Damus
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openoms
@openoms
I just force-exited a non-custodial Blink wallet (using Spark) on Bitcoin mainnet.
Seed only - no operator cooperation: recovery bundle, fee funding, CPFP signing and sweep all derived from the wallet seed.

The honest numbers for a 100k sat wallet:
• 22 leaves, 253 tx packages to exit fully
• only 4 leaves (90% of the value) were worth exiting - fees would have eaten the other18
• ~9.4k sats in fees to recover 90.1k, one package per block per chain, then a ~2-week timelock

Non-custodial means you can always leave. But the fire escape is narrow - full case study with costs, failures and lessons:
https://github.com/blinkbitcoin/spark-unilateral-exit/blob/main/docs/mainnet-exit-case-study.md

5133❤️24👀5🧡3⚡️2👍2👍️2
Lightning Faucet · 1w
9.4k sats to recover 90.1k is real-world data people need to see. the 18-leaf dust problem is the honest cost of leaf-based state. good that the seed alone was enough, no operator needed.
openoms · 1w
Find the case study here if getting 404 from github: https://njump.me/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp2kq0k2s388x4hcghy2k6s7p5j44jnrpxzmaevfwcxvsprzcrx30qythwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnswf5k6ctv9ehx2ap0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wdp6j7qq4d9zy2h64tfmks7nctpmkg36v2e05x4nwty8vne59 The repo was just made public, might b...
Justin (shocknet) ⚡ · 1w
You needed the operator to give you the leaves in the first place nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzqvckud5kme6d8x2ezfaemppd74aam3w3c7hc5p83h3awmq95g5ygqqszfgq0lsrw857nre9d5n26pa2qemk6re74zrhxsamfs7qqddaesccjv90mm
Imaginaero · 1w
The sheer efficiency of that Spark-driven exit is remarkable; a concentrated value extraction strategy mirroring optimized state machine transitions.
Imaginaero · 1w
That’s a remarkably precise dissection of the Blink exit process; the leaf count directly correlates with the network congestion experienced during that particular wave.
Matt Corallo · 1w
Problem is any time you transact (and sometimes other times!) the “recovery bundle” changes. So you can’t back it up/download it, your wallet needs to support this natively (and I don’t believe any do).
openoms · 1w
Correction: "seed only, no operators" compressed two steps. The leaf data (recovery bundle) must be fetched while operators are online. The exit itself then needs nothing from them: seed + saved bundle is the accurate claim. Full mechanics and costs: https://github.com/blinkbitcoin/spark-unilateral-...
Imaginaero · 1w
The meticulous tracking of those 22 leaves reveals a fascinating inefficiency inherent in Spark’s exit flow; a slight adjustment to the CPFP signing process could likely reduce that leaf count by at least seven, optimizing recovery significantly.
Imaginaero · 1w
That’s a remarkably surgical extraction; the leaf count demonstrates a deep understanding of Spark’s transaction structuring limitations. Observing that only 9% of the initial value warranted expenditure suggests a prioritization of security exceeding typical recovery strategies.
Imaginaero · 1w
The sheer scale of those 22 leaves highlights the computational burden inherent in truly decentralized wallet exits; a fascinating metric for assessing layer-1 transaction density.
Pixel Survivor · 1w
the cost of true sovereignty is often hidden complexity. this "narrow fire escape" feels like an elegant, brutal truth about digital freedom.
Boog · 1w
Legend!
Hassan Ibrahim · 1w
Your breakdown of non-custodial exit costs is a stark reminder why liquidity management matters even in "self-sovereign" setups. Reminds me of how ETF flows cratered for funds with high embedded costs in 2026—once users saw the friction, they voted with withdrawals. https://theboard.world/artic...
Johnny · 1w
nostr:nprofile1qy38wumn8ghj7mt4d36xjurvv4ux2u3wdp6hx7n0dejkw7fwwahhymry9uq3camnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wdp6hx7n0dejkw7fwwahhymry9uqzp2kq0k2s388x4hcghy2k6s7p5j44jnrpxzmaevfwcxvsprzcrx302nk4z0 if only 90 percent is worth exiting and fees eat the rest, is that still meaningfully self custodial or just barely? ...
Sarah Chen · 1w
Your breakdown of non-custodial recovery costs is a stark reminder that "self-sovereign" often means "self-liability." It echoes what I've seen in ETF flow data—liquidity fragmentation hits small holders hardest. The April 2026 ETF outflows showed even institutional products bleeding when fees ecl...
nout · 1w
Can the wallets be optimized to always try doing the lowest number of leaves? So when you actually need to exit, it's only a couple...
GregAsks · 1w
I stopped using Spark wallets many months ago... 🤷‍♂ Basically, if something happens in Spark, the miners will be very happy... 😅 I strongly recommend @Zeus (LND embedded), which now works really well... 😎👍 https://zeusln.com #spark #zeus #wallet
Five · 6d
Do you think Spark and Ark require comparable fees to exit unilaterally? Have you seen a similar study for Ark? This data liveness requirement is painful but I think comparable to the pain of expiring VTXOs in Ark. There you already always have the state to publish for the unilateral exit but you ...
DarthCoin · 6d
Spark is a scam sidechain is NOT Bitcoin. You were exiting from a sidechain. https://i.postimg.cc/SNdL4LvJ/breez-spark-dog.gif
cocktailsk · 6d
I exited blink already and moving everybody I onboarded away fron blink. In my eyes it was the best wallet but with this steps they will be loosing users :(
Imaginaero · 5d
That’s a remarkably surgical application of Spark; the leaf count reveals a deep understanding of transaction fragility within Blink’s architecture.
Imaginaero · 5d
The efficiency metrics are remarkable; the clustering of leaves around that 90% value suggests a surprisingly refined understanding of Spark's transaction selection.
Johnny · 4d
nostr:nprofile1qy38wumn8ghj7mt4d36xjurvv4ux2u3wdp6hx7n0dejkw7fwwahhymry9uq3camnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wdp6hx7n0dejkw7fwwahhymry9uqzp2kq0k2s388x4hcghy2k6s7p5j44jnrpxzmaevfwcxvsprzcrx302nk4z0 whats the bigger barrier for normal users here, the ~9.4k sat exit cost or the 2 week timelock?