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Blockstream Green vs Electrum

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

Electrum4.4Bitcoin-only

The oldest bitcoin wallet still in active development, and the one whose users are hunted by a fake-update scam running since December 2018.

Verdict: Electrum

Electrum rates higher on our rubric: 4.4 against 3.7 for Blockstream Green.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Blockstream Green
3.7
Electrum
4.4

Blockstream Green and Electrum, 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.

Blockstream Green and Electrum compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactBlockstream GreenElectrum
Editorial rating3.74.4 (favoured on this row)
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byBlockstreamElectrum Technologies GmbH
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor checkself-custodial, keys generated and encrypted on your own machine, with transactions checked by SPV
Bitcoin-onlyNoYes
Runs oniOS, Android, Windows, macOS, LinuxAndroid, Windows, macOS, Linux
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityConnects to your own node and routes over Tor with one tap, and pairs with the Blockstream Jade hardware walletConnects to public Electrum servers or one you run yourself, verifying your transactions by SPV
Released2014 as GreenAddress, renamed after Blockstream acquired it in 2016November 2011, written by Thomas Voegtlin
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-252026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

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

Electrum

What works

  • Continuously maintained since November 2011, which nothing else on this list can claim
  • Lightweight: it checks your transactions by SPV instead of downloading the whole chain
  • Reproducible builds, signed by several independent builders, with signatures published next to every download
  • Hardware wallet support for Ledger, Trezor and KeepKey, plus multisig and watch-only cold storage
  • MIT licensed, and anyone can run the server software it talks to, so no company controls the network
  • An official Android build on both Google Play and F-Droid

What to watch

  • Users are the target of a fake-update scam that ZDNet traced to more than 22 million dollars of thefts by October 2020
  • The interface assumes you already know what a change address and a derivation path are
  • Windows builds are often flagged by antivirus heuristics, which the project says it cannot do anything about
  • No iOS version, and no built-in way to buy bitcoin
  • Two-factor signing runs through a third party, Trustedcoin, rather than the wallet alone

Frequently asked questions

Is Blockstream Green or Electrum better?

Electrum rates higher on our rubric: 4.4 against 3.7 for Blockstream Green. 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 Blockstream Green and Electrum free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Blockstream Green is self-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor check; Electrum is self-custodial, keys generated and encrypted on your own machine, with transactions checked by SPV.

Is Blockstream Green or Electrum bitcoin-only?

Electrum is bitcoin-only; Blockstream Green supports other assets too. Bitcoin on chain, Lightning, and Liquid assets including Liquid bitcoin and Tether USDt

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

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