?>

Introduction to the Lightning Network – Bitcoin’s Scalability Savior

2.8 k views
Introduction to the Lightning Network - Bitcoin’s Scalability Savior

Throughout its existence, Bitcoin has only been capable of processing around seven transactions per second. Growing at a rate that most people would call unsustainable, Bitcoin’s scalability problem has slowly become a hindering issue. While a low transaction count was initially enough, the system has been congested for a few years. 

As a result, transactions today take a long time to process, and transaction fees are excessive due to the demand. Ten years later, scalability is still the biggest problem for Bitcoin and other veteran cryptocurrency systems.

Numerous solutions to this problem have been discussed. Some solutions involved forking the entire protocol to increase the block size, while some talked about reducing the block content to verify more translations. 

The SegWit Solution

One of the more famous solutions was SegWit or Segregated Witness. SegWit discussed implementing a soft fork to the Bitcoin Network and increasing transaction count by removing parts of the signature data and leaving more space. As digital signatures account for almost 65% of a transaction’s size, SegWit proposed scraping off the signature’s unwanted parts and pushing them to the end of a block. This radically reduced the transaction size and increased the block size. 

But since then, the increase in traffic has made even the SegWit implementation more congested. So a new solution was required to loosen the strain on the main chain of the Bitcoin Protocol. 

What is the Lightning Network?

Lightning Network (often denoted as LN Network) is a Layer-2 mechanism primarily built for micropayments and an increase of Bitcoin’s scalability. The LN Network runs on top of the bitcoin network, utilizing its multi-sig scheme to form side/parallel payment channels. 

The Lightning Network adds another layer to Bitcoin’s blockchain and enables users to create payment channels between two parties on that extra layer. These channels can exist for as long as required, and because they’re set up between two people, transactions will be almost instant, and the fees will be extremely low or even non-existent.

How Does it Work?

The workings of the Lightning Network are essentially quite simple. The network can put less strain on the main blockchain by creating an off-chain record and using the side-chain for a faster relay. The Lightning Network uses volunteer nodes to run the side channel. 

Two parties must create a multi-signature wallet to carry out a transaction and a wallet to access their private keys. Then, they deposit a certain amount of Bitcoin – say, 2 BTC each – into that wallet.

From then on, they can perform unlimited transactions between the two. Essentially, these transactions redistribute the funds stored in the shared wallet. So, for instance, if Alice wants to send 1 BTC to Bob, she will need to transfer the ownership right of that amount to him off-chain. Then, the two of them use their private keys to sign for an updated balance sheet.

The actual distribution of funds can happen when the channel gets closed. The algorithm uses the most recently signed balance sheet to determine the balances of each. Alice and Bob decide to close the channel after that one transaction, Alice will get 1 BTC, and Bob will receive 3 BTC to their respective wallets.

After the channel is closed, its initial and final balance is broadcasted to the Bitcoin blockchain. Thus, Lightning Network enables users to conduct numerous transactions outside the main blockchain and then record them as a single transaction later.

Features of the Lightning Network

Transaction Speed

With the Lightning Network, one can ensure Lightning-fast payments without worrying about block confirmation times. On Layer 2, security is enforced by blockchain smart contracts without creating an on-chain transaction for individual payments. As a result, the payment speed off-chain can be measured in milliseconds to seconds.

Low Fees

By transacting and settling off-blockchain, the Lightning Network allows for low fees and emerging use cases such as instant micropayments.

Scalable 

The LN project is working towards an off-chain solution for the scalability problem. If successful, it may reduce the traffic on the Bitcoin blockchain. Theoretically, it is said to take the transactions per second figure of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to unprecedented heights of at least 1 million transactions per second.

Cross-Chain Transfer

Layer-2 solutions like Lightning Network aren’t just limited to bitcoin. They can be applied to any blockchain protocol, provided the recipe is built-in (multi-sign scheme). Many experiments are happening for the LN networks on other blockchain platforms like Ethereum, Cardano, or EOS.

Criticisms and Failures 

Liquidity Problem

Since the Lightning Network mandates funds to be locked onto a Smart Contract until the account is settled, the funds are put out of supply and cannot be used for an immediate need. The locking of funds reduces the liquidity of the owner and the entire network. 

Too Complex for Immediate Implementation

Since its proposition and beta releases, LN has shown a lot of problems in its implementation. As a result, several factions have come up, each using and developing a different iteration of the original idea. Due to this, the complexity of general use increases as it gets more challenging for a majority to use a single mechanism.

