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How To Send USDT From Your Lightning Balance

Rizful supports small outbound USDT payments as an accommodation for our users in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America who need to transact with people who only accept stablecoins.

USDT Payments Are Not Secured By Bitcoin

If you must use USDT, consider using it only for small amounts, and moving your funds back into Bitcoin as soon as possible.

Steps​

  1. Sign up for a free Rizful account at rizful.com
  2. Tap the Send icon
  3. Select Send USDT (note the warning symbol ⚠️)
Select Send USDT from the menu
Select Send USDT from the menu
  1. Read and acknowledge the USDT risk disclaimer
Understand the risks before proceeding
Understand the risks before proceeding
  1. Enter the destination USDT Solana address
Enter the recipient's USDT address on the Solana network
Enter the recipient's USDT address on the Solana network
  1. Enter the amount and confirm the transaction

Why We Built This (And Why We Wish We Didn't Have To)​

We built this feature reluctantly. Bitcoin and Lightning are superior in every way that matters: decentralization, censorship resistance, sound money principles, and true ownership. But we recognize that many of our users live in regions where merchants and recipients only accept USDT, making stablecoin payments a practical necessity.

Understand the Risks​

Risk of Devaluation​

The US dollar has lost ~97% of its purchasing power in the last 113 years. USDT is pegged to the dollar, which means it inherits all of the dollar's inflationary problems.

When you hold USDT, you're holding a depreciating asset by design. Bitcoin, in contrast, has a fixed supply of 21 million coins—no central authority can print more.

Tether (Issuer) Risks​

When you use USDT, you are entirely reliant on Tether (a private corporation) to:

  • Maintain their system
  • Honor redemptions
  • Manage reserves properly
  • Keep the token pegged to the dollar

If Tether fails, freezes your funds, or becomes insolvent, your USDT could become worthless overnight. You have no recourse. This is the opposite of Bitcoin, where you control your own keys and no corporation can seize or freeze your funds.

Solana Network Risks​

This USDT is sent on the Solana network, which is a centrally-controlled blockchain. Unlike Bitcoin:

  • Solana has been halted multiple times by its operators
  • Transactions can be censored
  • The network is controlled by a small group of validators
  • Validators can collude to freeze or reverse transactions

Solana offers no meaningful decentralization benefits over a traditional database. It exists purely for speed and low fees—not for the properties that make Bitcoin valuable.

Best Practices​

  1. Keep amounts small — Only convert what you need for immediate payments
  2. Don't store value in USDT — It's for transacting, not saving
  3. Move funds back to Bitcoin — As soon as your recipient converts to local currency or you receive USDT, swap it back to Lightning
  4. Verify addresses carefully — USDT transactions on Solana are irreversible
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