[Unofficial] Boltz exchange - Bitcoin atomic swaps

[Pmalek]

Boltz is a non-custodial bitcoin bridge and atomic swaps platform. It's used as a bridge between Bitcoin's L1 and L2 layers, and has recently added support for USDT and TBTC.



Supported networks:
- Bitcoin
- Lightning
- Liquid
- Rootstock
- TBTC (Arbitrum)*
- USDT on multiple networks*

*Available over https://beta.boltz.exchange/

Main Features:
- Instant atomic swaps
- non-custodial
- No KYC
- No account registration
- Low fees
- Private and anonymous (Available on TOR)
- Occasional fee discounts and special deals for swapping certain pairs (Pro version)

Fees:
Boltz exchange charges two different fees: a network fee and a Boltz fee. The Boltz fee is between 0.1% and 0.5%, depending on the selected swap pair.

How to perform swaps on Boltz Exchange?
- To perform an atomic swap, select the network and asset you want to send as well as the layer you wish to receive on. Pay attention to the min. and max. amounts you can swap and the fees you will be charged.
- Enter your address, LN invoice, LNURL, BOLT12, etc., in the designated field and click the "Create Atomic Swap" button.
- Before sending the funds, you can save the Boltz rescue key (seed) that can recover your atomic swap in case an error occurs. To do that, click the gear icon in the top right and under 'Security', click the ‘Copy’ button to copy the seed or the ‘Download’ button to download a JSON file of the backup key.

- Pay the needed amount and wait for your swap to be finalized.
- In case the swap fails after you sent your coins, click on the "Rescue" tab. You can import your rescue key or upload the JSON file of your rescue key by clicking on "Rescue External Swap".


Website: https://boltz.exchange/
Beta: https://beta.boltz.exchange/
Pro: https://pro.boltz.exchange/
Onion link: http://boltzzzbnus4m7mta3cxmflnps4fp7dueu2tgurstbvrbt6xswzcocyd.onion/

GitHub: https://github.com/BoltzExchange
X: https://x.com/boltzhq
Nostr: https://primal.net/p/nprofile1qqsqcdcltmv4qanpx3p7svcufdsg9rkk00x7l2sknra4e6whkv59l7clgcdzj
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqOa9SGBeZfAEHvKkGKjeRIASeu6bNO3

Boltz’s Blog: https://blog.boltz.exchange/
Help & Support: https://support.boltz.exchange/hc/center/en
Docs: https://docs.boltz.exchange/

- I am not associated with or a representative of Boltz exchange

[internetional]

One more thing about Boltz: they actually pay you to help balance their liquidity. You can get fee discounts or even straight-up rewards if you swap in the direction the platform needs. These deals pop up on https://pro.boltz.exchange, and you can also track them via API or their Telegram bot. I once caught an offer where swapping 25M sats earned a 37.5k sats reward.

[Pmalek]

One more thing about Boltz: they actually pay you to help balance their liquidity. You can get fee discounts or even straight-up rewards if you swap in the direction the platform needs. These deals pop up on https://pro.boltz.exchange, and you can also track them via API or their Telegram bot. I once caught an offer where swapping 25M sats earned a 37.5k sats reward.

I didn't even take a look at their Pro version and had no idea they had such a program with occasional deals and rewards. Thanks for the information! I will add the Pro site to the links at the bottom.
As and if Boltz becomes much more popular and more people start using it, it's going to become rare for liquidity issues to appear and they won't have an incentive to offer users special deals to fill up their liquidity pools.

[bitmover]

Boltz is a non-custodial bitcoin bridge and atomic swaps platform. It's used as a bridge between Bitcoin's L1 and L2 layers, and has recently added support for USDT and TBTC.

I have been waiting for a long time for a truly trustless solution to swap btc > usdt

Bisq is amazing, but i need to trust that the other peer wont reveal my identity to the government about the exchange  (as i need to make a backup transfer is bisq)

Hyperliquid is a nice semi decentralized solution. But Boltz look more trustless

Thanks for sharing

[hugeblack]

Good service, do you know how USDT is swapped? I thought it would be exclusive to the omnichain version (LayerZero’s Omnichain) of Tether, but -----> https://beta.boltz.exchange/ refers to many blockchains, including Ethereum.

