Bark is now a Lightning backend option in Alby Hub—enabling self-custodial Lightning payments for all your connected wallets with no Lightning node, channels, or liquidity to manage. The integration enables Bark across all NWC-enabled apps like Alby Go, Zeus, and Damus, and even agents like Claude and GPT. More details: https://blog.second.tech/bark-powers-alby-hub/

Bark is an implementation of the Ark protocol. It’s a new way of scaling bitcoin, where users share VTXOs, transact fast and cheap off-chain, but can always get back on-chain without permission, if they need to. It makes self-custodial Lightning easier too.

Bark added in the latest Alby Hub release. Possibly the simplest way to add self-custodial Lightning to all your NWC-connected apps.

Don’t tell anyone but @MattHill is already helping us get the package ready.

Bark Wallet is now on the Umbrel app store. It's a simple, self-custodial bitcoin wallet covering the complete Bark experience: send and receive over Ark, Lightning, and on-chain, with automated refreshes, an emergency exit, and no channel and liquidity management. It's also open source, a great foundation for your next wallet app project! Learn more about what Bark Wallet can do and how it was built: https://blog.second.tech/bark-wallet-now-on-umbrel/

Bark went live with wallet apps ready to go on day one, built by bitcoiners who'd been working alongside us since long before launch. Noah, from the team behind Blixt, is the Ark wallet you'd expect from self-custodial wallet veterans, including some fancy Ark-infused Lightning addresses for static, free, offline payments. iOS and Android. Arké, from Christoph Ono, leverages years of the Bitcoin Design Community's open-source UX work, and pioneers brand-new UX for Ark. iOS only. Both apps are open source and available today. Full write-up: https://blog.second.tech/introducing-noah-and-arke/

Thanks!

SECOND IS NOW ON MAINNET. Bark, our implementation of the Ark protocol, is available for anyone to start making bitcoin payments. Included in the launch are our mainnet Ark server, the Bark SDK, and multiple wallets to try from day one. More details, and our vision for bitcoin payments, from Steven Roose: blog.second.tech/bark-now-on-bitcoin-mainnet/

Bark (our Ark implementation) is currently bitcoin only.

Recent Bark releases 0.1.4, 0.2.0, and 0.2.1 have been packed with updates. The highlights: Slim VTXO storage cuts wallet memory use 20–100x, real-time notifications replace polling so wallets update the instant something happens, and a single payment request now bundles Ark, Lightning, and on-chain into one QR. And to ensure Bark slots nicely into existing stacks, emergency exits and boarding can now both be driven by an external on-chain wallet with its own signer. Full changelog: second.tech/docs/changelog