Exploring the Centralization Risks of Bitcoin’s Lightning Network

Exploring the Centralization Risks of Bitcoin’s Lightning Network

For the vast majority of Bitcoin Core contributors, the Lightning Network is viewed as the best option for scaling Bitcoin to many millions of new users. But the system has not yet been implemented on the Bitcoin blockchain, which has left many to wonder whether it is wise to put so much hope and reliance behind an untested solution. At a recent event at....


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Does the Lightning Network Threaten Bitcoin’s Censorship Resistance?

The Lightning Network may well be Bitcoin’s primary solution to the issue of scalability, but many skeptics believe there are unresolved issues with this layer-2 system for the blockchain. The possibility of too much centralization via so-called “supernodes” is one of the common criticisms of the Lightning Network, and attached to that is the fear of these new, mostly -centralized payment hubs having the capacity to censor transactions. Bitcoin Magazine recently reached out to BitGo Engineer and Statoshi.info creator Jameson Lopp to get his thoughts on the possible privacy issues....

Does the Lightning Network Threaten Bitcoin’s Censorship Resistance?

The Lightning Network may well be Bitcoin’s primary solution to the issue of scalability, but many skeptics believe there are unresolved issues with this layer-2 system for the blockchain. The possibility of too much centralization via so-called “supernodes” is one of the common criticisms of the Lightning Network, and attached to that is the fear of these new, mostly -centralized payment hubs having the capacity to censor transactions. Bitcoin Magazine recently reached out to BitGo Engineer and Statoshi.info creator Jameson Lopp to get his thoughts on the possible privacy issues....

Lightning Network One Step Closer to Reality as Lightning Labs Announces Alpha Release

Lightning Labs, one of the prominent companies working to realize the lightning network, announcedthis week the alpha release of the open-source lightning daemon they've been spearheading: LND. While only compatible with Bitcoin’s testnet so far, the software is relatively feature-complete and operational. “We’re now looking for the wider community to test the software,” Joseph Poon, Lightning Labs developer and co-author of the lightning network white paper, told Bitcoin Magazine. “To get it ready for widespread use, but also to explore new use cases this enables.” The Lightning Network.....

Bitcoin’s Lightning Network Is Not Private, Yet

Lightning developers discussed privacy concerns and the corresponding probable solutions for Bitcoin’s Lightning Network at the Bitcoin 2022 conference.

The 411 On “Adopting Bitcoin,” A Lightning Network Conference in El Salvador

Perfect timing and place for a Lightning Network Conference. In less than a week, Bitcoin will be legal tender in El Salvador. The Lightning Network was instrumental for this to happen. The real-life case study for the Lightning Network is El Zonte AKA Bitcoin Beach. And in Mid-November, all of those factors will collide in an event aptly titled “Adopting Bitcoin.” Related Reading | How Big Is Bitcoin’s Lightning Network? The Answer Will Surprise You This Lightning Network conference comes with a call-to-action as its unofficial slogan, “Unite, focus, collab!” And, by the looks of....