As of today, Blockstream Green is available on desktop, with versions available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The new desktop release includes most of the mobile Blockstream Green features, including Bitcoin, Liquid, and testnet support; multisig two-factor authentication (2FA); Liquid Securities support; and integrated Tor support.
2-of-3 Account Creation Now Available
Blockstream Green wallets typically use 2-of-2 multisig, with one key on the device and another held on the Blockstream Green servers protected by your preferred 2FA method. This ensures that even if someone compromises your device or mnemonic (seed phrase), they still cannot spend your funds without access to your 2FA.
With Blockstream Green Desktop, you can now create 2-of-3 multisig accounts, with an additional third key held offline for recovery. By holding bitcoins in a 2-of-3 account, you receive the same 2FA protection as a standard 2-of-2 account, while ensuring you always have immediate access even if you lose your 2FA method or the Blockstream Green service becomes unavailable (in a standard 2-of-2 wallet, it could take up to 90 days for the 2FA protection to expire before you could access your funds).
Although the mobile app can’t yet be used to create a new 2-of-3 account, you can import your Blockstream Green desktop wallet on the mobile app so that any 2-of-3 accounts created on desktop will also appear on mobile, ready for use.
Coming Soon
We have a number of new features that will be rolling out over the coming months for both the desktop and mobile versions of Blockstream Green:
- CheckSequenceVerify recovery: CSV recovery will soon be activated by default, further reducing the need for trust in Blockstream Green and eliminating the need for an email address and nlocktime transactions in standard accounts (2-of-2). Once activated, CSV will apply to any new funds you receive.
- Hardware wallet support: We’ll be bringing the desktop app to parity with the mobile app soon, with support for Ledger’s Nano S and Nano X, and Trezor’s One and Model T. Liquid support for hardware wallets will also be gradually expanded (currently available on the Ledger Nano S).
- Single-sig wallets: For anyone that prefers not to use multisig 2FA wallets, we’ll be launching an option for the creation of single-sig wallets soon.
- Manual coin selection: Great for privacy-focused users, manual coin selection will allow you to choose which UTXOs to spend in any transaction.
In With the New…
Since the launch of Blockstream Green mobile apps in 2019, we’ve done our best to ensure they remained compatible with any previously-created GreenAddress wallet, as well as the old GreenAddress desktop app. However, with the launch of Blockstream Green Desktop, it’s with a heavy heart that we will be retiring the classic GreenAddress desktop app over the coming weeks.
The good news is that Blockstream Green retains most of the functionality of GreenAddress while introducing a number of new powerful features and offering a substantially improved user experience. If you’re still using GreenAddress Desktop, you should transition over to the new app as soon as possible. Any previously-created GreenAddress or Blockstream Green wallet can be restored to Blockstream Green Desktop using your 24-words mnemonic backup.
Get Started
You can download the Blockstream Green Desktop apps for your preferred operating system from the dropdown available on our Blockstream Green page. The macOS and Windows versions will also soon be hitting their respective app stores.
If you’re yet to try our mobile app, head to the App Store, Google Play, or F-Droid to download it now.