What the Future will Bring

The success of the Lightning Network very much depends on how we intend to use it. If the network is confident that it will provide a viable solution for micro-transactions and those that frequently transact, there will be no stopping the growth. But I am less optimistic that the network will evolve to serve as a global payment network without accepting significant tradeoffs.

While the LN may be relatively centralized, I think there is a place for that. Having a more traditional system in place on Bitcoin may not be all bad. The beta version has been undergoing much experimentation, and its efficiency is yet to be proved. Nevertheless, the Lightning Network has vast potential to improve Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

All the significant wallets also support the LN network. Once they are applied everywhere, we will surely see a decentralized finance revolution where scalability won’t be an issue. The collective work of nodes and payment channels makes the Lightning Network an exciting solution for scalability.

Bitcoin coin symbol
Btc
Bitcoin
$62.547
price
red chart
decrease symbol0.84959%
price change
TRADE NOW

As Mathieu Louis mentioned in a post on Bitcoin Predictions, the cumulation of network functions and developments will highly correlate with any future price increase. Just like Lightning Network needs Bitcoin, Bitcoin needs Lightning Network. 

Previous

Crypto Exchanges to Experience Margin Trading Restrictions in Japan

Next

ETC Agharta Upgrade Goes Live on Mainnet

Written by

186 posts

Sudarshan M is a long-time crypto-enthusiast. Pulled in by bitcoin early on, it did not take long for Sudarshan to divert all of his academic attention from business studies to the blockchain by doing his Masters and eventually pursuing his Ph.D. in the subject.

VIEW AUTHOR

More author posts

The Difference between an ‘Open-Community’ and ‘Closed-Network’ Blockchain

R3 is a consortium of about 200 firms coming together to research and develop distributed database models somewhere along Bitcoin's lines. Usually, they receive a lot of heat as they say they are researching a corporate or private model of "Blockchain" but are developing a version of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). This debate between a Public Blockchain and a Private Blockchain (yes, it's an oxymoron) is the center of great distress. Another such debate that hasn't reached the mainstream yet,…

How to Invest in Cryptocurrencies – 10 Must-Follow Tips

The Cryptocurrency world is filled with scams, frauds, pump-and-dump schemes, and dozens of other ways by which people can steal your money. Along with that, the excruciating volatility of the market doesn't help either. It is easy for any new investor to be scared off by an already-infested market with so many money-losing schemes. But then, don't we always say, "greater risk comes greater reward"? In still-nascent and budding markets, there are as many ways of making money as there are…

Looking for an XRP Wallet? Here are the Best Ripple (XRP) Wallets

Ripple (XRP) is a cryptocurrency project created by Chris Larsen and Jed McCaleb under Ripple Labs. It was primarily built as a digital asset to overcome several international banking problems, cross-border payments, and sourcing liquidity. As a result, XRP has remained among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap since 2017. The main target audience of XRP is banks and payment providers, where the speedy settlement time can function as a liquidity source. This allows Ripple to tap new and…

The 21M Bitcoin Mystery – The Origins of Satoshi Nakamoto’s Supply Cap Decision

The Bitcoin Solution With the advent of Bitcoin came a newfound revolution - a revolution in distributed computing, decentralized organizations, and, most importantly, in the borderless medium of exchange. To many, Bitcoin represents a form of hope, a mechanism that would finally help the world get rid of centralized power and control. To others, Bitcoin was nothing more than an alternative for money. Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym behind Bitcoin's creation, saw their invention as nothing more than an experiment. To…

Looking at Public Blockchains vs. Private Blockchains

Blockchain is a distributed, decentralized public ledger, which is a continuously growing list of records stored in the form of blocks. These blocks in a blockchain are connected through cryptography, which keeps the transactions' confidentiality intact. A blockchain is a time-stamped series of immutable (tamper-proof) records of data, which is not managed by a central authority but by a computer cluster. Every data shared on a blockchain is visible to all participants, and everyone is accountable for their actions. A…

Cryptocurrency Cards – Which are the Best Crypto Cards Providers?

Cryptocurrency is great, right? You buy, store, spear through the volatility, and eventually hope to accumulate profit several times greater than your initial investment. That is the plan of a large majority of cryptocurrency HODLers. But wait, is that what crypto is all about? Buy, HODL, and Sell? Wasn't cryptocurrency a global, decentralized innovation made a reality by blockchain technology? Shouldn't it be used globally by now, given its ever-increasing market interest? With the advent of Cryptocurrency Credit/Debit Cards, the…

Publish your own article

Guest post article. Guaranteed publishing with just a few clicks

START PUBLISHING ADVERTISE WITH US

Browse categories

Explore trending topics in the crypto community right now.

