01
What is a Lightning → bank account off-ramp?
A Lightning off-ramp is a regulated service that accepts a Lightning Network payment in BTC and sends a regular fiat bank transfer to your account in return. Because Lightning settles in seconds and at near-zero cost, the whole conversion can be done in minutes — without ever depositing your Bitcoin on a centralized exchange.
Lightning Pay's coverage
Lightning Pay bundles off-ramps from Strike (US/EU/UK) and regional partners (SEPA, SPEI, Pix, NPSB, UPI, Faster Payments) so you can cash out in 100+ countries from a single non-custodial desktop wallet.02
Lightning off-ramp vs traditional exchange withdrawal
Exchange ACH vs Lightning off-ramp
| Factor | Exchange ACH | Lightning off-ramp |
|---|---|---|
| Time to bank | 3–5 business days | Minutes |
| Custody during sale | Exchange holds BTC for days | Sale + payout in seconds |
| Account required | Full exchange KYC | Off-ramp KYC only at withdrawal |
| All-in cost | 1–2.5% spread + wire fee | ~1.5% all-in |
| Weekend support | ACH paused Sat/Sun | 24/7 |
| Limits | $25k+/day | $10–25k/day (KYC-tiered) |
03
How to send Lightning Bitcoin to your bank (60 seconds)
- 1
Install Lightning Pay desktop
Windows, macOS or Linux. Free, open-source, non-custodial. - 2
Fund the wallet over Lightning
Withdraw from an exchange via Lightning, or receive a payment. Managed-channel mode handles liquidity automatically — you don't need a node. - 3
Open Withdraw → Bank
Pick country and rail (SEPA, ACH, Faster Payments, Pix, UPI, etc.). - 4
Enter your bank details
IBAN, sort code, ACH routing, CLABE — depending on country. Save it for next time. - 5
Approve the Lightning payment
Lightning Pay settles to the partner instantly; the partner sends fiat to your bank on the local instant rail.
04
Supported countries & rails (2026)
| Region | Rail | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| United States | FedNow / ACH (same-day) | Instant |
| United Kingdom | Faster Payments | Instant |
| Eurozone | SEPA Instant | 10 seconds |
| Mexico | SPEI | Instant |
| Brazil | Pix | Instant |
| Kenya | M-Pesa | Minutes |
| Nigeria | NPSB / NIP | Minutes |
| India | UPI / IMPS | Instant |
| Philippines | InstaPay / PESONet | Minutes – same day |
| Australia | PayID / OSKO | Instant |
05
What the 1.5% breaks down into
- Lightning routing
- ≈ 0.01–0.05% (handled by Lightning Pay)
- Off-ramp partner spread
- ≈ 0.8–1.2%
- Lightning Pay network markup
- 0.5%
- Bank rail fee
- $0 in most regions, $5 US wire if you choose wire over FedNow
06
When Lightning → bank beats every alternative
Friday-night cash-out
ACH is closed for the weekend. Lightning settles to your bank in minutes any day, any hour.
Cross-border payouts
Send LN, receive local fiat — no SWIFT, no $40 wire fee, no 3-day correspondent banking chain.
Privacy-respecting
No exchange account. KYC happens at the off-ramp, not on your Bitcoin holdings.
Avoid panic spreads
Sell at the moment you decide, not three days later when the price has moved.
Self-custody preserved
Coins leave your wallet only at the moment of sale — no pre-funding required.
Clean tax trail
Every off-ramp logged automatically in Tax Assistant with proceeds and basis.
07
FAQ
Ready to own your Bitcoin?
Lightning Pay is free, open source, and non-custodial. Your keys never leave your device.