Best for: Banks, wallets, and payout platforms that want managed Lightning infrastructure with flexible custody.
Consider if: You need a single API for Lightning, UMA aliases, and fiat ramps plus automated liquidity management.
Not ideal when: You require a no-KYC self-hosted stack or cannot meet Lightspark's enterprise billing minimums.
Initial sync: Depends on compliance review queue
Gotcha: Platform fees hit on the next monthly cycle, so pause unused workspaces before the trial ends.
Gotcha: Remote Key mode requires your infrastructure to stay online for signing and to keep secure backups.
Gotcha: Do not embed GraphQL credentials in client apps; keep them in your server or secrets manager.
Gotcha: Sandbox webhooks mirror production payloads, so clean up test data before reusing identifiers in live flows.
Remote Key mode keeps the keys on your infrastructure while Lightspark merely orchestrates node operations, and Operation Signing Key keeps them encrypted in Lightspark's cloud if you need a turnkey option.
Use the Forgot your password flow for account access and keep the Funds Recovery Kit offline so you can broadcast the pre-signed transactions to Bitcoin Layer 1 if Lightspark is unavailable.
Starter: 0.50% per transaction (up to $300k/mo)
Enterprise: 0.30%-0.15% per transaction (includes $3M-$15M/mo volume)
What happens:
Lightspark manages routing, liquidity, and settlement for each Lightning or UMA payment and charges this percentage when the transfer settles.
Optimization:
Upgrade to the enterprise tier once you consistently exceed Starter's $300,000 cap so high-volume flows pay the lower rate.
https://www.lightspark.com/products/connect#pricing
Starter: $0 monthly (first 30 days free)
Enterprise: $9,000-$15,000 monthly
What happens:
Platform fees are invoiced at the beginning of each month along with any prior-period overages, per Lightspark's billing FAQ.
Optimization:
Stay on Starter while you're testing or spin down unused workspaces before the next billing cycle to avoid charges.
https://www.lightspark.com/faq/payments/how-and-when-will-i-be-billed
Quote-based FX spread shown before execution
What happens:
Grid quotes return corridor availability, min/max amounts, and FX rates before you fund a payout, so you lock pricing before submitting the transfer.
Optimization:
Prefund your internal account or pick the cheapest rail listed in the quote to avoid urgent just-in-time wires.
https://grid.lightspark.com/payouts-and-b2b/payment-flow/send-payment
Card: Auto-charge 5 days after invoice
Lightning or Bitcoin: Spot rate valid for 24 hours
What happens:
Lightspark invoices can auto-charge the stored card or generate a Lightning/BTC payment link that locks the fiat amount in sats for a full day.
Optimization:
Use bitcoin settlement when you already hold sats or leave the card on autopay to avoid late fees.
https://www.lightspark.com/faq/payments/how-can-i-pay-my-bill
Yes. The first 30 days are free and the first partial month after signup is prorated, then standard monthly billing begins at the start of each cycle.
Invoices include a Lightning/on-chain payment link that converts the amount due to sats for 24 hours, so you can settle with bitcoin instead of a card whenever you prefer.
Pick Remote Key to hold your own signing material or Operation Signing Key for managed custody while Lightspark monitors nodes.
The dashboard stores only the payment metadata you submit plus audit-ready transaction reports for compliance teams.
Lightspark operates globally but unlocks UMA corridors and fiat ramps per jurisdiction once KYC/KYB is complete.
Lightspark can run KYC/KYB for your customers through Grid or consume your existing approvals if you are the regulated entity.
You still manage API keys, Remote Key uptime, and webhook endpoints, so treat Lightspark credentials like production secrets.
Lightspark reserves some balance for pending Lightning operations, channel closes, or funds not yet allocated to Lightning, so the available amount can be lower than your total balance.
Most failures come from setting a fee limit that's too low; Lightspark Predict can try higher-cost routes if your fee budget allows it.
Best for: Instant merchant payouts, API-driven disbursements, and cross-border sends that stay within your fee limit.
| Min per transaction | 1 satoshi |
|---|---|
| Max per transaction | Quote-dependent |
| Max per day | Volume tier limited |
| Max per week | Volume tier limited |
| Withdrawal eligibility | Immediate once funded |
Best for: Large settlements or withdrawals that need Bitcoin Layer 1 finality.
| Min per transaction | Network dust limit |
|---|---|
| Max per transaction | Unlimited |
| Max per day | Unlimited |
| Max per week | Unlimited |
| Withdrawal eligibility | After 1 confirmation |
Best for: Global payouts that need to resolve bank accounts, UMA aliases, or fiat rails through a single API.
| Min per transaction | Corridor dependent |
|---|---|
| Max per transaction | Corridor dependent |
| Max per day | Compliance-dependent |
| Max per week | Compliance-dependent |
| Withdrawal eligibility | Immediate after quote execution |
Use Lightspark's GraphQL API or SDKs (Python, Go, Kotlin, Java, Rust, TypeScript) to automate node management, routing, and payout workflows.
