RGB HUB Community Call – Discover ThunderStack: RGB-Powered Innovation
This article covers the main topics discussed in the RGB Hub Community Call featuring Renat from ThunderStack. For the full discussion and product demos, watch the video below.
Note: ThunderStack has since rebranded to Utexo. The products and concepts described here reflect the state of the project at the time of the talk.
ThunderStack was a suite of infrastructure products designed to simplify access to RGB Protocol on Bitcoin for developers and businesses. Its goal: remove the technical complexity of running RGB-enabled Lightning nodes so that teams could start building on RGB without deep protocol knowledge.
The project has since rebranded to Utexo. All products and infrastructure are now available at utexo.com.
What Problem Did ThunderStack Solve?
Building on RGB Protocol on Bitcoin requires running RGB-enabled Lightning nodes, managing client-side validation data, and keeping up with protocol updates. For most developers and businesses, this is a significant barrier.
ThunderStack’s answer was a managed infrastructure layer: handle the node operations, updates, backups, and availability, so that builders can focus on their product rather than the underlying protocol.
The Product Suite
Thunder Cloud — RGB Lightning Node as a Service
Thunder Cloud was a cloud platform for running and managing RGB-enabled Lightning nodes through a graphical interface. Users could create nodes, open RGB Lightning channels, and start transacting, without managing any underlying infrastructure.
Key features:
- 24/7 node availability and monitoring
- Automatic protocol updates
- Backup and recovery
- Free tier available for the first three months
The product targeted developers who wanted to experiment with RGB without setting up their own node infrastructure.
Thunder API — Programmatic Node Access
Thunder API exposed the same functionality as Thunder Cloud through a REST API, making it embeddable in mobile applications, websites, and server-side systems — in any programming language.
Through the API, developers could:
- Create and manage RGB Lightning nodes on demand
- Open channels and process payments
- Issue RGB assets
- Access the full RGB functionality available in Thunder Cloud
This product was particularly relevant for RGB wallet developers: by integrating Thunder API, a wallet could create on-demand Lightning nodes for each user without running its own node infrastructure.
Thunderflow — RGB Liquidity Service Provider
Thunderflow was an LSP (Lightning Service Provider) that provided inbound liquidity in RGB assets, following the standard LSP specification used in the Lightning Network.
The use case: a merchant who wants to accept RGB-based payments needs inbound channel liquidity before they can receive. Thunderflow allowed merchants and developers to purchase inbound RGB liquidity via a UI or API — without needing to source liquidity themselves.
ThunderSafe — Encrypted RGB State Backup
ThunderSafe addressed one of RGB’s unique challenges: client-side data recovery.
In Bitcoin, a seed phrase is sufficient to recover all funds. RGB Protocol on Bitcoin uses client-side validation, which means asset state is stored off-chain on the user’s device — not on the blockchain. A seed phrase alone cannot restore RGB state if the device is lost.
ThunderSafe solved this by providing encrypted cloud backups of RGB state data, synchronized with the user’s device. The result: users could recover their RGB assets using just their seed phrase, matching the experience Bitcoin users already expect.
ThunderSafe was available as both an embedded component in Thunder Cloud and as a standalone application accessible from any programming language.
Thunderlink — RGB Integration SDK for Existing Systems
Thunderlink was designed for businesses that already operate Bitcoin infrastructure and want to add RGB support without rebuilding from scratch — exchanges, merchants, or any application that handles Bitcoin payments.
It consisted of two parts: an SDK and a server-side component. ThunderStack handled all RGB-specific concerns (protocol updates, availability, backups), while the integrating team used the SDK to interact with RGB using the same patterns they already used for Bitcoin. The SDK held the user’s seed phrase locally — ThunderStack had no access to funds, keeping the solution non-custodial.
Non-Custodial by Design
All ThunderStack products followed a non-custodial model. As Renat emphasized in the talk:
“All of our products follow non-custody solutions and a non-custody approach. As we are using native Bitcoin products, it’s native Bitcoin protocol. We aim to have the same kind of security guarantees as Bitcoin itself.”
What Is Utexo Today?
ThunderStack rebranded to Utexo. To explore the current product offering and infrastructure services built on RGB Protocol on Bitcoin, visit utexo.com.
RGB Protocol on Bitcoin is supported by the RGB Protocol Association. Learn more at rgbprotocol.org and docs.rgb.info.
