New release: ZEUS v13.0.0
This release features our new graduated wallet experience, a brand new node engine powered by LDK Node, device migration with channels intact, and more.
Today, we're announcing the wide availability of ZEUS v13.0.0, including on the Apple App Store, and Google Play.
Sharp-eyed users will notice we skipped a few numbers. We weren't using all our digits, so we decided to put them to work. Bitcoin Core did it. Felt like the right time. It also lets us turn around updates between major releases faster within the app stores.
This release features our new graduated wallet experience, a brand new node engine powered by LDK Node, device migration with channels intact, a ground-up Cashu rewrite, and countless UI improvements.
Graduated wallet
We've been calling this the graduated wallet, and with v13 it's no longer tucked away behind experimental settings. It's how new users get started with ZEUS.
Here's the idea: economic self-custody isn't free. If you download ZEUS today and go the self-custodial route, you pay a fee to open or lease a channel. We've gotten that down to around 6,000-7,000 sats, but for someone trying Lightning for the first time, that's still friction. And then there's channel management, inbound liquidity, outbound capacity. It's a lot to ask of someone who just wants to receive their first sats.
So we built a path.
New users start as a mortal, using Cashu ecash for immediate, frictionless onboarding. Same seed phrase you'll carry forward. Lightning address right away. No channel management. Just that instant moment when Lightning works.
As your balance grows, the wallet prompts you to consider upgrading to self-custody. We show you why it matters. What the trade-offs are. What it costs. At certain thresholds, the messages get more insistent, and your ecash balance starts heating up in the UI. We're not going to automatically move your money for you, but we are going to make sure you have the information to make an informed decision.
When you're ready, you become a god, running a real embedded Lightning node in your phone, with real self-custody. One button, one channel, and your remaining ecash balance moves over. And for the sovereign node runners connecting to their own nodes at home or in the cloud, managing channels and peering with whoever they choose, you're an Olympian. ZEUS started as a tool for you, and we haven't forgotten.
We want ZEUS to be your Bitcoin sherpa. Meet you where you're at, then show you the way. Bitcoin payments your way.
LDK Node
Under the hood, v13 ships with a brand new node engine.
We've replaced the embedded LND implementation as the default backend in ZEUS with LDK Node, built and maintained by Spiral. This is a full engine swap. Same self-custodial properties, same channel management capabilities, but with a lighter footprint and a foundation we can build on more aggressively going forward.
ZEUS is the biggest mobile wallet to ship LDK Node, and we're excited to be pushing it forward in production. We'll be working closely with the Spiral team as we iterate and helping to influence the roadmap from a real-world mobile wallet perspective.
For users, the transition should be seamless. New users are pointed to LDK Node in our new onboarding process. Existing Embedded LND users can continue on their current setup.
Cashu rewrite
We rewrote our Cashu implementation from the ground up using CDK. The performance difference is not subtle.
Fund recovery from a mint used to take 2 minutes and 50 seconds. With CDK, it takes 7 seconds. That's not a typo.
Beyond raw speed, the new implementation brings offline mode, so your ecash balance is accessible even when you don't have connectivity. We've also added Cashu mint reviews powered by your Nostr social graph, so picking a mint is less of a shot in the dark and more informed by people you actually trust.
Furthermore, your list of Cashu mints are now backed up, encrypted, on Nostr. No need to remember your (potentially long) list of Cashu mints when changing devices. Backup and recovery improvements don't stop there...
Device migration
Moving your wallet between devices has been a pain point for a while. With v13, Embedded LND users can now migrate to a new device with their channels intact. No force closes. No waiting for funds to settle on-chain. Just move.
The process for Embedded LND to transfer their channel state is manual. For users of the new LDK Node, everything gets transferred over with no additional action. Just input your 12-word seed phrase and funds from every layer: on-chain, Lightning, Cashu, will all appear in an instant - channels intact.
More improvements
New onboarding process - The first-run experience has been completely rebuilt to support the graduated wallet flow. Cleaner, faster, less intimidating.
New amount input + currency selection UX - Redesigned from scratch. Easier to toggle between sats and fiat, easier to enter amounts.
New Lightning address payment flow - Streamlined the send-to-Lightning-address experience with clearer confirmation and a more vibrant interface.
New payment success screen - You'll know when your payment lands. It looks good, too.
ZEUS Pay+ custom profile images and bios - Subscribers can now set a custom profile image and bio on their Lightning address. A small thing that makes a big difference for merchants and creators.
Embedded LND v0.20.1-beta - For users staying on Embedded LND, we've bumped to the latest release.
And as always, countless UI improvements across the board.
Why we built this
Earlier this year we traveled to Vancouver, Canada. What we found there was electric. An explosion of merchant adoption, a vibrant meetup community with something happening almost every night, someone who had rigged an old soda vending machine to accept Lightning payments. The energy wasn't just about the technology. It was about the flow between merchants, developers, and everyday users. People teaching each other. People getting their first payments.
We also spent time at a major fintech conference. Stablecoins dominated every conversation. What was on display was a little terrifying in what it implied about surveillance and control. It reinforced something for us: the answer isn't to abandon our principles, it's to build tools that make sovereignty easier. That's what v13 is.
Next up
We're already deep into what comes next. More iteration on the graduated wallet flow, continued work on our Point of Sale system, and some things we're not quite ready to talk about yet.
We're still a small team. Small and scrappy. But the results are speaking for themselves, and we've got plans.
As always, thank you to our community sponsors, contributors, and everyone who tested, filed bugs, and gave feedback during the alpha and beta periods. None of this happens without you.
More to come.
