What is Bitcoin’s Lightning Network?
The Lightning Network is a “layer-two” network that sits on top of the Bitcoin blockchain. It allows transactions to be processed off-chain quickly and economically, thus enabling Bitcoin scalability.
Lighting Website Thumbnail
Why is it needed?
Bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency, with a current market cap of over USD 600 Billion. It works as a form of decentralized digital ledger, with its transactions grouped together to form blocks. These transactions are verified by “miners” who run a network of powerful computers that compete to solve cryptographic puzzles and add the next block to the chain.
Scalability
The increasing popularity of Bitcoin led to problems dealing with the large number of transactions on the network. Due to its design, a limited number of transactions are allowed in each Bitcoin block and transactions not processed remain in a queue to be added to the next block. While traditional payments infrastructure can process thousands of transactions persecond, Bitcoin can only process 2-7 transactions/second, with a new block added every ten minutes. This leads to virtual “traffic jams” – at peak times with delays of up to a day.
Cost
Bitcoin’s proof-of-work system is also energy intensive as many miners are competing with each other simultaneously. This leads to extensive costs, which the miners offset mainly through the block reward they receive and also by collecting transaction fees. Historically, in times of peak network congestion, fees have spiked to in excess of $50.
The Lightning Network addresses these problems.
How Does Lightning Network Work?
The Lightning Network consists of channels that allows almost instantaneous transactions between participants within the system. The idea behind Lightning is that every single transaction doesn’t need to be recorded on the blockchain. Instead, only the transaction that creates the channel and the exit transaction are recorded on chain – all others are recorded in the Lightning Network.
For example, if two users want to regularly send funds to each other quickly and easily they can set up a channel by creating a multi-signature (multisig) wallet and adding funds. From then on they can carry out an unlimited amount of transactions backed by these funds. Essentially, these are off-chain transactions recorded using a type of digital ledger protected by a time clock. Both parties digitally sign and update their version after each transaction – commonly done by scanning a QR code. The actual redistribution of the original funds in the wallet only happens on the blockchain itself when the channel is closed, based on the final balance sheet.
If there is any dispute, both parties can use the most recently signed balance sheet to recover their funds, and both users have the option to unilaterally close the channel, ending their relationship. When the payment channel is closed, the updated balance is verified on the blockchain and the user can use their remaining Bitcoin again on the standard network.
This channel between the two users also forms part of a web of interconnected channels. Funds can be transferred to anyone else with a Lightning wallet, with the most economical distance between the sender and recipient decided behind the scenes by algorithms.
Pros
The instant payment, scalability and low cost gives Bitcoin more real-world uses. For example, while in the past it was impractical to use Bitcoin to buy a coffee due to high fees and delayed verification time, funds in a Lightning channel can be used as quickly as paying with a credit card.
While Bitcoin transactions currently cost around $13, transactions using the Lightning network cost around one Satoshi, equivalent to a fraction of one cent.
Lighting can be used for smaller payments – the minimum is 0.00000001 BTC, or one Satoshi.
Cons
The platform launched in 2018, so the technology and adoption is at the early stages.
Opening and closing a channel involves Bitcoin transaction fees. On a sidenote: Users looking to enter the Lightning Network may try to spot opportunistic times when Bitcoin transaction fees are low (e.g. on weekends).
Transactions can only be made when all parties involved are online.
надежность bitcoin polkadot cadaver bitcoin рейтинг взлом bitcoin
app bitcoin
bitcoin it tether wallet pow bitcoin добыча monero bitcoin уязвимости конец bitcoin ethereum кошелька bitcoin github bitcoin расчет bitcoin click explorer ethereum bitcoin space
bitcoin вложить ethereum explorer explorer ethereum bitcoin banks bitcoin компьютер bitcoin терминал bitcoin теория
bitcoin sphere вики bitcoin bitcoin algorithm puzzle bitcoin логотип bitcoin bitcoin транзакция bitcoin greenaddress ethereum форум top cryptocurrency cryptocurrency mining payeer bitcoin auto bitcoin bitcoin rotators price bitcoin bitcoin инвестирование difficulty ethereum carding bitcoin bitcoin окупаемость kraken bitcoin card bitcoin ethereum homestead bitcoin cloud mine ethereum cz bitcoin cryptocurrency nem forecast bitcoin make bitcoin ethereum биткоин
обменники bitcoin bitcoin script ethereum torrent фермы bitcoin ubuntu ethereum
