Integrate fast, low-cost, self-custodial payments into your apps with Second. Based on the Ark protocol, with seamless support for Lightning and on-chain payments.
Two second layers, one integration
Enable Ark and Lightning payments in your app with one super-simple API integration.
Ark
A new approach to bitcoin scaling
Ark introduces a fresh take on Bitcoin scaling, delivering a range of benefits for anyone making regular payments. Plus, it can even simplify sending payments over Lightning!
Easy onboarding
No fees or channel opening. Ark users can start receiving self-custodial bitcoin payments immediately after setting up their wallet.
Fast, low-cost transactions
Settle payments almost instantly with minimal fees, giving users a seamless experience without the delays and costs of on-chain transactions.
Familiar bitcoin-like model
Bitcoin-like addresses and a familiar interface that make for an effortless transition to layer two for developers and users alike.
Enable Lightning payments, painlessly
Lightning is awesome. But if you've ever built a Lightning integration, you'll know how brutal it can be. With Second, you can do Lightning without "doing Lightning".
Developer docs
The fastest way to get started with your Ark + Lightning integration.
Source on Codeberg
Get familiar with bark, our Ark implementation. Woof!
Lightning
You'll never have to worry about channels again
Skip the stress of channel management and payment routing. You only need to take care of the Ark integration and your users will get access to the Lightning Network. No Lightning expertise required.
Lightning
Seamless onboarding: No fees, no friction
With Ark, onboarding is as smooth as it gets. Your users can start sending Lightning payments instantly without the need to open a channel first. It’s the fastest way to get started, delivering a user experience that’s intuitive and hassle-free.
FAQ
We get it, you've got some questions
Ark is the latest Bitcoin tech, and while it's quicker to grasp than Lightning, we're still perfecting our explanations. Let us know if don't see your question answered.
Ark
How Ark works
Transact with virtual transactions off-chain, with cryptographic assurances that you can broadcast your transaction on-chain even if your Ark isn't available.
Client-server structure
Instead of relying on a network of nodes, Ark users connect to an Ark server, where they can transact with other users of the Ark quickly and at low cost. Liquidity management is taken care of by the Ark, leaving you and your users to focus on more important things.
Virtual UTXOs
Round-based anchors
Shared UTXOs representing all VTXOs are written to the bitcoin blockchain periodically.
Offboarding to on-chain
Ark-to-Lightning bridge
Pay Lightning invoices directly from an Ark balance, no channels, liquidity, or LSPs required. Handled atomically.
Open source
We're building the Ark protocol
All our contributions are open-source. If you'd like to run, test, or contribute to our implementation of the Ark protocol, head to our code repository.
