Bitcoin Forum

I've never used the Lightning Network before, as I've been mostly conducting my transactions via the main Bitcoin blockchain. However, I've became interested in learning more about the Lightning Network since it's the future of micropayments. I may have been a long time in crypto, but I'm still relatively new to making LN payments.

I seem to be a little confused on how to make a deposit in my LN wallet. I don't know if it's possible to use the same Bitcoins (BTC) for LN transactions or do I need to convert my BTC into another type of coin suitable for the LN? How does it work? I already have the Eclair LN Wallet installed on my phone, but I don't want to deposit real BTC yet until I clear my doubts about which coin does the LN use.

Any suggestions or recommendations on how to get started sending lightning payments will be greatly appreciated. :)

???

it uses BTC

why would people talk about Lightning for BTC if it used a different coin? I don't know how you got such inaccurate information

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I've got a suggestion for you. Don't do it. I'm not convinced you won't make a mistake, and Lightning's still too rough around the edges for people who don't know what they're doing to start going on adventures with it

The Lightning Network FAQ (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5158920.0)

Found this paper on internet >> The Bitcoin Lightning Network:
Scalable Off-Chain Instant Payments (https://lightning.network/lightning-network-paper.pdf)

Other article that I've found too is this https://medium.com/@schor/bitcoin-lightning-network-7-things-you-should-know-604ef687af5a .

Also Lightning works by a two participant that will having a connection, to easily understand, imagine the model of communication where we have channel, the receiver and the sender, it implies in the lightning network too. Both participants will agreed through a given network and both can set a wager or any other deal, so that both will agreed paying through bitcoin. I conclude that it will be easier if we had this so that there is no blaming, but then again it is build with trust and ownership.

Check out the Top 11 Wallets for the Bitcoin Lightning Network by Bitrefill 8)

Bitrefill | https://blog.bitrefill.com/top-11-lightning-network-wallets-bitrefill-328b5465b1b4?gi=c6569aea6515

If you want to start using the Bitcoin's Lightning Network I suggest you try any of the listed bitcoin LT wallets within the article.

Hey, you can check Bitrefill's wallet list above, but I suggest you to start with bluewallet as it is both a non custodial bitcoin onchain wallet and a custodial lightning wallet, so you can send some BTC from the wallet itself to Lightning. Using that lightning wallet is convenient as the node is managed by them, but of course it is for your petty cash only. Other similar option is wallet of satoshi, and that one supports Bitrefill Thor services https://www.bitrefill.com/thor-lightning-network-channels that you can use for topup or for receiving capacity.

Once you learn more and get more experienced you can move to non-custodial wallets if you prefer to have total control. By the way at Bitrefill we give a 2% discount paying with LN. Good luck!

Upon playing/experimenting with the LN a little, I've noticed that it uses BTC. The real deal is to open a channel, and send on-chain BTC to receive off-chain BTC for lightning payments. Just happened to come across a site called "LNBIG" which has a couple of LN nodes that you could use to send/receive lightning payments. I've been using the Zap LN wallet on my Windows machine, and it works like a charm. I know that the LN is still a bit complicated and unstable for mainstream use, which is why I've only deposited $5 USD worth of BTC on my wallet. I was impressed by how fast transactions were both in deposits and withdrawals. Everything settles instantly in 1 second or less.

Nonetheless, I hope to see LN adoption increase over time, as it's a true game changer for Bitcoin. I guess that most people haven't noticed this feature yet. In due time, I believe they will as the Lightning Network becomes more accessible (or easier to use) for the masses. :)



Thanks for sharing this, mate. There are many mobile wallets available for the LN, but only a select few for desktop PCs. Since I most often use the PC, both Zap and Lightning Peach will be of good use to me. My most favorite is Zap, since it's feature-rich and easy to use. With some practice, I've managed to make my first Lightning transaction in an instant exchange called "FixedFloat". I was amazed by how quick the transaction settled in less than a second. I traded BTCLN to ETC smoothly without delays. It was a really good experience, in my own opinion. :D



Thanks! Bluewallet is nice too, but I'd prefer non-custodial wallets for complete control of my funds. Still, it's a great way to get started with the LN if you're planning to go from "zero to hero". The Bitrefill discount is a great way to encourage people to use the Lightning Network more thoroughly. All in all, I hope that the LN would lead Bitcoin towards long-term success. :)