Bitcoin

SEC Greenlights Multiple Bitcoin ETFs, Signaling Major Leap for Cryptocurrency Markets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made a landmark decision by approving 11 spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This move represents a significant moment in the cryptocurrency industry, marking a shift towards greater institutional adoption and accessibility for investors. The approved ETFs include products from major firms such as BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, Bitwise Bitcoin ETP Trust, WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund, Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust, VanEck Bitcoin Trust, Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin…

Bitcoin Should be Banned in the United States: Charlie Munger

Berkshire Hathaway’s vice chairman, Charlie Munger, called for a ban on cryptocurrency in the United States on Monday, similar to the one in China.  In an op-ed published with the Wall Street Journal, Munger argued that Bitcoin isn’t a currency, commodity, or security, but simply a form of gambling “ with a nearly 100% edge for the house. As such, the enactment of a federal law should ban such things from happening. Munger cited the Chinese communist party’s ban on…

Tesla’s BTC Positions Remained Unchanged in Q4 of 2022

According to a new earning report from automotive manufacturer Tesla, the company did not sell any of its BTC holdings in the fourth quarter of 2022. Amid speculations that the company had traded BTC during the testing bears, CEO Elon Musk revealed it was yet holding on to its BTC stash. Tesla Maintains Holdings After Initial Sell-Off In Q2 of 2022, Tesla opted to sell 75% of all its BTC. The car manufacturer received close to $950M in exchange. Notably,…

Here’s When Grayscale Debates the SEC in Court on its Bitcoin Spot ETF

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has marked a date for when Grayscale and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may present oral arguments regarding the approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF.  Each side will present its case at 9:30 am ET on March 7, with the SEC arguing against the product, and Grayscale arguing in favor.  Grayscale VS SEC The court date – revealed in a court order filed on Monday according to CNBC – is much earlier…

MORE ARTICLES

Ethereum

Ethereum’s Zhejiang Staking Withdrawal Testnet for Shanghai is Live

At 15:00 UTC on Wednesday, the much-anticipated Zhejiang testnet for staking withdrawal went live on Ethereum’s Beacon chain. Zhejiang will enable the testing of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4895 which allows for staking withdrawals. This is in preparation for the network’s next major update, the Shanghai hard fork slated to launch sometime in March. Users Can Make Simulated Withdrawals with Zhejiang In a tweet yesterday, DevOps engineer at Ethereum foundation Barnabas Busa gave details about the Zhejiang testnet slated…

Ethereum Devs Disagree Over Technical Tweak as Shanghai Upgrade Nears

Post-merge Ethereum users have been eagerly awaiting the commencement of the network’s next major upgrade, Shanghai. However, after over 3 months of prep time, it appears the Shanghai rollout isn’t going as smoothly as expected. What Exactly is the Shanghai Upgrade? In September last year, the much-publicized Ethereum Merge also known as the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade went live. Ethereum underwent some significant changes as its consensus mechanism transitioned from proof-of-work to a cost-efficient proof-of-stake system.  However, since the Beacon launch…

FTX Hacker Converts 50k Stolen ETH to BTC

Per a report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, the attacker behind the Nov 11 FTX exploit, is converting the stolen ETH to Bitcoin. There were muted fears the seemingly inexperienced perpetrator could dump all its ETH holdings. On Sunday, the attacker dumped 50k ETH on-chain, with ETH's price dipping by almost 7%.  https://twitter.com/chainalysis/status/1594349583416840199?s=20&t=pgvQHeVytI20eKQ1ls9bxw Hacker Moves 50,000 ETH to New Address Over the past week, the perpetrator had been steadily swapping the cryptocurrencies they had carted off for Ether tokens. This…

Censorship Concerns: 51% of Ethereum Blocks Now OFAC Compliant

According to new data, over half of the blocks on the Ethereum network now reportedly comply with the US Treasury OFAC’s standards. This comes roughly a month after the platform’s monumental merge update. Phasing Out Tornado Cash The Office of Foreign Assets Control is the intelligence and enforcement agency of the US  Treasury Department. Indeed, the OFAC administers and enforces US  financial sanctions. A prime example of this is the recent, highly-publicized ban on crypto mixer Tornado Cash.  According to…

