Blockstream App copy guide
Free, open-source multi-platform wallet for Bitcoin and Liquid.
- Becomes an all-in-one self-custody utility once cash accounts, multisig, and lending ship; claim only what's shipped.
- Rich owns the narrative; two frameworks needed: near-term rebrand and eventual vision.
- Lightning-in-app copy: a few sentences inside Rich's story, with Michael.
Golden rules
Get these right and most copy takes care of itself.
- It is the Blockstream app, lowercase "the" mid-sentence. Every "Green" is retired; grep and replace.
- A full wallet on its own AND the Jade companion; never "just a companion app," never "requires a Jade."
- It is a recovery phrase, never seed phrase or mnemonic.
- Tap on mobile, click on desktop, select on Jade; never "tap on" or "click on."
- Third-party infra stays invisible: "Swap fee," "Network fee," never Boltz.
- Link blockstream.com/app, never /green/.
Who you're writing for
Meet the reader before touching the rules.
Reader: the broadest, least-technical consumer audience, often a user's first Blockstream product; assume no prior Bitcoin knowledge.
Write for three segments: newcomers without a Jade, Jade owners, and users migrating from the retired former app; target one per piece.
Span the spectrum: first-time buyers fleeing exchanges to experienced Bitcoiners upgrading wallets; calibrate depth to which end.
Names
The product names and exactly how to write them.
Grep and replace every "Green": "Blockstream Green", "Green app", "Green wallet" are retired; always "the Blockstream app".
Lowercase "the" mid-sentence (like "the New York Times"); capitalize "The Blockstream App" only in Title Case headings.
Never drop "the": write "Download the Blockstream app", never "Download Blockstream app" or "Download the App".
Never conflate three products: Blockstream Swaps, the in-app swap feature, and the Liquid Swap Tool are separate; name which you mean.
Link blockstream.com/app, never /green/.
Write "GDK" all caps; the "Green Development Kit" expansion is an internal library name, never surface "Green" to users.
Never trademark the app: Blockstream, Jade, Jade Plus, and the logo are trademarks; "the Blockstream app" is not.
Approved boilerplate exists: use boilerplates.md "The Blockstream App" blocks verbatim; never improvise about-the-app copy.
Say this, not that
The usage dictionary. When in doubt, search it.
| Topic | Write | Never write | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backup words | recovery phrase | seed phrase · mnemonic · backup phrase · recovery seed | the only approved term |
| Custody | self-custodial · self-custody | non-custodial | define by what it is |
| Device actions | tap (mobile) · click (desktop) · press (buttons) · select (Jade) | tap on · click on | one verb per surface |
| Liquid bitcoin | LBTC; "Liquid bitcoin (LBTC)" on first reference | L-BTC | no hyphen |
| Platform preposition | on the app | in the app | Blockstream uses "on" for platforms |
| In Jade content | companion app | bare "the app" | positions Jade as primary |
| Wallet vs account | consumer copy: wallet · enterprise copy: account | mixing the two registers | match the audience's mental model |
| Third-party infra | Swap fee · Network fee, Blockstream-voiced | Boltz or any provider name in user copy | generic protocol terms are fine |
| The old name | the Blockstream app | Blockstream Green · Green app · Green wallet | retired May 2025; on the grep list |
| GDK | GDK, all caps | surfacing "Green Development Kit" to users | internal library name |
| Greenlight | Greenlight (one word, capital G) | presenting it as part of the app | a separate Lightning-as-a-Service product |
| PIN protection | Blind Oracle (user-facing) | PIN server in consumer copy | "PIN server" only in technical contexts |
| Swaps refund key | child key (lowercase) | rescue key | signs only the timeout refund of a failed swap |
Voice & tone
How the copy sounds, and where the register switches.
Write the most accessible tone in the portfolio: welcoming without patronizing, technically precise.
Shift tone by surface: App Store benefit-first and scannable; help patient; announcements confident; onboarding warm, jargon-free.
Sound like a knowledgeable friend in Bitcoin security: "you/your", verb-first steps ("Tap Receive"), reassure when funds are at stake.
Open blogs with what shipped ("Version 3.0.0 delivers..."); keep support copy functional, never promotional; note the rename once.
Headings Title Case (H1-H4); Help Center H1s sentence case; the Title Case product name is "The Blockstream App".
In-app UI labels Title Case (tabs, buttons, menus); sentence case only for body/sub-text. Load BlockstreamDS before app UI work.
Format help as numbered steps: bold UI elements, screenshots after their step, ~14-16 word sentences, no emoji.
Never branch a step (Plus vs Classic = separate articles); never merge differing platform flows; never skip recovery-phrase warnings.
Prefer positive capability over negation lists; use specific terms ("Blind Oracle") over generic ("advanced security").
Fonts split by surface: in-app UI is BlockstreamDS (Inter + Roboto Mono for code/addresses); marketing and web never use mono.
Positioning
What to lead with, what to always pair, what never to claim.
These points are an amalgamation of what has been learned so far, from product docs, launches, and reviewer feedback. They are not definitive or authoritative positioning from anyone. Product marketing still needs to clearly define positioning for this product, which will happen in a follow-up.
Position as the bridge: the link between buying a Jade and using it; for non-Jade users, a standalone wallet with a path to hardware.
Five key messages: Jade companion; Bitcoin, Lightning, Liquid in one app; backup when ready; 100% open-source; privacy by default.
Never "just a companion app" (a full wallet, capable alone); never "requires a Jade" (integration is a feature, not a requirement).
Frame security as progressive: "the wallet that grows with you", PIN to recovery phrase to 2FA multisig to hardware, no app migration.
Frame Lightning as swaps: Liquid-Lightning swaps, no channels or inbound fees; Jade Lightning (Mar 2026), a hardware-wallet first.
Pair self-custody with privacy: no accounts, registration, or telemetry; consumer framing is off the exchange in under 5 minutes.
Claims
What a page or post may cite. Confirm, correct, or kill each row; an unconfirmed claim does not ship.
| Claim | As of | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin, Liquid, and Lightning in one app | current docs | approved |
| No accounts, no registration, no telemetry | current docs | approved |
| Renamed from Blockstream Green | May 2025 | approved |
| Store ratings: 4.7 (iOS), 4.24 (Android) | undated | confirm or kill |
| Lightning via Liquid ↔ Lightning swaps; no channels, no inbound fees | current docs | approved |
Open questions
Unresolved tensions for review. Don't resolve these in copy; flag them.
- App Store listing rules are one line ("benefit-first, scannable"); no structure, character-limit, keyword, or screenshot-caption rules exist for writing the actual listing. Needs authoring before the listing is next rewritten.
Notepad
Scribble anything: loose thoughts, questions, things that don't fit a pin or a highlight. Saves automatically with the review feedback.