Introduction

Bitkit, the self-custodial Bitcoin and Lightning wallet, has undergone a significant update. The most notable change is a full rewrite from React Native to native code, bringing performance improvements and new capabilities that were not possible with the previous architecture. Here is what changed and why it matters.

Native Performance

The move from React Native to fully native code is the foundation for everything else in this update. Native apps interact directly with the operating system, resulting in faster load times, smoother animations, and more responsive user interactions. For a wallet that runs a Lightning node on the phone, this performance gain is especially meaningful.

The LDK (Lightning Development Kit) node continues to power Bitkit's Lightning functionality. LDK itself has received substantial updates over the past year, improving reliability and compatibility. Bitkit has stayed current with these upstream improvements throughout.

Wake to Pay: Receiving Payments in the Background

The headline feature of this update is Wake to Pay. On Android, Bitkit can now receive Lightning payments even when the app is running in the background. This is a major usability improvement. Previously, users had to ensure the app was open and the Lightning node was running to receive a payment. Now, the payment arrives regardless of the app state.

This works through improved notification server capabilities that the native architecture enables. When a payment comes in, the system wakes the app, starts the Lightning node, and processes the incoming payment automatically.

iOS support is more limited due to Apple's restrictions on background processing. Apple imposes strict data size limits for background operations, and those limits are smaller than what the LDK node requires to initialize. The Bitkit team is actively working on mitigations, and iOS users already see some benefits from the notification server improvements, but full parity with Android's Wake to Pay is not yet achievable within Apple's constraints.

Bitcoin Maps

Bitkit now includes an integrated Bitcoin Maps feature, allowing users to discover merchants and businesses that accept Bitcoin nearby. This addition moves Bitkit closer to being a complete tool for spending bitcoin in the real world, not just holding it.

Conclusion

Bitkit's native rebuild delivers meaningful improvements in performance and functionality. Wake to Pay solves one of the most common pain points of mobile Lightning wallets: having to keep the app open to receive payments. Combined with the LDK node improvements and Bitcoin Maps, the update positions Bitkit as an increasingly practical tool for everyday Bitcoin use.