Liquid Network copy guide
Bitcoin layer-2 sidechain: faster settlements, confidential transactions, asset issuance.
- Sidechain-as-a-service framing deferred to its own debate.
- "Liquid" name ownership (Blockstream vs Federation) open; liquid.net rename frozen.
- Keep the Blockstream-product voice distinct from the ecosystem voice.
Golden rules
Get these right and most copy takes care of itself.
- Two voices, one rule: liquid.net and @Liquid_BTC speak as the ecosystem; blog.blockstream.com and @Blockstream speak as the company. Pick before writing.
- Never owner language: "Blockstream's Liquid" is banned; the federation governs, Blockstream is one of 87 members.
- LBTC, no hyphen; first reference "Liquid bitcoin (LBTC)."
- Lead with "Bitcoin's financial layer," never "sidechain" as the pitch.
- Confidential Transactions hides amounts AND asset types; say both, never apologize for privacy.
- Federation members, never "partners"; back claims with dated proof points.
Who you're writing for
Meet the reader before touching the rules.
Write for the reader's expertise: Consumer copy explains impact; Developer copy assumes code; Enterprise copy foregrounds settlement.
In company-context copy, widen targets: traders, AMP issuers, institutions, self-custody users, merchants; match the CTA to the reader.
Channel sets register, not product: LinkedIn institutional, X mixed, retail otherwise; "wallet" for consumer, "account" for enterprise.
Names
The product names and exactly how to write them.
Write "Liquid Network," both capitalized: never "Liquid network" or "the Liquid." "Liquid" alone only after the full name with "The."
Write "LBTC," no hyphen, all caps: never "L-BTC" (renamed in Elements 23.3.0). First reference: "Liquid bitcoin (LBTC)."
Lowercase the asset, capitalize the concept: "Liquid bitcoin" (asset) vs "Liquid Bitcoin" (protocol); mirror bitcoin/Bitcoin.
Write "the Liquid Federation" (cap F, lowercase the) or "the federation"; "Liquid members" stays lowercase m.
Use exact tool names: Elements Core (not "Elements QT"), Liquid Asset Registry, Liquid Swap Tool, "Liquid node."
Never write owner language: the federation governs; Blockstream is tech provider, one of 87 members; never "Blockstream's Liquid."
Spell ecosystem names exactly: AQUA, Boltz, SideSwap, Breez SDK, LWK, SimplicityHL; handle is @Liquid_BTC.
Say this, not that
The usage dictionary. When in doubt, search it.
| Topic | Write | Never write | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confidential Transactions | Confidential Transactions (capitalized); hides amounts AND asset types | apologetic privacy framing | say both, always |
| ELIP | Elements Improvement Proposal, spelled out first use; cite "ELIP 200" | ||
| Issued Assets | Issued Assets (capitalized) · "Liquid assets" for the generic | tokens | |
| Liquid bitcoin | LBTC; first reference "Liquid bitcoin (LBTC)" | 1:1 bitcoin peg | |
| LWK | LWK (Liquid Wallet Kit); expand first use only | ||
| Operators vs functionaries | operators = entities · functionaries = software/hardware | swapping the two | |
| Peg mechanics | peg-in · peg-out (noun/adjective) · "peg in" (verb) | pegging in · pegged in | |
| Strong Federation | Strong Federation (both capitalized) | strong federation | the consensus model from Elements |
| Swap arrows | the ↔ arrow for cross-layer swaps | Lightning-to-Liquid | one-directional phrasing implies one direction |
| Tether on Liquid | USDT · Tether (USDT) · USDT on Liquid · USDT-Liquid | Liquid Tether · USDt · L-USDt · LUSDT | |
| The explorer | Blockstream Explorer | Esplora · bare "Explorer" · Liquid Block Explorer | |
| The federation | the Liquid Federation (cap F) · the federation | The Liquid federation | governance attributed here, not Blockstream |
| Swap kinds | Liquid swaps (intra-Liquid) · atomic swaps (cross-chain) | Liquid atomic swaps | |
| The base chain | the Bitcoin mainchain · the Bitcoin blockchain | use "mainnet" when "on-chain" already appears nearby | |
| Buzz categories | the specific capability | DeFi · Web3 | |
| Category word | Bitcoin, or the specific capability | crypto, meaning Bitcoin | Liquid is Bitcoin-native |
| Grade claims | enterprise · purpose-built · bank-grade | institutional-grade | |
| Member language | federation members · members | partners | banned in ecosystem voice |
| Owner language | The Liquid Network · Liquid | Blockstream's Liquid (Network) | Liquid is not a Blockstream product |
| Tokens and coins | Liquid assets · Issued Assets · funds · specific names (LBTC, USDT) | tokens · coins | |
| Custody | self-custodial | non-custodial | on the grep list |
| The old ticker | LBTC | L-BTC | renamed in Elements 23.3.0 |
| Consensus roles | Block Signers create blocks · Watchmen run the peg | miners · validators | |
| PSET | Partially Signed Elements Transaction | Liquid's PSBT analog |
Voice & tone
How the copy sounds, and where the register switches.
