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Blockstream Green review

Last reviewed 2026-08-25

Security warning

In a 2FA Protected account, Blockstream's server key cannot move funds on its own and neither can a stolen phone, which is the strongest theft protection available in a hot wallet. It is not a custody risk either: the CheckSequenceVerify timelock (about 360 days on bitcoin, about 45 days on Liquid) returns spending power to your device key alone if the deposit is untouched, and the garecovery tool exists for a permanent shutdown of the service. Two things to weigh. The cosigning server sees the transactions of a 2FA wallet, which a single signature wallet does not expose. And Liquid assets, including Liquid bitcoin and Liquid USDt, are secured by the Liquid federation rather than by bitcoin's own mining.

Blockstream Green, now published as the Blockstream app, was worth choosing for one feature almost no other hot wallet has: a second key held by Blockstream that signs only after you pass two-factor authentication, so a thief with your phone and your PIN still cannot spend. Since May 2025 new 2FA Protected accounts can no longer be activated, so a new user today gets a capable single signature wallet, a good Jade companion, and not the thing the wallet is famous for.

The design is still worth understanding, because plenty of people are still using it. In a standard 2FA Protected account both keys are required: key one lives on your device behind a PIN and is backed up by your recovery phrase, key two sits on Blockstream's servers behind two-factor authentication. To stop that becoming a dependency on Blockstream existing forever, every deposit carries a CheckSequenceVerify timelock, 51,840 blocks (about 360 days) on bitcoin and 65,535 blocks (roughly 45 days) on Liquid. Once a deposit's timelock expires, your device key alone can spend it, and Blockstream publishes an open source recovery tool for the case where the 2FA service is shut down permanently. The flip side is housekeeping: to keep older coins protected by 2FA you have to follow the app's redeposit prompts before each timelock runs out. There is also a 2-of-3 variant for bitcoin accounts, where a secondary recovery phrase replaces the timelock and lets you spend immediately without 2FA. Blockstream moved these wallets from nLockTime to CheckSequenceVerify on January 25, 2021, so a wallet older than that may still hold coins under the earlier scheme.

As an everyday wallet it covers on-chain bitcoin, Lightning and Liquid assets in one view, pairs natively with the Blockstream Jade hardware wallet, opens single signature wallets on standard derivation paths so your coins stay portable, asks for no documents, and can route through Tor to your own node. It runs on iOS, Android (Google Play and F-Droid), Windows, macOS and Linux, and the code is open source.

One source of confusion worth flagging: this product has three names in circulation. Blockstream Green is what most guides call it, the Blockstream app is what Blockstream calls it now, and 2FA Protected accounts were previously called Multisig Shield.

Buy the Blockstream Green
Made by
Blockstream
Type
Software wallet
Runs on
iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
Who holds the keys
self-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor check
Bitcoin only
No, multi-asset
Connectivity
Connects to your own node and routes over Tor with one tap, and pairs with the Blockstream Jade hardware wallet
Released
2014 as GreenAddress, renamed after Blockstream acquired it in 2016
Coin support
Bitcoin on chain, Lightning, and Liquid assets including Liquid bitcoin and Tether USDt

Pros and cons

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

Worth comparing

Frequently asked questions

Can I still create a 2FA multisig wallet in Blockstream Green?

No. New 2FA Protected accounts stopped being available in May 2025, and the option now exists only for wallets that already had one. New wallets are single signature, which you can strengthen by pairing the app with a Blockstream Jade instead.

What happens to my coins if Blockstream turns off the 2FA service?

You keep them. Each deposit in a standard account carries a timelock, 51,840 blocks (about 360 days) on bitcoin and 65,535 blocks (about 45 days) on Liquid, after which your own device key can spend it alone, and Blockstream publishes the open source garecovery tool for that scenario. In a 2-of-3 account your secondary recovery phrase does the same job immediately.

Why does the app keep asking me to redeposit?

Because each deposit's timelock is counting down. Once it expires, those specific coins can be spent with your device key alone, which is your safety net but also means they are no longer protected by two-factor authentication. Redepositing moves them to a fresh address and restarts the clock.

Is Blockstream Green the same as the Blockstream app?

Yes. Blockstream renamed the product to the Blockstream app, while the iOS listing is still called Green and the Android package still carries the old GreenAddress name. What used to be called Multisig Shield is now called a 2FA Protected account.

Does Blockstream Green support Liquid and Tether USDt?

Yes, and that is part of why it is not a bitcoin-only wallet. It shows on-chain bitcoin, Lightning and Liquid assets in one view, and Liquid assets are secured by the Liquid federation rather than by bitcoin's proof of work.

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