Introducing Ark in Alby Hub - a New Payment Backend

Imagine a self-custodial bitcoin wallet that connects to dozens of apps, automates node management, and still leaves you in control. That’s the reality of Alby Hub. And today, our modular design is unlocking even more choices for the future.

Built to give you a powerful, self-custodial wallet accessible from anywhere, Alby Hub is a game-changer for everyday users, merchants, business and developers alike. By offering seamless integration with dozens of apps and a robust suite of developer tools, it serves a always-on gateway to bitcoin on-chain and the lightning network

But what truly sets Alby Hub apart is its modular design.

Instead of locking you into a single setup, Alby Hub allows you to choose your preferred funding backend—whether that’s LDK, LND, Phoenix or Ecash with Cashu. This modular architecture means:

• Ultimate flexibility: Choose the payment backend that fits your needs today.

• Future-proof: Rest easy knowing Alby Hub will always support the best, most cutting-edge Bitcoin payment backends today and in the future.

Effortless Wallet Management with Total Control

For many, running a self-custodial node can feel like a balancing act. Alby Hub tackles this by embedding a Lightning node that practically runs itself, making it one of the easiest ways to experience true sovereignty.

With powerful automated tools like Just-In-Time (JIT) channels, rebalancing, and auto-swaps, the heavy lifting of managing lightning channels is handled for you in the background.

However, we left the steering wheel in your hands on purpose. Alby Hub still grants you a great degree of control. As a user, you can freely decide on your channel partners, capacity, and fees allowing you to optimize your setup and minimize your payment fees all the way down to 0.

It’s the perfect blend of automated convenience and granular control. But we aren't stopping there. For users who want to explore alternative setups that prioritize ultimate onboarding convenience, Alby Hub is offering new options.

Introducing Ark in Alby Hub

To push convenience and flexibility even further, we're introducing a new funding backend: Ark.

Ark is an extension of bitcoin and the lightning network designed to improve the onboarding experience. Because it is naturally compatible with lightning, it fits well into the Alby ecosystem. With Ark, you can step back and let an Ark operator take care of managing the lightning channels for you.

There is an important trade-off to consider: Ark shifts away from the fully decentralized nature of the lightning network. When using Ark, you are reliant on a single Ark provider to facilitate your payments.

For this integration, we’ve partnered with Second, the team behind Bark (the new Ark implementation integrated directly into Alby Hub). This brings a whole new layer of choice to your self-custodial experience.

Note: Ark support is currently in beta. It is completely optional and aimed at those who love experimenting with the latest bitcoin tech!

Give it a Try!

If you want to test out the Ark integration, you can find it under the "Advanced Setup" option during the installation of your Alby Hub. Bark is currently only available when you self-host Alby Hub.

We are incredibly excited about the modular future of Alby Hub, and we want to build it with you. Give the new setup a spin, explore your options, and let us know how you like it on our feedback board!