A native Bitcoin wallet for iPhone that integrates the Ark protocol (second.tech) for enhanced privacy and scalability. Built with SwiftUI and designed for Apple's Liquid Glass design system, Arké provides a user-friendly, devastatingly fashion-forward interface for managing Bitcoin across multiple layers.
Try it now: Sign up for TestFlight at arke.cash
⚠️ Signet Only: Arké currently operates on Bitcoin signet. Mainnet support will be added when the Ark protocol implementation is ready for production use.
- iOS 26.0 or later - Required for Liquid Glass design system support
- iPhone only (iPad and macOS are not currently supported)
Arké began as a macOS application using the Bark CLI tool directly, as Swift bindings weren't initially available for iOS. The codebase still contains macOS code from this earlier phase. The vision evolved toward synchronized iOS and macOS apps, but reliable multi-device wallet synchronization requires protocol-level support that isn't yet available (VTXOs need recovery mechanisms that work across separately-synced devices, and iCloud alone isn't sufficient for this use case).
The current focus is on delivering an excellent iOS experience first. A future macOS version may take one of several approaches: separate wallets per platform, a lightweight companion app that pairs with your iPhone, or full multi-device sync once the underlying protocol supports it. The path forward will become clearer as the Ark ecosystem matures.
- Onchain Layer: Full Bitcoin wallet powered by Bitcoin Dev Kit (BDK)
- Send and receive standard Bitcoin transactions
- Complete UTXO management and coin control
- Custom fee rate support
- Ark Layer: Privacy-enhanced off-chain transactions via VTXOs
- Fast, private payments within the Ark network
- Automatic VTXO management and refresh
- Board and offboard between onchain and Ark layers
- Lightning Network: Bolt11 invoice support
- Create and pay Lightning invoices
- Bolt12, Lightning address, and BIP353 support
- Claim and track invoice payments
- Unified Activity Feed: All transactions across layers in one view
- Contact System: Save and manage payment recipients
- Native iOS Contacts integration
- Custom contact addresses for Bitcoin, Ark, and Lightning
- Automatic contact matching for transactions
- Tag System: Organize transactions with custom tags
- Visual tag colors and icons
- Net change tracking per tag
- Tag-based transaction filtering
- Transaction Notes: Add personal notes to any transaction
- Tilt-to-Pay: Elegant gesture-based receiving
- Tilt your device to reveal a full-screen QR code overlay
- Personalized with your profile photo and name
- Profile Personalization: Customize your wallet identity
- Add profile photo from your photo library
- Set a display name for your wallet
- Native Integration: Deep iOS system integration
- Contacts framework integration
- Haptic feedback
- iCloud Sync: Sync your data across devices
- Transactions, contacts, and tags
- User profiles and settings
- Backup reminders and device registry
- Signet: Bitcoin signet for testing (default)
Note: Only one Ark server is currently available. Additional server options will become available as the Ark ecosystem grows.
- Secure Key Storage: BIP39 mnemonics stored in device Keychain
- Privacy-First Design: Ark protocol provides enhanced transaction privacy
- Local Control: Your keys, your Bitcoin
- X-Ray View: Inspect all underlying wallet data
- UTXO details and management
- VTXO states and expiration tracking
- Unilateral exit management
- Raw transaction data
- Network Diagnostics: Connection status and server information
Arké is built with modern Swift technologies and native Bitcoin tooling for optimal performance and security.