[bitmover]

Good service, do you know how USDT is swapped? I thought it would be exclusive to the omnichain version (LayerZero’s Omnichain) of Tether, but -----> https://beta.boltz.exchange/ refers to many blockchains, including Ethereum.

This doesn't answer your question, but raises another.

I see that they use aqua wallet as a partner  (it is "integrated"  in aqua)

Aqua supports the same coins basically. So I took a look at how they use it.

They use Boltz only for LN, but their swaps to USDT are made in a changelly and sideswift.

Lightning
When sending via Lightning, you are performing an L-BTC to Lightning swap through Boltz. The associated fees are:

....

Tether USDt
USDT transactions (except for USDT-Liquid <-> USDT-Liquid) involve a swap, which incurs fees based on the swap provider used (currently, swap providers are selected automatically by the app, but soon, users will be able to select the swap provider themselves):

SideShift: 0.9% + network fees
Changelly: 0.9%  + network fees

https://jan3.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34940028331163-What-are-the-fees-on-AQUA

Why is Aqua using a custodial service for USDT if Boltz is a non custodial that does the same thing? I got curious now about how they do that bridge in boltz.

[hugeblack]

They use Boltz only for LN, but their swaps to USDT are made in a changelly and sideswift.

I didn't think they would resort to options like Changelly, given all the problems and complaints associated with Changelly, why do services continue to use it to process their transactions?

[bitmover]

They use Boltz only for LN, but their swaps to USDT are made in a changelly and sideswift.

I didn't think they would resort to options like Changelly, given all the problems and complaints associated with Changelly, why do services continue to use it to process their transactions?

Probably they offer a nice referral compensation? I don't know, but I was impressed that Aqua is using it. I thought they were only using sideswift.

Changelly probably is also highly regulated, making the partnership safe considering present and future regulations...

[hugeblack]

Changelly probably is also highly regulated, making the partnership safe considering present and future regulations...

Based on the available data, I don't think their referral system is attractive.

You receive 50% of Changelly's revenue (which is 0.25% of the total transaction).

50% of the total transaction (0.25% of the total transaction) is a small percentage and comparable to many referral programs.

They may have special deals with higher fees.

Changelly probably is also highly regulated, making the partnership safe considering present and future regulations...

They have a very bad reputation here.

[Pmalek]

Good service, do you know how USDT is swapped? I thought it would be exclusive to the omnichain version (LayerZero’s Omnichain) of Tether, but -----> https://beta.boltz.exchange/ refers to many blockchains, including Ethereum.

I was also surprised that so many networks are available on the Beta version. I expected only USDT on Arbitrum.
According to the information on their blog, an LN to USDT swap includes multiple hops. LN is first swapped into a wrapped bitcoin token on Arbitrum: tBTC. Then, tBTC goes through a DEX like Uniswap into USDT0. The last hop is swapping to the network you selected, such as Ethereum, Polygon, etc.

Here is a graph from their blog:

[bitmover]

Good service, do you know how USDT is swapped? I thought it would be exclusive to the omnichain version (LayerZero’s Omnichain) of Tether, but -----> https://beta.boltz.exchange/ refers to many blockchains, including Ethereum.

I was also surprised that so many networks are available on the Beta version. I expected only USDT on Arbitrum.
According to the information on their blog, an LN to USDT swap includes multiple hops. LN is first swapped into a wrapped bitcoin token on Arbitrum: tBTC. Then, tBTC goes through a DEX like Uniswap into USDT0. The last hop is swapping to the network you selected, such as Ethereum, Polygon, etc.

Here is a graph from their blog:

It might be a coincidence, but Hyperliquid (which is the other solution I know that swaps BTC > USDT ), also uses arbitrum.