Switch register by surface: liquid.net and @Liquid_BTC get ecosystem voice; blog.blockstream.com and @Blockstream get company voice.
In ecosystem voice, speak as the network: ecosystem-first (one of 87), data-backed, technical; never "we at Blockstream."
In company voice, match the reader: Consumer benefit-led, Developer implementation-focused, Enterprise compliance-aware.
Frame privacy and federation as strengths, never apologies: "CT protects trade sizes"; never "decentralized enough."
Set tone by channel: LinkedIn institutional (skip "sidechain" leads), X mid-technical, retail benefit-led, dev like release notes.
Never name a competitor: frame as "why Liquid," factual comparisons only; no hype (revolutionary, game-changing), no em dashes.
Use exact nouns: "on the app" not "in the app"; "funds" for general, "assets" for Liquid, "bitcoin" for Bitcoin, never "coins."
@Liquid_BTC cadence: 2-3 posts/week, @mention ecosystem members, use the wave emoji for Liquid references.
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.
Core messages: Bitcoin layer-2 sidechain; LBTC 1:1 pegged; CT hides amounts and asset types; fast settlement; open-source Elements.
Frame as battle-tested, not old: production infrastructure live since 2018; lead with reliability, never "oldest sidechain."
Pitch by audience: Consumer, faster private bitcoin; Developer, infrastructure to build on; Enterprise, regulated issuance.
Lead with "Bitcoin's financial layer": position vs Bitcoin, not Ethereum L2s; never lead with "sidechain" or "only a sidechain."
Back claims with dated proof points: $5B TVL (Q4 2025), 87 members, 3rd-largest RWA chain, 4x YoY growth; name multiple members.
Cross-product hooks: Jade is the only hardware wallet with native Liquid; blinding keys disclose to regulators, private by default.
Positioning taglines (PM call): "An Open Financial System, on Bitcoin"; "The Financial Layer for Bitcoin Capital Markets."
Claims
What a page or post may cite. Confirm, correct, or kill each row; an unconfirmed claim does not ship.
| Claim | As of | Status |
|---|---|---|
| LBTC is 1:1 pegged bitcoin | protocol fact | approved |
| Confidential Transactions hides amounts AND asset types | protocol fact | approved |
| In production since 2018 | current docs | approved |
| $5B TVL | Q4 2025 vs ~$4.2B Mar 2026 | confirm or kill |
| 87 federation members | Jan 2026 vs "85+" Apr 2026 vs "65+" | confirm or kill |
| 3rd-largest RWA chain | undated | confirm or kill |
Open questions
Unresolved tensions for review. Don't resolve these in copy; flag them.
- Block time conflicts: brand docs say ~2-minute blocks; liquid-network.md says 60-second blocks with ~2-minute settlement (two confirmations).
- Federation member count varies: 87 (Jan 2026) vs "85+ (April 2026)" vs "65+" in liquid-network.md; TVL also conflicts ($5B vs ~$4.2B March 2026).
- Casing conflicts: liquid-network.md capitalizes "Functionaries"/"Block Signers" and glosses LBTC as "Liquid Bitcoin"; canonical terminology.md uses lowercase forms.
- x-liquid-btc.md carries [NEEDS INPUT] placeholders; the @Liquid_BTC posting guide is incomplete.
- No dedicated Liquid boilerplate in boilerplates.md; assemble from company boilerplates + liquid-network.md positioning quotes.
Notepad
Scribble anything: loose thoughts, questions, things that don't fit a pin or a highlight. Saves automatically with the review feedback.