- SwiftUI: Native iOS and macOS user interface
- SwiftData: Local persistence with iCloud CloudKit sync
- Swift 6: Strict concurrency for thread-safe operations
- BarkProtocol FFI: Direct Rust library bindings for Ark protocol operations
- Bitcoin Dev Kit (BDK): Production-grade Bitcoin wallet functionality
- Keychain Services: Secure storage for sensitive data
- WalletManager: Coordinates all wallet operations and state
- BarkWalletFFI: Foreign Function Interface to the Ark protocol implementation
- BDKOnchainWallet: Bitcoin layer using Bitcoin Dev Kit
- ServiceContainer: Manages tag, contact, and sync services
- SwiftData Models: Transaction history, contacts, tags, and user profiles with CloudKit sync
- User interface built with SwiftUI
- WalletManager coordinates operations
- BarkWalletFFI handles Ark-specific operations via native Rust bindings
- BDK handles onchain Bitcoin operations
- SwiftData persists data locally and syncs via CloudKit
- Keychain stores sensitive cryptographic material
The easiest way to try Arké is through TestFlight:
- Visit arke.cash and sign up for TestFlight access
- Install the app on your iPhone (iOS 26.0 or later required)
- Create a new wallet or import an existing one
- Start receiving and sending Bitcoin on signet
- macOS 15.0 or later
- Xcode 16.2 or later (for Liquid Glass support)
- iOS 26+ device or simulator
- Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/gbks/arke.git cd arke - Open
Arke.xcodeprojin Xcode - Select the iOS target
- Build and run (⌘R)
Arké mobile/- iOS-specific code (primary focus)Shared/- Shared business logic and data modelsArkeUI/- Reusable UI components packageArké/- macOS code (currently not maintained)
- Create New Wallet: Generate a new BIP39 mnemonic
- Import Wallet: Restore from existing 12 or 24-word seed phrase
- Backup: Securely store your recovery phrase
Note: Wallet linking across devices is currently disabled but planned for a future release.
Ark is a second-layer protocol for Bitcoin that enables:
- Enhanced Privacy: Transactions within Ark are more private than standard Bitcoin transactions
- Instant Payments: Near-instant settlement between Ark users
- Scalability: Reduced blockchain footprint for frequent transactions
- Self-Custody: Maintain control of your Bitcoin with unilateral exit capability
Virtual Transaction Outputs (VTXOs) represent your Bitcoin within the Ark network. They can be:
- Transferred instantly to other Ark users
- Exited to onchain Bitcoin at any time
- Automatically refreshed before expiration
Ark was invented in 2023 by Burak, a Bitcoin developer. The protocol is open source and being developed by two independent teams: Ark Labs and Second. Arké is built on Second's implementation, which focuses on Bitcoin payments.
Learn more at ark-protocol.org
Arké is developed in phases. See the full roadmap at arke.cash/roadmap.
Current status:
- ✅ iOS application with Liquid Glass design
- ✅ Production-ready architecture with FFI and BDK
- ✅ iCloud sync
- ✅ Contact and tag management
- ✅ Lightning Network integration
- ✅ Localization and accessibility
- ✅ Performance optimizations
- ⏳ Broader beta testing with non-technical users
- ⏳ Mainnet support (pending Ark protocol readiness)
While contributions are welcome, there is no proper structure in place to chip in. It's a single-person project at the moment, iterating every day. The biggest help at this time are to provide feedback on any aspect of Arké.
Arké uses CloudKit to sync the following data across your devices:
- Transaction metadata (contacts, tags, notes)
- User profile information
- Wallet configuration and preferences
- Device registry
What is NOT synced:
- Your wallet's private keys or seed phrase (always stored locally in Keychain)
- Raw transaction data from the blockchain
You can disable iCloud sync in System Settings if preferred, though this will limit multi-device functionality.
Arké does not collect analytics, telemetry, or usage data. All wallet operations occur locally or directly with your chosen Ark service provider and Bitcoin nodes.
- Website: arke.cash
- Ark Protocol: ark-protocol.org
- Second: second.tech
- Issues: Report bugs and request features via GitHub Issues
This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
What this means:
- ✅ Free to use, modify, and share for personal, educational, and non-profit purposes
- ✅ Must provide attribution when sharing or building upon this work
- ❌ Commercial use prohibited without permission (including offering as a paid service)
- ❌ Derivatives inherit the same restrictions
See the LICENSE file for full details.
Commercial Licensing: If you're interested in using Arké for commercial purposes, please contact the project maintainers to discuss licensing options.
Please ensure compliance with local regulations regarding cryptocurrency software.
Signet Only - Educational Use: Arké currently operates exclusively on Bitcoin signet:
- This software is for testing and development purposes only
- Do not use with real Bitcoin — mainnet support is not yet enabled
- Always maintain secure backups of your recovery phrase
- The Ark protocol is an emerging technology — understand the trade-offs
- This software has not undergone formal security audits
- The developers assume no responsibility for any losses incurred through use of this software
Remember: Not your keys, not your Bitcoin. Always maintain control of your seed phrase and understand how to recover your funds.