[Wallets](https://revain.org/wallets/) › Phoenix Wallet

# Phoenix Wallet: keys, security, fees and reviews

## In short

- **Key control**: Self-custodial: only the user holds the key controlling the funds.
- **Fees**: Wallet: Sending via Lightning 0.4% + 4 sat; receiving via Lightning free; 1% + mining fees when inbound liquidity is insufficient or requested; channel creation 1,000 sat.
- **Risks and caveats**: Losing the 12-word seed means losing the funds; ACINQ support never asks for it.
- **Checked**: 31 October 2026

## Key facts

- **Official site**: [phoenix.acinq.co](https://phoenix.acinq.co/)

Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.

## What is Phoenix Wallet

Phoenix is a self-custodial Bitcoin wallet for iOS and Android that runs a Lightning node on the phone, made by the French company ACINQ (developer of the eclair Lightning implementation). It was released on 12 December 2019 and manages a single Lightning channel with ACINQ automatically.

## Who holds the keys

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Key control | Self-custodial: only the user holds the key controlling the funds. |
| Seed phrase | A 12-word seed is generated in the app; if it is lost, ACINQ cannot help. |
| Account model | A real Lightning node runs on the phone; its channel counterparty and liquidity provider (LSP) is ACINQ. |
| Custodian | No custodian, but trust-minimised rather than trustless: channel changes triggered by incoming Lightning payments need trust until the funding transaction confirms. |

## Features and supported networks

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS 16.0 or later and Android 8.0 or later; Android APKs are also published on GitHub. |
| Supported networks | Bitcoin only, over Lightning and on-chain. |
| Lightning | Since July 2023 Phoenix uses splicing to keep one dynamic channel per user, with trustless swaps. |
| Connectivity | Users can point Phoenix to their own Electrum server to monitor the blockchain and channels. |

## Security and audits

- Open source on GitHub (ACINQ/phoenix) under the Apache 2.0 licence; Lightning logic comes from ACINQ's lightning-kmp library.
- No third-party audit of the app is published by ACINQ.
- ACINQ says it secures its own Lightning node with AWS Nitro Enclaves and Ledger Nano signing devices.

## Fees

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Wallet | Sending via Lightning 0.4% + 4 sat; receiving via Lightning free; 1% + mining fees when inbound liquidity is insufficient or requested; channel creation 1,000 sat. |

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017 | ACINQ announced Eclair Mobile, its first wallet with opt-in Lightning support. |
| 12 December 2019 | Phoenix released as a second-generation mobile Lightning wallet. |
| 17 December 2020 | ACINQ blog post "When iOS?" on bringing Phoenix to iOS. |
| 11 July 2023 | Third-generation Phoenix with splicing and a single dynamic channel. |
| 23 February 2024 | Swaproot: a Taproot and MuSig2 based swap-in protocol for on-chain deposits. |

## Risks and caveats

- Losing the 12-word seed means losing the funds; ACINQ support never asks for it.
- ACINQ sees the destination and amount of payments, so Phoenix offers no privacy advantage over custodial wallets.
- If ACINQ disappears, funds stay safe but payments stop; force-closing channels is a last resort with high fees and a delay of about 5 days.
- Not available to residents of countries under UN, US, EU or UK sanctions.

## About the developer

- **Developer**: ACINQ SAS, a French company registered in Paris (RCS 804 203 792).
- **Licence / registration**: Registered at the Paris Trade and Companies Register; terms governed by French law.

## Official links

- Website: [phoenix.acinq.co](https://phoenix.acinq.co/)
- Download: [phoenix.acinq.co/download](https://phoenix.acinq.co/download)
- Docs: [phoenix.acinq.co/faq](https://phoenix.acinq.co/faq)
- Source code: [github.com/ACINQ/phoenix](https://github.com/ACINQ/phoenix)
- Support: [phoenix.acinq.co/support](https://phoenix.acinq.co/support)
- Blog: [acinq.co/blog](https://acinq.co/blog)

## Questions and answers

**Is Phoenix self-custodial?**

Yes. Only the user holds the 12-word seed; Phoenix runs a Lightning node on the phone with ACINQ as channel peer. It is trust-minimised rather than fully trustless.

**Is Phoenix open source?**

Yes. The iOS and Android code is on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 licence.

**What fees does Phoenix charge?**

As of 31 October 2026: 0.4% + 4 sat to send over Lightning, free Lightning receiving with enough liquidity, 1% + mining fees for extra liquidity, and 1,000 sat for channel creation.

**Who makes Phoenix?**

ACINQ SAS, a French company registered in Paris, which also develops the eclair Lightning implementation.

## Sources

- [Phoenix — Home](https://phoenix.acinq.co/)
- [Phoenix — FAQ](https://phoenix.acinq.co/faq)
- [Phoenix — Terms of usage](https://phoenix.acinq.co/terms)
- [GitHub — ACINQ/phoenix](https://github.com/ACINQ/phoenix)
- [ACINQ blog — Introducing Phoenix (12 December 2019)](https://acinq.co/blog/introducing-phoenix)
- [ACINQ blog — Introducing the new Phoenix (11 July 2023)](https://acinq.co/blog/phoenix-splicing-update)
- [ACINQ blog — index](https://acinq.co/blog)

## More in this section

- [Keeper Wallet](https://revain.org/wallets/waves-wallet/)
- [Leather](https://revain.org/wallets/leather/)
- [Muun](https://revain.org/wallets/muun/)
- [UniSat Wallet](https://revain.org/wallets/unisat/)
- [Xverse](https://revain.org/wallets/xverse/)
- [All Wallets →](https://revain.org/wallets/)

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Page updated: 2026-10-31

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Source: https://revain.org/wallets/phoenix/