Wallet review
Phoenix review
Self-custodial Lightning wallet from ACINQ. Single dynamic channel managed automatically via splicing.
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The smoothest self-custodial Lightning wallet for individuals.
Custody
non-custodial
Difficulty
intermediate
Lightning Address
Yes
Platforms
ios, android
Who Phoenix is for
- Self-custody seekers
- Creators
- Beginners
Who it's not for
- High-volume merchants
Pros and cons
Pros
- True self-custody without manual channel management — ACINQ's LSP handles inbound liquidity automatically via splicing
- Ships a Lightning Address (@phoenix.acinq.co) without giving up keys
- Fee model is now predictable: mining fees for receiving, 0.4% for sending
- Reliable backups, well-documented; long-running team
Cons
- Mining-fee cost of splice transactions can be non-trivial when the mempool is busy
- No web/desktop client — mobile only
- Not optimized for merchant or API use cases
Setup overview
Hands-on setup walkthrough goes here. TODO: hands-on test, capture screenshots, document the actual flow from download to first received payment. Until then, treat the summary above as directional.
Verdict
Self-custodial Lightning wallet from ACINQ. Single dynamic channel managed automatically via splicing. Use Phoenix if you match one of the "best for" audiences and the custody model is acceptable for the amounts you'll handle. For larger balances, prefer a non-custodial option regardless of which is easier to set up.
FAQ
Is Phoenix custodial or non-custodial? +
Phoenix is non-custodial — keys live on your device. You control your sats, and you are responsible for backing up the seed phrase.
Does Phoenix support Lightning Addresses? +
Yes. Phoenix ships a Lightning Address you can hand out to anyone.