

1. US regulatory uncertainty. WoS is no longer freely available to US users.
2. Self-custody. Custodial wallets carry provider risk; self-custodial wallets don’t.
3. Larger balances. As your Lightning activity grows, “the provider holds my sats” becomes a worse trade.

Pre-migration checklist

Before you start moving sats:

• Make sure you can still log into your WoS account.
• Have your destination wallet installed and tested with a small amount.
• Have your destination wallet’s recovery phrase backed up (self-custodial wallets only).
• Note your current WoS Lightning Address — you’ll lose it after migration.

Step 1: Pick a destination wallet

Three good options, in increasing order of self-custody seriousness:

• Phoenix. Self-custodial mobile wallet. Ships a Lightning Address out of the box. Predictable fee model. The closest experience to WoS without the custody.
• Alby Hub or Cloud. Self-custodial Lightning node. Hub is open-source self-hosted; Cloud is hosted by Alby for $9.90/month. Strong creator and Nostr tooling.
• Zeus. Power-user. Embedded LDK Node or remote connection to your own Lightning node. Zeus Pay provides a self-custodial Lightning Address.

For most former WoS users, Phoenix is the right answer. The setup is genuinely fast, the fee model is now clean (mining fees on receive, 0.4% on send), and you don’t need to think about channel management.

Step 2: Install and back up the destination wallet

1. Install the destination wallet on your phone.
2. Create a new wallet. Note the recovery phrase on paper — do not photograph it, do not screenshot it.
3. Test the recovery flow before you put real money on it. (Uninstall, reinstall, restore from phrase, verify.)
4. Once verified, you have a working self-custodial wallet.

Step 3: Send a test amount from WoS

Before moving your full WoS balance:

1. In the destination wallet, generate a small BOLT11 invoice (say, 1000 sats).
2. In Wallet of Satoshi, paste the invoice and send.
3. Confirm the sats arrive in the destination wallet.

This is a sanity check — five minutes well spent. Lightning payments are final and irreversible; you want the muscle memory before you move significant amounts.

Step 4: Move your full balance

In Wallet of Satoshi:

1. Generate a BOLT11 invoice in the destination wallet for the full WoS balance, minus a small buffer for any routing fees.
2. Paste the invoice into Wallet of Satoshi’s “send” screen.
3. Pay.

Watch the destination wallet confirm receipt. WoS will show a zero (or near-zero) balance.

Step 5: Update everywhere your Lightning Address appears

Your name@walletofsatoshi.com no longer works (or won’t, once you stop using WoS). Update your address in:

• Newsletter footer.
• Podcast show notes.
• Nostr profile.
• Twitter / X bio.
• Personal website.
• GitHub funding.yml.
• Any printed materials (this is the painful one — if you printed posters, you’ll need to reprint).

If you’re tired of doing this every time you switch wallets, that’s the right reaction. The durable fix is the next step.

Step 6 (recommended): Set up a custom Lightning Address

A Lightning Address on your own domain (me@mysite.com) is portable across wallets. If you switch from Phoenix to Alby to BTCPay over the next few years, the address keeps working — you just point it to a different backend.

Cleanest options:

• Alby Hub with a custom domain. Hosted by Alby Cloud or self-hosted.
• BTCPay Server with the LN Address plugin. Self-hosted, more work, but fully sovereign.

Both let you change the underlying wallet later without your audience noticing.

What about the WoS × Spark self-custodial product?

Wallet of Satoshi announced a partnership with Spark to launch a self-custodial version, particularly as a pathway back to the US market. As of mid-2026, it’s in beta. If you’re attached to the WoS brand and have a small balance, waiting for that product to mature is reasonable. For most people, a working self-custodial wallet (Phoenix, Alby) is the better immediate move.

Common mistakes

• Migrating without testing recovery. Test the recovery phrase before depending on the wallet. Twenty minutes of test now beats hours of panic later.
• Sending the full balance in one transaction. Send a small test first. If anything is wrong with the destination wallet’s Lightning setup, you’d rather find out with 1000 sats than 1,000,000.
• Forgetting to update the public-facing address. Old WoS addresses won’t return new tips after a while. Update everywhere.
• Migrating without backing up first. Self-custodial wallets without backed-up seeds are time bombs. Back up first.

Next step

• Best self-custodial Lightning wallet — ranked picks.
• Custodial vs non-custodial Lightning wallets — the deeper framing.
• How to accept Bitcoin as a creator — picking up where this leaves off.

FAQ

Do I have to migrate right now if I'm in the US? +

Wallet of Satoshi confirmed that US customers retain access to their funds and can withdraw. The app stores no longer offer it for new US installs, and some users have reported difficulty re-installing if removed. If you have a balance in WoS and live in the US, exporting it sooner is safer than later.

Will my Lightning Address keep working after I migrate? +

No. Your `name@walletofsatoshi.com` address is tied to WoS. After migration, you'll have a new address from your new wallet (e.g., `name@phoenix.acinq.co`, `name@getalby.com`). The durable fix is to host a custom-domain Lightning Address yourself.

Should I wait for the WoS × Spark self-custodial product? +

Probably not, unless you have a small balance and the WoS brand specifically. A working self-custodial wallet (Phoenix, Alby, Breez) is available right now. The Spark integration is in beta with timing uncertain.