Privacy: Keys remain in your own vault; Lightspark only sees the metadata you send with each request.
Grid's single API handles UMA addresses, FX quotes, and bank off-ramps for payouts, rewards, and treasury moves.
Privacy: Customer KYC/KYB data can stay with Lightspark or your own compliance stack depending on the onboarding mode.
Issue UMA handles so partners and users can send value using a human-readable address that routes across Bitcoin and fiat rails.
Privacy: Aliases map to the metadata you choose to share, so limit attached data when privacy matters.
Hold signing keys on your servers Lightspark manages node uptime
Remote Key mode keeps private keys on your infrastructure while Lightspark runs the nodes, giving you managed uptime without surrendering custody.
Gotcha: Remote Key setups must stay online to sign transactions, so monitor HSM health and backups.
AI-balanced channel liquidity Fee limits you control
Lightspark Predict monitors liquidity and automatically rebalances channels so your payments take the fastest, cheapest route that fits your fee budget.
Gotcha: If you cap fees too low, Predict cannot access higher-cost routes and payments may fail.
Resolve payees with UMA aliases Quote FX before funding
Universal Money Address lets you attach a human-readable alias to any customer so payouts resolve automatically across Grid's global corridors.
Gotcha: Some jurisdictions require KYC/KYB before you can issue UMA aliases, so finish compliance onboarding first.
Choose: Use this when you want Lightspark to run the node while you retain Remote Key custody.
Tips: Document how you rotate keys so Lightspark's API always points to the active signer.
Gotcha: If your Remote Key infrastructure goes offline, Lightning routing will pause until signing comes back.
Choose: Use this when your test flows pass and you're ready for live corridors.
Tips: Keep sandbox keys for regression tests so you can reproduce issues without touching live funds.
Gotcha: Production corridors enforce jurisdictional limits, so be sure compliance approvals are complete before switching.
Choose: Use this whenever teammates change or you migrate secrets to a new vault.
Tips: Schedule key rotations quarterly so stale credentials never linger.
Gotcha: Deleting a key early will break SDKs or workflows still referencing it, so update infrastructure first.
Connect details enterprise security controls like SSO, granular permissions, and audit-ready reporting.
Security overviewLightspark publishes a privacy policy outlining how onboarding and payment data are stored, processed, and retained.
Privacy policyTerms of use explain service eligibility, acceptable behavior, and liability limits for Connect and Grid.
Terms of useThe licenses page lists regulatory registrations and money service licenses that govern Lightspark's operations.
Licenses
Lightspark is a payments infrastructure company founded by David Marcus (formerly of PayPal, Meta, and Diem) in 2022. They aim to build what they call the "Money Grid," a global, open payment network ...
Lightspark is a payments infrastructure company founded by David Marcus (formerly of PayPal, Meta, and Diem) in 2022. They aim to build what they call the "Money Grid," a global, open payment network using Bitcoin as a neutral settlement layer and leveraging Lightning for high-speed transfers.
Connect Starter routes every Lightning payment through Lightspark's managed nodes for 0.50% up to $300,000 in monthly volume. Enterprise plans add a $9,000-$15,000 platform retainer so you can drop per-transaction costs to roughly 0.30%-0.15% across $3-$15 million in monthly flow. You can start on Starter's free first 30 days and upgrade inside the dashboard once usage grows.
Billing kicks in after the 30-day trial, when Lightspark invoices the platform fee for your tier at the beginning of each month. That same invoice lists any usage that exceeded your volume limits in the prior period so finance teams see one predictable charge. You can downgrade or pause before the next cycle if your run rate changes.
Lightspark charges the card you keep on file five days after issuing the invoice, which removes manual payment work. Each invoice also includes a Lightning or on-chain Bitcoin link that locks the fiat amount in sats for 24 hours so you can settle with bitcoin instead. You can regenerate the payment quote from the invoice link whenever the price window expires.
Lightning payouts run through the Send flow or API/SDK while on-chain settlements use the Withdraw flow, so you choose the rail per transfer. That separation keeps instant Lightning transfers distinct from Bitcoin Layer 1 withdrawals that wait on block confirmations. You can set custom fee limits in the Send flow when you need to allow higher routing budgets.
Passwords are recoverable through the Forgot your password link, but custody resilience comes from Lightspark's Funds Recovery Kit that generates pre-signed transactions. Once you configure the kit you can publish those transactions on Bitcoin Layer 1 to reclaim funds without waiting on Lightspark support. Treat the hosted stack as a bridge and store the recovery file offline so you always have an exit.
Custody
Data Privacy
Jurisdiction & Availability
