라이트닝 네트워크 용량이 4월에 새로운 정점을 기록 – 기타 주목할 만한 LN 업데이트

Existing as a second-layer protocol on Bitcoin, the Lightning Network (LN) typifies an off-chain scaling solution of sorts that allows for fast and cheap transactions by creating payment channels between two parties that can be used to conduct transactions. These channels are established by initiating transactions on the blockchain and anchored by committing an amount of Bitcoin. When the payment channel opens, the parties can exchange Bitcoin (BTC), with each transaction only recorded between the pair. The final state of the payment channel is then broadcast to the Bitcoin network, effectively settling the transaction on the blockchain.

비트코인의 라이트닝 네트워크

The LN conceptually network congestion by conducting transactions off-chain, which reduces transaction fees and increases the speed of transactions. It also allows for increased privacy, as transactions can be conducted off-chain without being publicly recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain. The perks of this new network of payment channels make it ideal for micropayments and similar small transaction use cases.

블록당 라이트닝 채널 추가/폐쇄. 출처:TXStats

Though the LN has only been adopted as a rough and ready solution for the most part thus far, its potential has been hailed as the missing jigsaw piece to make Bitcoin an all-encompassing ecosystem. The LN has tracked significant milestones since it was first proposed under a white paper titled ‘The Bitcoin Lightning Network: Scalable Off-Chain Instant Payments’ published in 2015. The release of Lightning Network Daemon (LND) version 0.4.0-beta later in 2018 marked the launch of its first version on Bitcoin’s mainnet. In recent years, developers have added more updates and improvements to the protocol to make it a go-to solution for merchants and Bitcoin users.

To learn more about the Lightning Network, check out our Lightning Network guide.

채널 용량이 4월에 5,600 BTC를 초과

The Bitcoin blockchain processes up to 5 transactions per second (TPS) which is comparatively lower than Ethereum and other recent blockchain projects, hence the need for LN. Thus far, LN has stood out as a reliable option to transact Bitcoin (mostly in Satoshis) at a significantly reduced fee, evidenced by accelerated growth in its channel capacity this year.

LN의 현황

LN은 마스터카드와 비자보다 훨씬 저렴합니다

In a recent report, blockchain and analytics platform Glassnode noted that the LN offers users a much more convenient transaction experience than legacy payment systems. The likes of Visa (V ) and MasterCard are at least 1000 times more expensive when transacting than when navigating via the LN. James Check, head analyst, observed that the median fee for sending 1 BTC via the Network is 3,000 Satoshis, equal to $0.84. This is barely 0.003% of the value of one token at the current price of $29,285.
Dylan LeClair separately highlighted on Nostr that the fee rate for transfers over the LN is significantly lower than what major credit card companies charge – the median fee rate on the LN is just 0.003%, a stark contrast to alternative rates of between 1.5% and 3.5%. Despite its promising utility, the layer two protocol has thus far struggled to attain mainstream adoption. The stunted adoption of the LN protocol has mostly been chalked up to the complexities in the network.

Lightning Labs, 노드 관리 도구 모음의 새로운 버전을 발표

Last month, Lightning Labs, one of the development teams behind LN, communicated the latest release of its Litd node management tool. The San Francisco-based startup manages Lightning Terminal, a tool that simplifies Lightning node management. The latest upgrade shipped with automation fee management and better control of Lightning Node Connect (LNC) permissions as notable features. It also brings custodial off-chain accounts, among other features whose incorporation was requisitioned mostly by the developers and node operators.

“Litd는 우리의 라이트닝 구현 기본 버전을 유동성 서비스와 함께 번들링합니다, 예를 들어 Loop 및 Pool, 웹 기반 노드 관리 UI와 함께 Terminal, 원격으로 노드를 연결할 수 있는 Lightning Node Connect, 그리고 Faraday와 함께 제공되는 회계 기능들을 하나의 소프트웨어 패키지로 통합합니다,” Michael Levin, Head of Product Growth, remarked on the update.

Levin reiterated that onboarding more people to the network remains the priority while highlighting ‘liquidity’ as one of the biggest UX setbacks faced by those looking to try the LN out. In context, the update will deliver a better navigation experience to users seeking to interact with the Order Board Pool.

Lightning Labs isn’t the only Bitcoin-focused development team ramping up efforts to make the layer two iteration on Bitcoin easier to use. Enterprise-serving infrastructure company Lightspark earlier this month announced a ready platform aimed at onboarding businesses to Lightning.  Block subsidiary Spiral also previously revealed plans to improve the processing and handling of payments made on Bitcoin. Specifically, further advancement of Lightning Development Kit (LDK), an LN implementation whose roadmap focuses on improving payments on the Bitcoin blockchain. LDK’s lightweight but high-performance aspects allow easy integration of Lightning features to wallets.  In a Twitter Spaces session on Mar 21, the project team presented and spoke on the upcoming tech improvements to the Lightning Dev Kit.

Coinbase 대표가 거래소가 LN 지원을 추가할 것이라고 말함

In a separate April 9 Twitter thread, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong blamed an auto-delete feature that clears his tweets after a while when queried about his seeming lack of support for the LN. In reply to Bitcoin bull Wicked, Armstrong praised the settlement layer as something great. He added that the exchange plans to integrate it soon, though not giving any more information. If Coinbase pursues this plan (though it could take a while, according to some skeptics), it will join the ranks of OKX, Bitfinex, and Kraken. The latter said in 2020년 12월 that it was working on adding the ability to deposit and withdraw Bitcoin through the Lightning Network on its exchange platform.

MicroStrategy, 임원 기업 이메일을 라이트닝 네트워크를 통해 사토시를 받도록 전환

Earlier this month, MicroStrategy and Bitcoin diehard Michael Saylor, who serves as the Executive Chairman of the business intelligence and analytics firm, revealed he leveraged the LN’s Lightning Address protocol to integrate his work email address for Bitcoin transactions. The protocol works such that users can convert a standard Lightning invoice or payment request into a unique identifier, such as the email in this case, rather than having to deal with clunky wallet addresses. Per his tweet, the billionaire said he’d been receiving 21 Satoshis from various persons via his corporate email address.

To learn more about Bitcoin, check out our 비트코인 투자 guide.