Boltz, a non-custodial decentralized crypto exchange built on top of the lightning network, announced the official alpha release of its platform this week.

We are excited to announce the alpha release of Boltz, a trust minimized, account-free exchange built on top of the lightning network. Check out our blog for more info (https://t.co/0ykR8qqPdx) or try a swap on https://t.co/ChAqbN1t98 PS: already loops in and out @lightning — Boltz (@Boltzhq) April 4, 2019



According to the announcement, Boltz leverages so-called Submarine Swaps to exchange coins from a lightning channel to the main chain and vice versa. This works to improve the inbound capacity and liquidity of lightning channels, which is currently a major pain point for merchant adoption.

Swaps on Boltz already work in both directions (LN to on-chain and on-chain to LN) for both Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC).

Boltz also notes that all regular and Lightning wallets are currently supported, both for users running their own nodes and those who are using custodial wallet solutions.

Disclaimer: This article’s author has cryptocurrency holdings that can be tracked here. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investments.