Most people know the basics: wallets, nodes, and exchanges. But Bitcoin’s ecosystem is way deeper than that. Here are 10 underrated tools that hardcore Bitcoiners (and builders) should have in their toolbox:
- Mempool.space (with API mode)
Not just a mempool visualizer—its API lets you track fee pressure, TX IDs, and mining pool behavior in real-time. - Sparrow Wallet’s Airgap Mode
Turn any old laptop into a fully offline signing device with a sleek interface. Better UX than most hardware wallets. - SeedSigner
Build your own DIY hardware wallet for ~$50. Camera-based seed input, open-source, no memory = ultimate stateless setup. - Bitcoin Dev Kit (BDK)
Build Bitcoin apps with modern tools in Rust. You get full control over UTXOs, key management, and wallet logic. - Lightning Terminal (LiT)
An all-in-one Lightning dashboard from Lightning Labs. Manage channels, run loop/swap, and monitor your LND node from a browser. - SeedQR / UR2 Standard
A new QR format for sharing Bitcoin seeds securely, error-resistant, and compatible with devices like SeedSigner. - Lightning Box
Instantly spin up test Lightning nodes in Docker—great for devs testing new ideas with zero setup friction. - KYCP.org
See how much data your TX leaks. Great for privacy testing—check if a TX has identifiable fingerprints. - Silent Payments (via JoinMarket beta)
A privacy improvement that lets people pay you without ever showing your address on-chain. Still experimental but very cool. - Ordisrespector
Filters out Ordinal inscriptions and BRC-20 junk from your node’s mempool. Keep your blockspace clean.