Aqua vs Blockstream Green

Comparing: two wallets
Decided by: Editorial rating
Last reviewed: 2026-08-25

A self-custodial Bitcoin, Liquid and Tether USDt wallet built for people who need cheap dollars on a phone, not only bitcoin.

Blockstream Green3.7

Blockstream's own Bitcoin and Liquid wallet, whose 2FA cosigning multisig is its reason to exist and has been closed to new accounts since May 2025.

Verdict: Blockstream Green

Blockstream Green rates higher on our rubric: 3.7 against 3.6 for Aqua.

Criterion: Editorial rating
Aqua: 3.6
Blockstream Green: 3.7

Aqua and Blockstream Green, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

Aqua and Blockstream Green compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	Aqua	Blockstream Green
Editorial rating	3.6	3.7 (favoured on this row)
Status	Available	Available
Made by	JAN3	Blockstream
Price	Free download	Free download
Who holds the keys	self-custodial, with the seed stored on your device in Keychain on iOS or EncryptedSharedPreferences on Android	self-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor check
Bitcoin-only	No	No
Runs on	iOS, Android	iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
Screen	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	On-chain bitcoin, the Liquid Network, and Lightning through submarine swaps rather than channels of its own	Connects to your own node and routes over Tor with one tap, and pairs with the Blockstream Jade hardware wallet
Released	2024, by JAN3	2014 as GreenAddress, renamed after Blockstream acquired it in 2016
Countries on the maker's list	No published list	No published list
Last reviewed	2026-08-25	2026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Aqua

What works

Self-custodial, with the seed kept in the phone's own secure storage and no documents required to open a wallet
Bitcoin, Liquid and Tether USDt in one app, which is the point for anyone who is paid or saves in dollars
Aqua's own figures put a $100 USDt transfer at three cents over Liquid against eight dollars over Ethereum
Network fees on USDt can be paid in USDt, so there is no separate gas token to hold
Replace-by-fee support, so a stuck transaction can be bumped instead of waited out
Client source published on GitHub, and Aqua says it collects no personal data or transaction logs

What to watch

Not bitcoin only: a large part of the app is about stablecoins
Liquid balances are secured by the Liquid federation rather than by bitcoin's own mining
Lightning runs through third-party submarine swaps rather than channels Aqua manages
USDt transfers over Tron or Ethereum depend on SideShift's liquidity, as Aqua's own FAQ says
In-app bitcoin purchases are run by outside providers, so the country rules and the support queue are theirs
A prepaid card and lending are advertised as coming rather than shipped

Blockstream Green

What works

A cosigning key behind two-factor authentication, so a thief with your unlocked phone still cannot spend
The cosigner cannot trap your coins: a CheckSequenceVerify timelock hands each deposit back to your key alone after about 360 days
An open source recovery tool exists for the case where the 2FA service is permanently switched off
Runs on iOS, Android (Google Play and F-Droid), Windows, macOS and Linux
Pairs natively with Blockstream Jade, so the keys can live on a device instead of the phone
Open source, no documents required, and it can connect to your own node over Tor

What to watch

New 2FA Protected accounts have not been available since May 2025, which is the feature most people came for
Keeping 2FA protection on older coins means redepositing them before each timelock expires
Not bitcoin only, and Liquid balances depend on the Liquid federation rather than on bitcoin's mining
The cosigning server sees a 2FA wallet's transactions, a privacy cost single signature does not have
Three names in circulation (Blockstream Green, the Blockstream app, Multisig Shield) make guides and support articles hard to line up

Frequently asked questions

Is Aqua or Blockstream Green better?

Blockstream Green rates higher on our rubric: 3.7 against 3.6 for Aqua. The rating follows the product rubric published on our about page; the rows above set custody, price and platforms side by side so you can check it.

Are Aqua and Blockstream Green free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Aqua is self-custodial, with the seed stored on your device in Keychain on iOS or EncryptedSharedPreferences on Android; Blockstream Green is self-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor check.

Is Aqua or Blockstream Green bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Aqua: Multi-asset: bitcoin on chain, Liquid bitcoin, and Tether USDt on Liquid and several other chains. Blockstream Green: Bitcoin on chain, Lightning, and Liquid assets including Liquid bitcoin and Tether USDt.

The full reviews: Aqua and Blockstream Green, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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