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Cashu

An open Chaumian e-cash protocol for custodial mints, commonly integrated with Lightning for deposits and withdrawals.

An open Chaumian e-cash protocol for custodial mints, commonly integrated with Lightning for deposits and withdrawals.

Cashu is best understood as part of a system rather than as an isolated definition. Its related coordinates show the mechanisms, incentives and historical records that give the term practical meaning.

Cashu should be evaluated against a concrete threat model: what is protected, from whom, for how long and at what operational cost. A design may remove one dependency while introducing another, so custody, privacy and verification must be judged as a complete system.

Understanding Cashu helps distinguish a verifiable Bitcoin mechanism or historical record from slogans, products and market narratives.

For the clearest picture, read this entry together with Chaumian eCash, Blind signature, Lightning Network. The reverse links also lead from Chaumian eCash, Blind signature.

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Linked to related atlas coordinates

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Grounded in a source record

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Explains function and trade-offs

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Part of the open Bitcoin knowledge graph

DOC · 001Cashu protocol specificationsSpecification
Reviewed 25 July 2026Source-first · No investment advice