Boltz

• Name: Boltz
• URL: https://boltz.exchange/
• Category: Bitcoin layer-bridging infrastructure / non-custodial swap backend / Lightning-Liquid node middleware
• Tags: bitcoin-ecosystem
• Summary: Boltz is a swap backend plus node middleware for moving liquidity between Lightning, Bitcoin, and Liquid. The useful point is not the website. It is the operating stack: a hosted API/backend, a self-run daemon and CLI for CLN or LND operators, and a Liquid-heavy route for swaps, rebalancing, and payment handling without taking custody of user funds.
• What it does:
  • Operates a non-custodial swap service for moving between different Bitcoin layers, with the public site positioning Boltz as a Bitcoin bridge
  • Publishes the production backend that powers boltz.exchange and exposes a REST HTTP API for supported pairs plus swap creation and monitoring
  • Provides Boltz Client, a daemon (boltzd) and CLI (boltzcli) that connect to CLN or LND nodes and automate swaps via the Boltz API
  • Supports operational use cases like fully unattended channel rebalancing and accepting Lightning payments without running a Lightning node
  • Leans into Liquid interoperability, with official client docs describing a Liquid-first approach for fee-efficient Lightning-to-Liquid and Bitcoin swap flows
  • Ships as open-source infrastructure with public repos, release artifacts, Docker images, and setup/configuration documentation for node operators
• Key claims:
  • The homepage brands Boltz as a “Non-Custodial Bitcoin Bridge,” which is the clearest high-level statement of its role
  • The official backend README says the backend powers swaps at boltz.exchange, enables non-custodial swaps between different Bitcoin layers, and exposes a RESTful HTTP API to query supported pairs and create or monitor swaps
  • The official client README says Boltz Client connects to CLN or LND nodes and allows fully unattended channel rebalancing or accepting Lightning payments without running a node
  • The Boltz Client introduction says the stack is CLI-first, CLN-first, Liquid-first, and self-contained, which helps clarify that this is operator tooling and middleware, not just a retail swap frontend
  • The client docs define boltzd as a daemon running alongside a Lightning node and boltzcli as the CLI used to interact with its gRPC interface, making the operator-control-plane shape explicit
  • The client docs also note a standalone mode and recovery-oriented swap mnemonic handling, which shows Boltz ships workflow and risk-management tooling beyond simple swap execution
• Whitepaper: No canonical Boltz whitepaper or litepaper surfaced in this pass. The clearest current source of truth is the official site, public backend/client repositories, and the client/API documentation; see ../whitepapers/boltz-primary-sources-2026-04-28.md.
• Sources:
  • https://boltz.exchange/
  • https://docs.boltz.exchange/
  • https://client.docs.boltz.exchange/
  • https://raw.githubusercontent.com/BoltzExchange/boltz-backend/master/README.md
  • https://raw.githubusercontent.com/BoltzExchange/boltz-client/master/README.md
  • https://github.com/BoltzExchange/boltz-backend
  • https://github.com/BoltzExchange/boltz-client

Internal linkages

• Direct-peer liquidity-management contrast that keeps the swap inside an existing Lightning relationship: peerswap

• Operator dashboard that packages Boltz as one liquidity tool inside a broader node cockpit: ride-the-lightning

• App-embedded payments stack that can hide the swap backend under a broader wallet product: breez

• Last reviewed: 2026-05-28 UTC