On the 21st of August 2021 we migrated the Lisk Mainnet to v3 which introduced numerous improvements to Lisk, such as multisignature accounts, a new address system, a new DPoS consensus algorithm, and a dynamic fee system. In order to meet internal deadlines we had to focus our development resources on delivering these new improvements. This resulted in Lisk Desktop v2.0.0 which supports all improvements introduced by Lisk v3. However, we also had to make the compromise to temporarily discontinue the Ledger and Trezor hardware wallet support.

On the 4th of November 2021, we released Lisk Desktop v2.1.0 which introduced a workaround to access LSK tokens that were temporarily inaccessible on both the Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets.

With the release of Lisk Desktop v2.2.0, full hardware wallet support was reintroduced for all Ledger devices, namely the Ledger Nano S and the Ledger Nano X. Additionally, we introduced much sought after user experience and design improvements based on the community feedback. Last but not least, we removed the Bitcoin support to pave the way for Lisk interoperability in 2022.

The next consecutive release will be Lisk Desktop v2.3.0, which will reintroduce full hardware wallet support for all Trezor devices, namely the Trezor One and the Trezor Model T, and is planned to be released in due course.

Besides that, the main focus will be on implementing Lisk interoperability and preparing for the launch of the Lisk blockchain application platform in 2022.

New Features in Detail

Lisk Desktop v2.2.0 principally focuses on three topics, the Ledger hardware wallet support, the much sought after user experience and design improvements, and the Bitcoin support removal.

Ledger Hardware Wallet Support

Since making the compromise of not supporting Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets in Lisk Desktop v2.0.0, we have prioritized our development efforts to reinstate support. Therefore, as a first step, we have added a workaround in Lisk Desktop v2.1.0 for everyone who urgently needs to access their LSK tokens.

With Lisk Desktop v2.2.0 full support for all Ledger devices was reintroduced, allowing you to use all features of Lisk Desktop. Trezor support can only be reinstated at a later time, once the Trezor team supports our updated Lisk firmware again. We foresee that this will only occur in 2022.

It should be noted that there is an issue with Ledger devices not having adequate memory capacity, which will affect certain Lisk transaction types. Therefore, it was necessary to impose certain minor limitations with the following three transaction types; namely when creating vote transactions (up to 12 votes at one time), unlock transactions (up to 10 unlockings), and multi-signature registrations (up to 10 participants). As can be seen it is evident that these are marginal issues and don’t detract from our key functionalities. The user is at most just required to execute multiple transactions. This will be resolved in Lisk v4 by introducing pre-hashing of transactions, and more information on this topic will be published in an upcoming LIP.

User Experience and Design Improvements

Since releasing Lisk Desktop v2.0.0 we have been busy collecting community feedback to enhance and improve it even further. With Lisk Desktop v2.2.0 we focused on delivering many improvements to make its usage even easier and more convenient, and they are summarized in the points listed below:

• Added the locked amount to the user’s balance on the dashboard.
• Placed the register delegate button in a more prominent position.
• Improved the multi-signature signing process.
• Added several new features and information about the voting process.

Bitcoin Support Removal

With the release of Lisk interoperability and the subsequent launch of the Lisk blockchain application platform next year, we are paving the way for a multi-blockchain and multi-token Lisk ecosystem. After much consideration, we therefore made the strategic decision to only support Lisk native tokens within Lisk Desktop.

Combined with the technical challenges and lagging behind delivering popular Bitcoin features (e.g. Lightning), we made the decision to remove the Bitcoin support in Lisk Desktop in order to ensure we only provide perfect usable solutions, and hence not disappoint our user-base. The same decision was applied to the new Lisk Mobile v2.0.0.

The Bitcoin bridge stand-down will happen in December 2022. That means you have to transfer all the BTC that you store on the Lisk Wallets (both Desktop and Mobile) to avoid losing them.

Taking this into account, our growing team can now focus more efficiently on implementing all the required changes necessary for the upcoming launch of the Lisk blockchain application platform.

The Bitcoin implementation will remain in the former Lisk Desktop v2.1.0 which can be used to transfer any outstanding BTC out of the wallet. However, third-party Bitcoin wallets can also be used. This is possible thanks to a common standard, called BIP39, we have used during implementation. In this case, the most credible alternative would be to use Electrum, one of the oldest and long-standing Bitcoin wallets. Here, you simply have to use the same passphrase as your Lisk account to get access to your BTC.

If you encounter any difficulties, please head to Lisk.chat to get support.

The Way Forward

After Lisk Desktop v2.2.0 release, the next step is to publish Lisk Desktop v2.3.0 which will prepare the application for the Sapphire phase.

The full hardware wallet support for Trezor devices, namely the Trezor One and the Trezor Model T will be reinstated after Lisk Core v3.0.0. Here, we are still waiting for the confirmation of Trezor.

Moving forward from there, we will be entirely focusing on implementing Lisk interoperability, and launching the Lisk blockchain application platform which will likely be accessible in Lisk Desktop v3.0.0.