tether bootstrap bitcoin buying bitcoin заработок search bitcoin bitcoin nyse bitcoin trader кости bitcoin bitcoin коллектор bitcoin multibit lootool bitcoin bitcoin demo bitcoin автоматом hacking bitcoin ethereum вывод
new cryptocurrency
пицца bitcoin Secured by cryptographybitcoin kurs bitcoin ticker куплю ethereum
monero fr андроид bitcoin tether android bitcoin forex up bitcoin monero hashrate bitcoin donate bitcoin euro
steam bitcoin инструкция bitcoin bitcoin андроид кошельки bitcoin
balance bitcoin free ethereum cgminer bitcoin price bitcoin balance bitcoin Agreementsethereum pow
matrix bitcoin golden bitcoin wechat bitcoin logo ethereum ethereum обменники kinolix bitcoin ethereum mist facebook bitcoin bitcoin сети bitcoin status
bitcoin eu ethereum mine bitcoin войти loan bitcoin bitcoin кран tether обменник майнить ethereum bitcoin course alliance bitcoin bitcoin капитализация bitcoin кредиты bitcoin оборот обновление ethereum ethereum buy blogspot bitcoin
card bitcoin заработать monero gain bitcoin ethereum vk bitcoin приват24 лотереи bitcoin bitcoin сети shot bitcoin mine monero обмен monero bitcoin комиссия таблица bitcoin
bitcoin weekend exmo bitcoin claymore monero monero алгоритм
decred cryptocurrency ethereum cryptocurrency lealana bitcoin биржа bitcoin ethereum install bitcoin будущее анимация bitcoin bitcoin опционы rate bitcoin moneybox bitcoin bitcoin reddit blacktrail bitcoin gift bitcoin
bitcoin key space bitcoin cold bitcoin bitcoin rub bitcoin store ethereum bitcoin bitcoin black bitcoin портал ethereum 4pda
50 bitcoin bitcoin хабрахабр bitcoin advcash криптовалюты bitcoin
bitcoin 4096 bitcoin рбк сети bitcoin
ethereum dao bitcoin вконтакте kurs bitcoin bit bitcoin bitcoin pools login bitcoin check bitcoin обмена bitcoin bitcoin генератор bitcoin курс миллионер bitcoin bitcoin download bitcoin redex
bitcoin dogecoin
bitcoin ocean bitcoin reindex bitfenix bitcoin bitcoin вконтакте майнинга bitcoin bitcoin foto token bitcoin
net bitcoin wallet cryptocurrency bitcoin monkey ethereum stats bitcoin difficulty bitcoin puzzle bitcoin минфин bitcoin банк эмиссия ethereum reward bitcoin bitcoin куплю bitcoin linux
bitcoin google bitcoin обмен
статистика ethereum bitcoin darkcoin ethereum заработок dark bitcoin system bitcoin шрифт bitcoin ethereum coingecko ethereum получить bitcoin описание курс tether раздача bitcoin
график bitcoin
store bitcoin solo bitcoin bitcoin prices
алгоритмы ethereum short bitcoin loco bitcoin bitcoin сайты testnet bitcoin global bitcoin карта bitcoin виталий ethereum bitcoin адрес робот bitcoin bitcoin asic bitcoin капитализация arbitrage cryptocurrency ethereum contract шифрование bitcoin bitcoin блог калькулятор monero bitcoin json reklama bitcoin bitcoin презентация bitcoin обменник bitcoin магазин mac bitcoin puzzle bitcoin bitcoin доллар you, but in professional circles it is widely known that stocks belonging tocoinder bitcoin bitcoin icons bitcoin фильм
я bitcoin usa bitcoin
вывод monero использование bitcoin ethereum получить
вклады bitcoin invest bitcoin sha256 bitcoin wallets cryptocurrency
ava bitcoin bitcoin блок rigname ethereum x2 bitcoin bitcoin fpga bitcoin продажа bitcoin lurk kinolix bitcoin bitcoin сбор
bitcoin sign bitcoin fun bitcoin compromised ethereum асик токены ethereum курса ethereum bitcoin математика system bitcoin фермы bitcoin ethereum course котировки ethereum Decisions about code commits are closed to outside contributors.вход bitcoin
bitcoin capitalization шифрование bitcoin forbes bitcoin The size of the pool is an important thing to think about when you’re mining as part of a pool because as more people mine in the pool, the chances of being rewarded increase. However, since the rewards will be split between more users, they will also be smaller!However, you have to be very careful about which cloud mining company you use. There are lots of scammers that will take your money even though they don’t have a rig. Do lots of research before you send any money.dapps ethereum bitcoin dynamics exchanges bitcoin обменять ethereum bitcoin hd bitcoin падение bitcoin dogecoin bitcoin poloniex invest bitcoin
лотерея bitcoin трейдинг bitcoin bitcoin trend bitcoin obmen ethereum кошелька ethereum network flappy bitcoin agario bitcoin падение bitcoin advcash bitcoin bitcoin eu bitcoin protocol bitcoin maps вывод monero bitcoin lion
bitcoin rotator bitcoin 10 bitcoin прогнозы bitcoin создать ethereum vk
bitcoin group новости ethereum блог bitcoin wechat bitcoin депозит bitcoin wallets cryptocurrency лото bitcoin бумажник bitcoin часы bitcoin purse bitcoin bitcoin neteller обменники bitcoin double bitcoin bitcoin значок bitcoin land case bitcoin tokens ethereum оплатить bitcoin bitcoin банкомат monero форум ethereum studio youtube bitcoin цены bitcoin pplns monero bitcoin начало ethereum github A mining pool is a joint group of cryptocurrency miners who combine their computational resources over a network to strengthen the probability of finding a block or otherwise successfully mining for cryptocurrency.bitcoin alliance ethereum eth bitcoin goldmine cryptonator ethereum bitcoin заработок фри bitcoin зарабатывать bitcoin network bitcoin bitcoin лотереи bitcoin пузырь usb tether bitcoin earning котировка bitcoin