RailsX launches with USDT-L and USDC-L from Speed Wallet, bringing self-custody peer-to-peer stablecoin trading to the Lightning Network
LAS VEGAS, April 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amboss today announced that RailsX, the first peer-to-peer exchange built natively on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, is live. RailsX enables users to trade Bitcoin against stablecoins without surrendering custody of their funds to any platform. RailsX debuts with two stablecoin-bitcoin pairs: USDT-L and USDC-L, both issued by Speed Wallet, a pioneer in the Lightning Network. Users maintain full control of their private keys at all times. Trades execute atomically over Lightning payment channels, settling in seconds with minimal fees. There is no centralized order book and no intermediary holding assets. Originally announced earlier this year, RailsX has transitioned to production with initial liquidity in place and early users actively trading.
How RailsX Works
RailsX operates as a Lightning-native trading layer. Users trade BTC directly against stablecoins while keeping their funds on their own node. The platform supports USDT-L and USDC-L from Speed Wallet, expanding from current payments and swaps to fully self-custodial stablecoin trading across Lightning.
Because trades route through existing Lightning channels, settlement is near-instant and remains entirely within the Bitcoin ecosystem. This structure removes the need to use centralized exchanges or trust a third party with custody.
“RailsX lets users trade, hold, and move value on Lightning without ever giving up control of their money,” said Jesse Shrader, Co-Founder and CEO of Amboss. “We’re unlocking Bitcoin’s potential as a medium of exchange by serving global stablecoin demands without cross-chain DeFi risks.”
Stablecoins
Speed Wallet Brings Battle-Tested Stablecoin Infrastructure to the Broader Lightning Ecosystem. Speed Wallet has been operating wrapped stablecoins on Lightning for over 18 months, proving the technology works and demand exists. With the launch of RailsX, that infrastructure is now available to the entire Lightning Network, not just Speed’s own users. Speed Wallet provides the underlying custody and issuance for both USDT-L and USDC-L, ensuring all assets are fully backed and transparent. “Speed Wallet built this technology with one goal: to make stablecoins on Lightning accessible to everyone,” said Raj Patel, CEO of Speed Wallet. “RailsX is exactly the kind of distribution platform we envisioned, one that opens this up to the entire Lightning Network and takes self-custody stablecoin trading mainstream.”
Built on Proven Lightning Liquidity Infrastructure
RailsX extends Amboss’s existing Rails product, which allows users to provide liquidity to Lightning channels and access yield without surrendering custody. Together, Rails and RailsX form an integrated system: users can supply liquidity, trade against it, and settle everything natively on Lightning. Amboss coordinates liquidity, enabling distribution and self-custody trading, a neutral infrastructure platform designed to work with any taproot asset issuer.
Available Now
RailsX is live and accessible today to early users through Thunderhub, a popular open source node manager, with no additional setup required. Amboss is coordinating liquidity formation across BTC/stablecoin pairs to support growing trading volume in RailsX.
About Amboss
Amboss develops infrastructure for the Lightning Network, including tools for liquidity, yield, and trading. Its products keep users in control of their funds while helping build a more efficient financial system on Bitcoin. Learn more at amboss.tech.
About Speed Wallet
Speed Wallet enables a fast, secure, and cost-effective way to buy, send, receive, swap, and spend Bitcoin and stablecoins on the Lightning Network, including support for USDT-L & USDC-L.
Contact
Founder
Phil
21M Communications
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f8b85fb2-8286-4c64-b24d-7fae5f4b085b
