Aqua Wallet, the Lightning-focused wallet developed for Latin American users, has announced the immediate suspension of its Dolphin Card program following an unexpected issue with its card provider. The company said the card has been disabled effective immediately, with the disruption affecting cardholders globally.
According to the announcement, the problem is tied to the external provider behind the card program rather than Aqua Wallet’s broader wallet infrastructure. The company also clarified that the suspension is limited to Dolphin Card operations, while other Aqua Wallet services remain available.
Refunds to Be Issued in Liquid USDT
Aqua Wallet said users with remaining balances on their Dolphin Card will be refunded in USDT on the Liquid network. Instead of automatically returning funds to the card itself, affected users must complete a refund request through the secure form available on the company’s website.
To receive the refund, users are required to submit a valid Liquid USDT address. Aqua noted that refunds can be sent either to the user’s own AQUA wallet or to any other wallet capable of receiving assets on Liquid. This requirement places responsibility on users to ensure that the destination wallet supports Liquid-based USDT before filing a request.
Processing Depends on Provider Funds
The company emphasized that refunds will only begin once Aqua receives the corresponding funds back from its card provider. After that, the refund process will start, and users should expect email confirmations as payments are handled. In practical terms, this means the reimbursement timeline is dependent on upstream settlement from the provider, and not on an instant internal transfer by Aqua.
This detail is important for affected users because it signals that while Aqua has outlined a refund path, the timing remains uncertain. The company has not published a precise payout schedule beyond stating that processing will begin once provider funds arrive.
Merchant Refunds Will Not Return to the Card
Another notable point in the announcement is that pending merchant refunds will not be credited back to the Dolphin Card. Users expecting charge reversals or merchant reimbursements to appear on the card should not rely on that mechanism anymore. Instead, they will need to follow the updated refund process established by Aqua Wallet.
This may create additional friction for users who had active disputes, returned purchases, or unsettled merchant-side refunds. Since the card is disabled, the normal pathway for those credits is no longer available under the current setup.
Operational Impact Appears Contained
Based on the information released so far, the disruption appears to be contained to the Dolphin Card product rather than the full Aqua ecosystem. Aqua explicitly stated that other wallet services remain operational, suggesting that the issue is specific to the card program and its service provider relationship.
That distinction matters because Aqua has positioned itself as a Lightning wallet for users in Latin America, and any concerns about broader service continuity could affect user confidence. By separating the Dolphin Card suspension from the rest of the wallet’s functions, the company is signaling that its core wallet operations have not been halted by the provider issue.
What Users Should Do Next
For affected cardholders, the immediate next step is to visit Aqua Wallet’s official website and submit the secure refund form. Users should make sure they provide an address that supports Liquid USDT, whether through AQUA or another compatible wallet. Since refunds are tied to incoming funds from the card provider, users may also need to monitor email updates for confirmation and further instructions.
The incident highlights a recurring challenge in crypto-linked payment products: even when the wallet layer remains functional, dependencies on third-party card issuers and providers can create sudden operational risks for end users. In this case, Aqua has moved quickly to suspend the affected program and outline a refund process, but the final resolution still depends on the provider-side funding flow.
For now, the key facts are clear: Dolphin Card is suspended, balances will be refunded in Liquid USDT, pending merchant refunds will not return to the card, and Aqua’s other wallet services remain active. Users impacted by the shutdown should act promptly to submit their refund details through official channels.