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Overview

Arkade transactions work just like on-chain Bitcoin transactions - you send to addresses without requiring the recipient to be online. The key difference is that Arkade transactions are instant and have near-zero fees when sending to Arkade addresses. You can also send to Lightning invoices and Bitcoin addresses (bc1/tb1).

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Setup

Import the SDK and create a wallet: 
import { MnemonicIdentity, Wallet } from '@arkade-os/sdk'

const identity = MnemonicIdentity.fromMnemonic("abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon")

const wallet = await Wallet.create({
  identity,
  arkServerUrl: 'https://arkade.computer',
})
Your wallet needs an offchain balance to cover transaction fees. See Receiving Payments to fund your wallet.

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Sending to Arkade Addresses

Use the sendBitcoin function to send to another Arkade wallet. Simply provide an Arkade address (starting with ark1 or tark1) and the amount in satoshis. The recipient doesn’t need to be online to receive the payment. 
// Send to an Arkade address
const txid = await wallet.sendBitcoin({
  address: 'ark1qqellv77udfmr20tun8dvju5vgudpf9vxe8jwhthrkn26fz96pawqfdy8nk05rsmrf8h94j26905e7n6sng8y059z8ykn2j5xcuw4xt8ngt9rw',
  amount: 50000,  // in satoshis
})
Like on-chain Bitcoin, but instant: Payments to Arkade addresses work just like sending to a Bitcoin address - the recipient doesn’t need to be online. The difference is that Arkade payments are instant and have near-zero fees, making them ideal for everyday transactions.

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Sending to Lightning Network

Send payments from your Arkade wallet to any Lightning invoice using submarine swaps. This allows you to pay Lightning users instantly.

Lightning Swaps

Learn how to integrate the Lightning Network with Arkade using submarine swaps to send and receive Lightning payments.

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Sending to Bitcoin Addresses

To send Bitcoin to onchain addresses (bc1/tb1), use the Ramps class for offboarding. This converts your Arkade VTXOs back to onchain Bitcoin.

Offboarding (Collaborative Exit)

Learn how to convert your Arkade balance to onchain Bitcoin using the Ramps class for efficient, batched offboarding.
 Alternatively, try out our newly released Boltz integration:

Chain Swaps

Learn how to convert your Arkade balance to onchain Bitcoin with Boltz-powered chain swaps
Fee Comparison:
  • Arkade addresses (ark1/tark1): Near-zero fees, instant, no online requirement
  • Lightning invoices: Low fees, instant via submarine swaps
  • Bitcoin addresses (bc1/tb1): Standard network fees apply (onchain swap)
For regular onchain Bitcoin transactions, consider using the offboarding process instead for better control and potentially lower fees through batch processing.

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Finalizing pending transactions

If a transaction was interrupted before completion (e.g., due to network issues or app closure), you can finalize pending transactions using finalizePendingTxs. This method retrieves any pending transactions from the server and completes the checkpoint signing process. 
// Finalize any pending transactions
const { finalized, pending } = await wallet.finalizePendingTxs()

console.log('Pending transactions found:', pending.length)
console.log('Successfully finalized:', finalized.length)
The method returns:
  • finalized: Array of transaction IDs that were successfully finalized
  • pending: Array of all pending transaction IDs found
Call finalizePendingTxs() when your app starts or reconnects to ensure all transactions are properly completed.
You can also pass specific VTXOs to check for pending transactions: 
// Get VTXOs and finalize their pending transactions
const vtxos = await wallet.getVtxos()
const { finalized, pending } = await wallet.finalizePendingTxs(vtxos)

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Next Steps

  • VTXO Management - Learn how to manage VTXO renewal and recovery
  • Payment History - Track your transaction history
  • Ramps - Advanced: onboard from Bitcoin or offboard to Bitcoin