I used a lot it in the past circle. Very cheap and received my high AML coins from mixers and eXch. I will try  Boltz when the bulls are back

[examplens]

Based on the available data, I don't think their referral system is attractive.

You receive 50% of Changelly's revenue (which is 0.25% of the total transaction).

50% of the total transaction (0.25% of the total transaction) is a small percentage and comparable to many referral programs.

They may have special deals with higher fees.

This depends on the fee that the exchange charges. If the fee is 0.5%, when they share it with affiliate partners, it comes out to 0.25%. If they charged a 5% fee, it would increase the percentage of earnings for affiliate partners, but it would put them in an uncompetitive position.
I think Orangefren stated this for FF recently, when they said that even though by far the most transactions go through them, they have the lowest profit from there due to the low service fee.

[korakwinband]

Boltz is a non-custodial bitcoin bridge and atomic swaps platform. It's used as a bridge between Bitcoin's L1 and L2 layers, and has recently added support for USDT and TBTC.

https://www.talkimg.com/images/2026/03/24/UvIM9g.jpeg

Supported networks:
- Bitcoin
- Lightning
- Liquid
- Rootstock
- TBTC (Arbitrum)*
- USDT on multiple networks*

*Available over https://beta.boltz.exchange/

Main Features:
- Instant atomic swaps
- non-custodial
- No KYC
- No account registration
- Low fees
- Private and anonymous (Available on TOR)
- Occasional fee discounts and special deals for swapping certain pairs (Pro version)

Fees:
Boltz exchange charges two different fees: a network fee and a Boltz fee. The Boltz fee is between 0.1% and 0.5%, depending on the selected swap pair.

How to perform swaps on Boltz Exchange?
- To perform an atomic swap, select the network and asset you want to send as well as the layer you wish to receive on. Pay attention to the min. and max. amounts you can swap and the fees you will be charged.
- Enter your address, LN invoice, LNURL, BOLT12, etc., in the designated field and click the "Create Atomic Swap" button.
- Before sending the funds, you can save the Boltz rescue key (seed) that can recover your atomic swap in case an error occurs. To do that, click the gear icon in the top right and under 'Security', click the ‘Copy’ button to copy the seed or the ‘Download’ button to download a JSON file of the backup key.
https://www.talkimg.com/images/2026/03/24/UvIG3H.jpeg
- Pay the needed amount and wait for your swap to be finalized.
- In case the swap fails after you sent your coins, click on the "Rescue" tab. You can import your rescue key or upload the JSON file of your rescue key by clicking on "Rescue External Swap".

- I am not associated with or a representative of Boltz exchange

I’m planning to purchase and set up a Trazor wallet and a MetaMax web wallet. i have come across the Boltz exchange. Once i have fully set up my wallets would it be safe to convert the coins i have purchased from a centralised exchange here and transfer them to my Trezor wallet and MetaMask web wallet? Can i convert the money i have won or spent at casinos via the Boltz exchange app? Would I run into any problems?

                                                                                                                                                                    korakwinband

[Pmalek]

I’m planning to purchase and set up a Trazor wallet and a MetaMax web wallet.

You need to be careful. MetaMask is a popular Ethereum and altcoins wallet. Trezor is among the best manufacturers of hardware wallets. If you can't see the difference between MetaMask and MetaMax as well as Trezor and Trazor, you might get yourself in serious trouble.

i have come across the Boltz exchange. Once i have fully set up my wallets would it be safe to convert the coins i have purchased from a centralised exchange here and transfer them to my Trezor wallet and MetaMask web wallet?

I don't see why it would be unsafe as long as you know what you are doing. Boltz is a non-custodial exchange.

Can i convert the money i have won or spent at casinos via the Boltz exchange app? Would I run into any problems?

Problems in the sense of having your coins frozen by Boltz and being asked for KYC? No. There is no KYC and no coin confiscation.
The problems that could happen is copy/pasting the wrong address/invoice, sending to wrong addresses, not using appropriate network fees, etc. That's not something that Boltz can help you with.

