Bitcoin infrastructure company Blockstream has rolled out Blockstream Swaps, a feature that lets users make trustless swaps and move funds between Bitcoin’s main chain and the Lightning Network.
New tool aimed at Bitcoin and Liquid users
Blockstream said the launch is meant to support the broader Bitcoin and Liquid ecosystem. In its announcement, the company said the initiative had already been under development and was intended to help build a more resilient set of utilities for users operating across those networks.
The company also said the product is not meant to replace providers already offering similar services. Instead, it described Blockstream Swaps as a complement to existing operators in the market. Blockstream added that users can move funds across layers without giving up full control of their holdings.
Lightning payments without running a node or channel
Under the setup described by Blockstream, users do not need to run a Lightning node or maintain channels in order to use Lightning payments, which is normally part of the network’s standard setup. They can hold a bitcoin or LBTC balance and let the swap execute at the time of payment.
LBTC is the native asset of the Liquid Network, a Bitcoin layer-2 sidechain created by Blockstream.
Launch follows Boltz service suspension
The announcement came after non-custodial Bitcoin swap provider Boltz suspended its service this month. Boltz said a rise in AI-assisted attacks left it unable to continue operating safely because attackers were finding vulnerabilities faster than the team could fix them.
Blockstream repeated that the swaps initiative was already being built before this episode and said it was intended to strengthen ecosystem utility rather than displace any one provider already doing this work.
AI-assisted attacks add to crypto security pressure
The report said crypto hacks have been rising. Security experts have warned that cybercriminals are using AI to search for bugs in crypto projects and exploit mistakes that auditors may have missed.
The story first appeared in Bitcoin Magazine and was written by Mathew Di Salvo.