I built a bitcoin cashback app for the US. Looking for 20 Lightning users

How many people use lightning on a daily basis?

Bitcoin Optech Newsletter #428

This week's Bitcoin Optech Newsletter #428 details a new design called Lichen for a single-issuer layer 2 solution. Lichen enables users to redeem their bitcoin onchain even if the issuer, termed a "hub," is uncooperative or offline. The design involves the hub minting tokens redeemable one-to-one for bitcoin on a layer 2 ledger operated by a "sequencer." Users secure their funds via a 2-of-2 multisig contract with the hub, ensuring trust-minimized exits. Building on LN-GAP, Lichen replaces the attestation committee with an onchain dispute mechanism. Each user locks bitcoin into their dedicated 2-of-2 output with the hub, receiving an equivalent amount of layer 2 tokens. The hub also locks a portion of its own bitcoin in these outputs, up to a negotiated cap, to facilitate redemptions of tokens received from other users. In cooperative exits, the hub simply signs a settlement. For uncooperative or unresponsive hubs, users can generate a Groth16 proof demonstrating the sequencer signed a state recording the returned tokens, which is then claimed onchain. The newsletter also covers a proposal for including hash preimages in output script descriptors and provides updates on Bitcoin services, client software, and infrastructure.

bitcoin++ Insider Exclusive! Michael of Boltz LAST EVER interview

Biggest Channel Opened Today (3.9 BTC) + New Node Spotlight (03304ec87c62efe5a…)

lnd v0.20.6-beta.rc1: The Latest Lightning Network Release Candidate is Live

A Home for Bitcoin Builders - PlebLab Guadalajara

Biggest Channel Opened Today (2.0 BTC) + New Node Spotlight (02bba976f4d2a7739…)

Close a Lightning Channel Straight to Another Wallet’s address

⚡️ Storm Report: Best posts about the Lightning Network on SN - issue: 972470

Which Nostr hashtags actually get zapped? 7-day data from public relays

Accepting lightning shouldn't require a VPS for BTCPay Server. Now it doesn't 🥳

This article announces a significant advancement for BTCPay Server users, detailing how the platform has been updated to no longer require a Virtual Private Server (VPS) for accepting Lightning Network payments. This improvement addresses a common pain point for individuals and merchants who wished to leverage the speed and low fees of the Lightning Network but faced technical and financial hurdles associated with maintaining a VPS. By removing this requirement, BTCPay Server aims to dramatically simplify the setup process, lower operational costs, and enhance the accessibility of self-hosted Bitcoin payment solutions. This development is expected to foster greater adoption of Lightning payments by reducing the technical barrier to entry and empowering more users to accept Bitcoin directly and sovereignly.

Electrum Liquidity Helper v0.5.0 released

Feather: Nostr with nothing in the way - Gigi

Liquid and Lightning are back on BULL Wallet.

The article announces the reinstatement of Liquid Network and Lightning Network support on BULL Wallet. This development signifies an enhanced user experience for Bitcoiners, allowing them to leverage advanced second-layer solutions for more efficient transactions. The reintroduction of Liquid provides access to its unique features, such as issued assets and confidential transactions, within the wallet environment. Concurrently, the return of Lightning Network integration enables users to conduct instant, low-cost Bitcoin payments, significantly improving transaction speed and reducing fees compared to on-chain transactions. This move strengthens BULL Wallet's position in offering comprehensive Bitcoin functionality, catering to users seeking greater scalability and utility from their Bitcoin holdings.

Biggest Channel Opened Today (3.9 BTC) + New Node Spotlight (03878adcfe720ef7e…)

Introducing BOLT12 recurrence to LDK Nodes

What did you do with Lightning this week?

This article, presented as a direct question, functions as a community-driven initiative inviting users to actively share their recent engagements and activities on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. It serves as a platform to foster discussion, gather insights, and highlight real-world applications, personal experiences, and any innovative uses of Bitcoin's layer-2 scaling solution. The prompt encourages participants to detail how they interacted with Lightning over the past week, aiming to showcase the network's practical utility and ongoing development through collective input.

Now Accepting Bitcoin: Gyros, Cocas, and 219 Arizona Bitcoin Merchants

This article, published by Bitcoin Magazine, details an initiative to evaluate the real-world adoption and user experience of spending Bitcoin in Scottsdale, Arizona. It specifically highlights the ease and speed of setting up a Lightning wallet, noting it took mere seconds. The focus is on sending first-time users to explore how Bitcoin spending functions in practice across 219 participating Arizona merchants, where they could purchase everyday items like gyros and Coca-Colas. The piece aims to demonstrate the practical application and accessibility of Bitcoin, particularly through the Lightning Network, for everyday transactions.

Exact-Channel Circular Rebalancing for Alby Hub

Bitcoin Optech Newsletter #427 Recap Podcast

The Bitcoin Optech Newsletter #427 Recap Podcast features Mark “Murch” Erhardt, Gustavo Flores Echaiz, Mike Schmidt, Erick Cestari, and Adam Gibson discussing the latest developments in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Key topics from the newsletter include the disclosure and resolution of two Denial-of-Service (DoS) vulnerabilities in Eclair v0.14.1, a significant Lightning Network implementation. The podcast also delves into the concept of offchain contracts operating within Lightning channels, exploring their potential implications. Furthermore, the discussion covers releases and release candidates, notably highlighting Bitcoin Core 32.0rc4, indicating progress in the foundational Bitcoin protocol. The hosts and guests also reviewed numerous notable code and documentation changes across various projects, including multiple updates to Eclair (e.g., #3396, #3399, #3395, #3401), enhancements in the Lightning Development Kit (LDK) (#5080, #5087), updates to the Lightning Network Daemon (LND) (#11068), improvements in Rust Bitcoin (#6956), and changes in the Bitcoin Development Kit (BDK) (#2319). This recap provides an in-depth look at the technical advancements and ongoing work shaping Bitcoin and the Lightning Network.

Keynote + Kickoff — niftynei, Rene Pickhardt | bitcoin++ Berlin, payments editio

Biggest Channel Opened Today (3.9 BTC) + New Node Spotlight (031d4d55930d4a966…)

Receive-only Lightning checkout: a hacked server can’t drain your node