MORE ARTICLES

Trading

How to Leverage Arbitrage Opportunities in Crypto Markets

Cryptocurrency arbitrage has become an increasingly popular investment strategy as the crypto market grows and evolves. Arbitrage involves taking advantage of pricing discrepancies between markets or exchanges to profit.  Investors can leverage profit opportunities by understanding cryptocurrency arbitrage while managing associated risks. In this guide, we'll explore cryptocurrency arbitrage and how it works. A Bitcoin-related example will help us illustrate the concepts of this strategy. What is Arbitrage and How Does it Work in Crypto Markets Crypto arbitrage trading is…

The Different Types of Copy Trading in Crypto

Are you interested in trading cryptocurrencies but feel intimidated by the complexity of the process? Copy trading is a great way to get into crypto without needing to be an experienced trader. With copy trading, investors can benefit from the experience and knowledge of more experienced traders, allowing even beginners to succeed. How does copy trading work, and which tips do you need to know to succeed? In this article, we'll explore all aspects of copy trading in crypto. What…

How to Spot an Unsafe Crypto Exchange

Cryptocurrency exchanges have become increasingly popular as they provide a platform for people to buy and sell digital assets. Unfortunately, not all crypto exchanges are safe or reliable.  With the rise of cybercrime and fraud, you must learn to spot an unsafe crypto exchange before investing your money. This guide will help beginners identify and avoid potential risks when selecting a cryptocurrency exchange.  The Role of Crypto Exchanges on the Digital Assets Market Cryptocurrency exchanges play a crucial role in…

What Is Grid Trading in Crypto?

Crypto grid trading has become a popular strategy because of its ability to help traders capitalize on market volatility. Grid trading means you can produce consistent profits by taking advantage of price differences in different markets or time frames. By establishing buy and sell orders at predetermined intervals, you can take advantage of these fluctuations in an automated way. This guide will explore the different aspects of grid trading and provide an overview of its benefits, challenges, and more. Through…

MORE ARTICLES

Tech

Introducing una Messenger: A Paradigm Shift in Blockchain Connectivity

The digital landscape is set for an unprecedented transformation with the introduction of una Messenger, the latest innovation from web3 development powerhouse Wemade. This platform represents an evolution of the "PAPYRUS Messenger," serving as the cornerstone of the ambitious "unagi" initiative, aimed at catalyzing the mass adoption of blockchain technology. The "Unbound Networking & Accelerating Growth Initiative" seeks to bridge the divides between diverse blockchain services and networks, heralding a new era of interconnectedness. A New Frontier in Blockchain Communication…

Bit2Me Champions WEMIX Token in Pioneering European Listing

Bit2Me, Spain's premier virtual asset exchange, has recently broadened the horizons for cryptocurrency enthusiasts by listing WEMIX, the cornerstone token of the WEMIX3.0 blockchain ecosystem. This marks a notable achievement as WEMIX's inaugural venture into the European market, emphasizing the token's role in facilitating a range of blockchain-based activities, from gaming transactions to decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Launched with the intention to democratize access to WEMIX for the 450 million Spanish speakers around the globe, this strategic move aligns with…

CryptoVirally Expands with Fresh Crypto Marketing Offers and Cointelegraph Upgrades

In an exciting update for the cryptocurrency marketing landscape, CryptoVirally has announced a series of new entries and enhancements to its already comprehensive range of services. These updates, aimed at providing tailored marketing solutions for crypto projects, include new limited-time offers and expanded options for Cointelegraph publications. Limited Offers: A Game-Changer in Crypto Marketing  CryptoVirally's limited offers section presents an enticing opportunity for crypto projects to leverage high-impact marketing services at discounted rates. These offers, available for a limited period,…

Breaking Boundaries in Blockchain: WEMIX’s ‘una Wallet’ Sets New Standard for Multi-Chain Asset Management

The WEMIX Foundation has unveiled 'una Wallet,' a revolutionary digital wallet designed to offer unparalleled convenience and security in managing digital assets across various blockchain networks. The announcement, made on January 17, 2024, signifies a new era in the seamless integration of multiple blockchain protocols, including Arbitrum, Avalanche, BNB Smart Chain, Ethereum, Kroma, Optimism, Polygon, and WEMIX3.0. 'una Wallet' is more than just a digital wallet; it represents the culmination of WEMIX's innovative efforts in the blockchain space. It serves…

MORE ARTICLES