Lightning Is the Common Language of the Bitcoin Economy - Roy Sheinfeld from Breez

Lightning Is the Common Language of the Bitcoin Economy - Roy Sheinfeld from Breez Technology

"Bitcoin is the world’s best currency. Lightning is the common language of the bitcoin world, and it’s here to stay."

The Need for a Common Language

Diverse Partnerships
Breez collaborates with partners from around the world, necessitating a common language for efficient communication. English serves this purpose due to its widespread acceptance and utility, much like how the Lightning Network serves the Bitcoin economy.

"The interface between individual nodes in a network — whether people, nations, or communities — has the form of a language."

Locked-in Language
Roy draws parallels between the inevitability of English as a global lingua franca and the Lightning Network's role in Bitcoin. Both are deeply entrenched and difficult to replace due to their widespread adoption and utility.

"Now for a fact about the present that will irrevocably shape the future: Lightning is emerging as the common language of the bitcoin economy."

Subnetworks and Interoperability

Last-Mile Technologies
The article discusses various last-mile technologies like Ark, Liquid, Fedimint, and Cashu, which facilitate transactions within their subnetworks. Despite their different internal mechanisms, these subnetworks communicate using the Lightning Network.

"Lightning is the common language of all the emergent and thriving subnetworks based on bitcoin."

Interoperability by Design
The Lightning Network's design enables multiple implementations of Lightning nodes to interact seamlessly. This inherent interoperability makes it an ideal common language for the Bitcoin economy.

"The Lightning technology detailed in the catalog of bolt specs is inherently interoperable."

Reasons for Lightning's Dominance

Trustless Nature
Lightning's reliance on Bitcoin, a trustless bearer asset, makes it a secure choice for inter-subnetwork communication. It avoids the pitfalls of traditional financial systems that rely on trust and leverage. Various subnetworks don't need to trust a third party to exchange with one another.

"Bitcoin is the only viable bearer asset, and Lightning is the language of Bitcoin, so Lightning is the best common language for the subnetworks to interact with each other."

Transactional Efficiency
Lightning's transactional protocol facilitates rapid payments without delays, making it a valuable tool for dynamic financial interactions.

"Payments take seconds, if that. And transactions — money in motion — are what make Lightning valuable."

Critical Mass
Lightning has achieved significant adoption, ensuring its status as the de facto common language across the Bitcoin ecosystem.

"Lightning has already achieved a critical mass. It’s already obvious how a Cashu subnetwork and Fedimint subnetworks will communicate with each other: Lightning."

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