[dkbit98]

I don't care about lightning in Boltz, but it's nice that we have more options to exchange Liquid assets.
When they move from beta to main release than I will probably test how everything works.

Problems in the sense of having your coins frozen by Boltz and being asked for KYC? No. There is no KYC and no coin confiscation.

I am not sure that is completely true.
Last time I heard they could refuse to complete transaction if someone tries to exchange ''blacklisted'' coins in Boltz exchange.
At least they are not seizing coins, but you could be charged transaction fees.

[Pmalek]

I am not sure that is completely true.
Last time I heard they could refuse to complete transaction if someone tries to exchange ''blacklisted'' coins in Boltz exchange.

I haven't done any research on this but if you have information that shows that Boltz has confiscated or frozen and sent back deposits for whatever reason, feel free to share the links to such cases so we can all take a look at them. Their service TOS does mention that they can refuse to finalize certain swaps, but there is no mention of requesting KYC from users or confiscating money.

At least they are not seizing coins, but you could be charged transaction fees.

You would probably have to pay for the transaction that returns the crypto back to you. That's fine. You are paying transaction fees for successful swaps as well.

[Forsyth Jones]

I'm facing trouble swapping on Boltz, I sent the funds to be swapped, but I haven't received the equivalent in the other selected coin. An error message appears with an option to try again.

Transaction failed:
Alchemy request failed for wallet_prepareCalls: NetworkError when attempting to fetch resource.

But what the fuck does this error mean?

I'm trying to swap: Liquid Bitcoin for USDt (ETH network).

Transaction amount: ~200 USDt

I've used Boltz a few times in a few months ago to swap BTC between different networks, and this is the first time I'm having a problem with this swap exchange. A swap exchange shouldn't have such a ridiculous probem like this  

I've already contacted support, but they're currently unavailable. It's night now, and I'm going to sleep, barely keeping my eyes open.

I'll leave the transaction ID here for anyone who wants to check, although it's useless because without the rescue key, it's impossible to access the transaction details, and that's sensitive information I can't share.

http://boltzzzbnus4m7mta3cxmflnps4fp7dueu2tgurstbvrbt6xswzcocyd.onion/swap/XPP45PV5QIQr

[Pmalek]

<Snip>

If I had to interpret the error message I would say that there is/was a problem with Alchemy. It's a blockchain platform and node infrastructure that Boltz looks to be partnered with in some capacity. The exchange tried to connect to Alchemy to fetch rates or perform the swap but it wasn't able to. Maybe Alchemy or its servers were down. I agree that things like that shouldn't happen, but that's probably also one of the reasons why USDT swaps are only supported on the beta platform for now.

Keep retrying and maybe it will eventually work or wait to see what the support says.

[Yamane_Keto]

Transaction failed:
Alchemy request failed for wallet_prepareCalls: NetworkError when attempting to fetch resource.

But what the fuck does this error mean?

It's an error related to failed to connect to Alchemy's RPC node. I created a transaction and didn't encounter that error. so it's a local connectivity issue. try clearing your browser cache or reconnecting to the internet.

[Forsyth Jones]

If I had to interpret the error message I would say that there is/was a problem with Alchemy. It's a blockchain platform and node infrastructure that Boltz looks to be partnered with in some capacity. The exchange tried to connect to Alchemy to fetch rates or perform the swap but it wasn't able to. Maybe Alchemy or its servers were down. I agree that things like that shouldn't happen, but that's probably also one of the reasons why USDT swaps are only supported on the beta platform for now.

Keep retrying and maybe it will eventually work or wait to see what the support says.

I'm in contact with their support, they've been aware of this since yesterday and are working on it, but wouldn't it be better to disable transactions over the ETH network? If you create a swap involving the ETH network, you'll see that you can...

It's an error related to failed to connect to Alchemy's RPC node. I created a transaction and didn't encounter that error. so it's a local connectivity issue. try clearing your browser cache or reconnecting to the internet.

You can even create the transaction, but did you complete the transaction and receive it on the ETH network?