A top-up moves bitcoin from an on-chain BitBox account into your Lightning hot wallet. It is a Bitcoin transaction, so you must verify it on your BitBox and pay a network fee. The top-up becomes spendable only after the required blockchain confirmations.
The minimum top-up in the documented flow is 1,000 satoshis (sats). Begin with a small amount intended for everyday payments.
A top-up moves funds into a hot wallet
After the top-up, the Lightning spending keys are stored on your phone rather than protected inside your BitBox. Do not top up more than you are willing to lose, especially while Lightning remains in beta.
Before you top up
Confirm that:
- the Lightning wallet is already set up;
- your BitBox is connected and unlocked;
- the source account has enough confirmed bitcoin for the amount and network fee; and
- the active Lightning wallet belongs to the intended BitBox wallet and passphrase context.
If you have not created the wallet yet, follow Set up a Lightning wallet in the BitBoxApp.
Create the top-up
- Open Lightning in the BitBoxApp and select Top Up.
- Under From, select the Bitcoin account that should fund the Lightning wallet.
- Enter at least 1,000 sats. The app displays BTC or sats according to your bitcoin-unit setting.
- Review the fiat value and choose the transaction Priority. The priority determines the Bitcoin network fee and estimated confirmation time.
- Review the optional note. It is prefilled with Lightning top up, but you can change it.
- Select Review.
Verify and confirm the Bitcoin transaction
The BitBoxApp opens Confirm and Send Transaction and shows the transaction summary.
- Review the top-up amount, network fee, and total deduction in the BitBoxApp.
- Continue to the confirmation on your BitBox.
- Compare the complete destination address on the BitBox with the destination in the BitBoxApp.
- Verify the amount and fee on the BitBox.
- Confirm only when every detail matches and you intend to move this amount into the Lightning hot wallet.
The destination shown here is an on-chain top-up destination. It is not the reusable, email-like Lightning address used to receive Lightning payments.
Wait for the top-up to become spendable
| State | What it means |
|---|---|
| Top Up Created | The Bitcoin transaction was created. The Lightning top-up is not complete yet. |
| One Bitcoin confirmation | The top-up appears in the wallet but is not yet spendable. |
| Three Bitcoin confirmations | The top-up completes and the amount becomes available to spend. |
The app indicates that completion usually takes 30 minutes or longer. Actual timing depends on Bitcoin network conditions and the fee priority you selected.
Select Done and monitor the top-up in the Lightning transaction history. Do not attempt to spend it until the BitBoxApp marks it as completed and the amount appears in the available balance.
Top-up complete
The top-up is complete when the transaction is marked as completed and its amount is included in your available Lightning balance.
You can now send a Lightning payment.
If the top-up says Claim required
Use this recovery path only when the affected Bitcoin top-up has a yellow warning triangle and the status Claim required. A claim or refund is not required for a normal top-up.
- Open the affected Bitcoin top-up in the Lightning transaction history.
- Select the magnifying-glass control to open its details.
- Select Claim top-up or refund.
- Read the explanation and choose whether to claim the amount into Lightning or refund it to a Bitcoin account.
- Review the displayed fee and final amount. Both options require a fee.
Claim the top-up into Lightning
Choose the claim option if you still want the recoverable amount in this Lightning wallet. Confirm the fee and final amount, then wait until the BitBoxApp shows that the claim is complete before spending it.
Refund the top-up to Bitcoin
The receiving Bitcoin account must be available in the BitBoxApp. If its wallet is remembered through the watch-only feature, you can select the account without connecting the BitBox. Otherwise, connect and unlock the relevant BitBox. If no destination account is available, the app can offer only the claim option.
- Select the BitBox Bitcoin account that should receive the refund.
- Review the destination, fee, and final amount.
- Confirm the refund and monitor it until the BitBoxApp shows that it is complete.
The fee reduces the amount returned to the Bitcoin account. If the recoverable amount cannot cover the fee, the refund cannot proceed.
A completed claim updates the available Lightning balance. A completed refund appears as an outgoing transaction in the Lightning history and an incoming transaction in the selected Bitcoin account.
If the top-up does not complete
- The amount is below 1,000 sats: increase it to at least the displayed minimum.
- The source account cannot cover the amount and fee: lower the amount or use an account with enough confirmed bitcoin.
- The transaction is waiting for confirmations: check its Bitcoin confirmation state. The estimated time is not a guarantee.
- The top-up says Claim required: use the claim or refund procedure above.
- A claim or refund remains incomplete: do not create repeated recovery transactions. Record the exact status and contact Support.
Contact BitBox Support
Contact BitBox Support if a top-up, claim, or refund remains incomplete. Include the BitBoxApp version, phone operating system, transaction date and amount, current non-sensitive status, and exact error message.
Never send recovery words, backup contents, a passphrase, private keys, passwords, or PINs.