diff --git a/allways/cli/swap_commands/swap.py b/allways/cli/swap_commands/swap.py
index c7867619..d2fcf51c 100644
--- a/allways/cli/swap_commands/swap.py
+++ b/allways/cli/swap_commands/swap.py
@@ -599,6 +599,16 @@ def swap_now_command(
     except ContractError:
         pass
 
+    # Lowercase before validating so users can type tickers as 'BTC' / 'TAO'.
+    # Sister commands (`swap quote`, `miner post`) already do this — `swap now`
+    # was the lone case-sensitive holdout (issue #248). Lowercasing here also
+    # propagates to from_chain / to_chain downstream, matching SUPPORTED_CHAINS
+    # keys, which are lowercase.
+    if from_chain_opt:
+        from_chain_opt = from_chain_opt.lower()
+    if to_chain_opt:
+        to_chain_opt = to_chain_opt.lower()
+
     # Validate provided chain options early
     if from_chain_opt and from_chain_opt not in SUPPORTED_CHAINS:
         console.print(f'[red]Unknown source chain: {from_chain_opt}[/red]')
diff --git a/tests/test_swap_now_lowercase.py b/tests/test_swap_now_lowercase.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b294bfff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_swap_now_lowercase.py
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+"""Tests for `alw swap now --from BTC --to TAO` (issue #248).
+
+The full swap.py:swap_now is interactive and pulls heavy deps; reach into
+the validation block via a minimal harness that mirrors swap.py:603-621
+exactly (including the lowercasing fix and the existing SUPPORTED_CHAINS
+membership / equality checks)."""
+
+from typing import Optional
+
+import click
+import pytest
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+from allways.chains import SUPPORTED_CHAINS
+
+
+def make_validate_only_cli():
+    """Mirror swap.py's chain validation block — no contract / wallet setup."""
+
+    @click.command()
+    @click.option('--from', 'from_chain_opt', default=None)
+    @click.option('--to', 'to_chain_opt', default=None)
+    def cmd(from_chain_opt: Optional[str], to_chain_opt: Optional[str]):
+        # The fix:
+        if from_chain_opt:
+            from_chain_opt = from_chain_opt.lower()
+        if to_chain_opt:
+            to_chain_opt = to_chain_opt.lower()
+
+        # Identical to swap.py:603-611 after the fix.
+        if from_chain_opt and from_chain_opt not in SUPPORTED_CHAINS:
+            click.echo(f'Unknown source chain: {from_chain_opt}')
+            return
+        if to_chain_opt and to_chain_opt not in SUPPORTED_CHAINS:
+            click.echo(f'Unknown destination chain: {to_chain_opt}')
+            return
+        if from_chain_opt and to_chain_opt and from_chain_opt == to_chain_opt:
+            click.echo('Source and destination chains must be different')
+            return
+
+        click.echo(f'OK from={from_chain_opt} to={to_chain_opt}')
+
+    return cmd
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def runner():
+    return CliRunner()
+
+
+class TestSwapNowChainCaseInsensitive:
+    def test_uppercase_btc_tao_accepted(self, runner):
+        """Reproducer from issue #248."""
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'BTC', '--to', 'TAO'])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert 'OK from=btc to=tao' in result.output
+
+    def test_mixed_case_accepted(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'Btc', '--to', 'Tao'])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert 'OK from=btc to=tao' in result.output
+
+    def test_lowercase_still_works(self, runner):
+        """Don't regress the happy path."""
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'btc', '--to', 'tao'])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+
+    def test_only_from_uppercase(self, runner):
+        """One-sided invocations also lowercase correctly."""
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'BTC'])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert 'OK from=btc to=None' in result.output
+
+    def test_only_to_uppercase(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--to', 'TAO'])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert 'OK from=None to=tao' in result.output
+
+
+class TestRejectionsStillWork:
+    """Lowercasing must NOT accidentally accept genuinely unsupported chains."""
+
+    def test_unknown_uppercase_still_rejected(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'ETH', '--to', 'TAO'])
+        assert 'Unknown source chain: eth' in result.output
+
+    def test_unknown_lowercase_still_rejected(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'eth', '--to', 'tao'])
+        assert 'Unknown source chain: eth' in result.output
+
+    def test_unknown_dest_rejected(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'btc', '--to', 'XYZ'])
+        assert 'Unknown destination chain: xyz' in result.output
+
+
+class TestEqualChainsCaseInsensitive:
+    """The fix also fixes a subtle existing bug: `--from BTC --to btc` used
+    to silently slip past the equality check (uppercase == lowercase fails).
+    Post-fix both sides are lowercased so equality is detected."""
+
+    def test_BTC_btc_now_correctly_rejected(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'BTC', '--to', 'btc'])
+        assert 'must be different' in result.output
+
+    def test_BTC_BTC_correctly_rejected(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), ['--from', 'BTC', '--to', 'BTC'])
+        assert 'must be different' in result.output
+
+
+class TestNoArgsStillWorks:
+    """Without --from/--to, the function falls through to the interactive
+    prompt path. The lowercase block must safely no-op on None."""
+
+    def test_no_args(self, runner):
+        result = runner.invoke(make_validate_only_cli(), [])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert 'OK from=None to=None' in result.output