Aqua Wallet, the Lightning-focused wallet developed with a strong emphasis on Latin American users, has announced the immediate suspension of its Dolphin Card program following an unexpected issue involving its card provider. The move affects cardholders globally, and the company says all Dolphin Cards have been disabled effective right away.
According to the announcement, the problem is limited to the Dolphin Card program. Aqua said its broader wallet services remain operational, which is an important distinction for users who rely on the app for Bitcoin, Lightning, or Liquid-related activity beyond the card feature.
What Happened to the Dolphin Card Program
The company attributed the decision to an unexpected issue with its card provider, without providing further technical or operational details in the published notice. As a result, every card in the Dolphin Card program has been suspended. For users, that means the card can no longer be used and any related functionality tied specifically to the card product has been shut off.
While the statement does not elaborate on the nature of the provider issue, the response from Aqua suggests that the disruption was significant enough to require an immediate halt rather than a phased wind-down. That kind of action typically signals a direct dependency on third-party infrastructure, especially in payment-card programs where settlement, issuing, and merchant processing often rely on external partners.
Refunds Will Be Made in Liquid USDT
Aqua Wallet said that users with remaining balances on their Dolphin Cards will be refunded in USDT on the Liquid Network. This is one of the most notable parts of the announcement, as it defines both the asset and the rail through which customers are expected to recover their funds.
Instead of returning balances through the legacy card system, Aqua plans to process repayments to a Liquid-compatible wallet address. Users can choose to receive the refund in their own AQUA wallet or in any wallet capable of receiving Liquid USDT. This approach aligns with Aqua’s broader Bitcoin and Layer-2 positioning, but it also means affected customers need to make sure they can access a valid Liquid address before submitting a claim.
The company also made clear that pending merchant refunds will not be returned to the Dolphin Card. This is an important operational detail. If a user had a transaction in dispute, a reversed purchase, or a merchant-initiated refund already in motion, those funds will not flow back to the now-disabled card. Users will need to follow Aqua’s refund process instead of expecting the usual card-based reversal path.
How Users Can Request Their Funds
To initiate the refund process, users must visit Aqua Wallet’s website and complete a secure refund request form. As part of that submission, they are asked to provide a Liquid USDT address where the repayment can be sent.
Aqua stated that refunds will begin to be processed once the company receives the corresponding funds from its provider. In other words, the refund timeline is not immediate and remains dependent on upstream settlement from the partner involved in the card program. Once processing begins, Aqua says users will receive confirmation by email.
This means the refund workflow has at least two stages: first, the user submits a claim through the official form; second, Aqua waits for the provider-side funds to arrive before initiating outbound USDT transfers on Liquid. For affected customers, the practical implication is that submitting the form early may help avoid delays later, but the actual payment date is still tied to the provider recovery process.
What Is and Is Not Affected
The company’s FAQ emphasizes that only the Dolphin Card is suspended. Other Aqua Wallet services remain live. That distinction matters because Aqua is known primarily as a wallet product centered on Bitcoin, Lightning, and related infrastructure for users in Latin America and beyond. The current disruption, based on the published statement, does not extend to the entire app ecosystem.
For users, this narrows the immediate concern to card balances, card spending, and any pending merchant-side refund activity. Wallet functions outside that scope are not described as impaired in the announcement.
Key Takeaways for Affected Cardholders
There are several practical points cardholders should keep in mind. First, the suspension is already in effect, so the Dolphin Card should be treated as unusable. Second, remaining balances are expected to be reimbursed in Liquid USDT, not through the card network itself. Third, users must actively file a request through Aqua’s official secure form and supply a compatible address.
Just as important, customers should not assume that merchant refunds already underway will automatically settle back onto the card. Aqua has explicitly said that such refunds will not return to the Dolphin Card. Anyone waiting on a reversed purchase or seller repayment should monitor Aqua’s official communications closely and follow the designated claims process.
Finally, timing remains dependent on when Aqua receives funds from the provider. The company has offered a clear route for reimbursement, but not a fixed date for final settlement. Until that provider-side transfer is completed, affected users may need to wait for additional updates.
Overall, the announcement reflects a contained but meaningful disruption to one of Aqua Wallet’s payment features. By offering refunds in Liquid USDT and keeping the rest of the wallet services online, Aqua appears to be trying to isolate the impact while giving users a defined recovery path. For now, impacted customers should verify they have access to a Liquid-capable wallet, submit the required refund form, and watch for follow-up emails from the company.