Fedimint

Open-source software for federations that custody Bitcoin with threshold control and issue private ecash, with Bitcoin and Lightning modules included.

Fedimint is software for building federated Bitcoin applications. Its default modules cover Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals, Lightning payments and Chaumian ecash. Developers can add modules that define other consensus items and transaction types, while clients connect to a chosen federation through a wallet or another compatible application.

A federation is operated by guardians. Each guardian runs a Fedimint server beside a Bitcoin node, holds one key in a shared multisignature wallet, and participates in validating transactions. The project's guardian guide recommends at least four guardians for a setup that can tolerate one malicious or unavailable member. A single guardian cannot spend the federation's Bitcoin alone.

That arrangement changes, rather than removes, custody risk. Users do not hold the underlying Bitcoin keys. They rely on a threshold of known guardians to remain available and honest, and on the federation's operating practices. In exchange, the ecash module lets the federation issue blinded notes so ordinary payments are not directly visible to every guardian. Lightning gateways connect those balances to the wider Lightning network.

The project is active and distributed under the MIT licence. Version 0.12.1, released on 12 September 2026, is the latest published release. It includes a gateway security fix and ships signed release metadata plus binaries and packages for several platforms. The repository also lists wallet clients, command-line tools and separate setup guidance for people who want to operate a federation.

The project's website and repository identify contributors and a public development process, but they do not name a legal entity that owns or governs Fedimint. Its structure is therefore recorded as undocumented rather than inferred from its maintainers or funders. No individual profile is required for this entry.

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