Bitcoin Lightning Network on Mainnet..now LIVE! (Really? See Article)

[jtipt]

I read just now, that the 'lightning network' for BTC is now LIVE...

here is the link to the article

https://www.finder.com.au/bitcoin-price-weekly-analysis-2018-01-28

AFAIK there currently about 300 LN nodes with 800 active channels and a total of 3.7 BTC, active on mainnet, it's no where near as safe and people are just testing it. Some people have made succesful transcation with LN on blockstream, torguard and bitrefill.
You can explore all the nodes and channels here https://lnmainnet.gaben.win

[pooya87]

it has been active for a while: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2796578.msg28589053#msg28589053

seems sketchy as the only article I can find...do they mean just live on 'main net' to test

or is it really ready for prime time?

well, LN applications have been ready a while ago and LN network on mainnet also started up a while ago. but the thing is, these applications are still in beta mode and need a lot of testing and bugs only show themselves if the code is reviewed and the application is used by more people. but at the same time you should be careful to not put a lot of bitcoin in it because you may easily lose it to a bug.

there currently are nearly 300 LN nodes and the network has a capacity of 3.6BTC in total.

It's amazing for me how the LN nodes are growin on the mainnet, a few weeks before it was just really a few and now there are nearly 300 nodes. And they are only testing, because there's just a few real merchants who accept the payments via the LN network yet, so most of the guys who run the LN hubs are only testing the micro payments via sending the coins to each other? The lucky thing is that despite of they're testing on the main net, the fee of the channel opening and closing transactions (they have to go thru the normal blockchain) are really low now, compared to the end of last year.
There's a thread where someone have posted a link where the LN network is visualized, but I was not brave enough to click the link, so I don't know if it's safe and really works or not :
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2838979.0

i haven't been able to find any lists of merchants already implementing LN but there are some news here and there.
there is blockstream obviously: https://blockstream.com/2018/01/16/lightning-charge.html
there is a VPN provider: https://news.bitcoin.com/vpn-provider-now-accepts-lightning-network-payments/
i've seen charging mobile using LN from one of the LN devs.

but yeah, it is mainly "micro payment" and also for testing since it is still new.

as for the link, just click on the link i posted above. it has a screenshot that doesn't require you to exit bitcointalk...

[Searing]

it has been active for a while: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2796578.msg28589053#msg28589053

seems sketchy as the only article I can find...do they mean just live on 'main net' to test

or is it really ready for prime time?

well, LN applications have been ready a while ago and LN network on mainnet also started up a while ago. but the thing is, these applications are still in beta mode and need a lot of testing and bugs only show themselves if the code is reviewed and the application is used by more people. but at the same time you should be careful to not put a lot of bitcoin in it because you may easily lose it to a bug.

there currently are nearly 300 LN nodes and the network has a capacity of 3.6BTC in total.

It's amazing for me how the LN nodes are growin on the mainnet, a few weeks before it was just really a few and now there are nearly 300 nodes. And they are only testing, because there's just a few real merchants who accept the payments via the LN network yet, so most of the guys who run the LN hubs are only testing the micro payments via sending the coins to each other? The lucky thing is that despite of they're testing on the main net, the fee of the channel opening and closing transactions (they have to go thru the normal blockchain) are really low now, compared to the end of last year.
There's a thread where someone have posted a link where the LN network is visualized, but I was not brave enough to click the link, so I don't know if it's safe and really works or not :
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2838979.0

i haven't been able to find any lists of merchants already implementing LN but there are some news here and there.
there is blockstream obviously: https://blockstream.com/2018/01/16/lightning-charge.html
there is a VPN provider: https://news.bitcoin.com/vpn-provider-now-accepts-lightning-network-payments/
i've seen charging mobile using LN from one of the LN devs.

but yeah, it is mainly "micro payment" and also for testing since it is still new.

as for the link, just click on the link i posted above. it has a screenshot that doesn't require you to exit bitcointalk...

Does anyone have a link to a 'timeline' on when they expect this aspect to go LIVE in a real sense and not a 'test' sense? and/or a link to such speculations?

knowing Bitcoin Core...they could test this till August 2018..they have the coding speed of a Snail.....

anyway, anybody, anything?

[gentlemand]

Does anyone have a link to a 'timeline' on when they expect this aspect to go LIVE in a real sense and not a 'test' sense? and/or a link to such speculations?

knowing Bitcoin Core...they could test this till August 2018..they have the coding speed of a Snail.....

anyway, anybody, anything?

You've already been told. There will be no such thing. It's not being developed by Core. It's a layer on top and there are multiple versions, all working on being interoperable. It'll be a gradual roll out spread between all of the services in the system. 

[Searing]

Does anyone have a link to a 'timeline' on when they expect this aspect to go LIVE in a real sense and not a 'test' sense? and/or a link to such speculations?

knowing Bitcoin Core...they could test this till August 2018..they have the coding speed of a Snail.....

anyway, anybody, anything?

You've already been told. There will be no such thing. It's not being developed by Core. It's a layer on top and there are multiple versions, all working on being interoperable. It'll be a gradual roll out spread between all of the services in the system. 

Well and good...what is your view on how 'gradual' will this be? I myself don't know enough....I HOPE you are correct and such a gradual rollout will gain steam and credibility

but am clueless on how/what/when they plan this (or hope this) protocol will evolve

your thoughts, please

brad

[Washball]

Lightning Network is not live yet, there's a test phase on the testnet. People are already using LN for small transactions, but devs complain it's distracting their attention and only slows down the development. It will take a while before LN goes live.

[gentlemand]

Well and good...what is your view on how 'gradual' will this be? I myself don't know enough....I HOPE you are correct and such a gradual rollout will gain steam and credibility

but am clueless on how/what/when they plan this (or hope this) protocol will evolve

Ain't got a clue. And there is no 'they'. It's hundreds or thousands of people from all over the world all beavering away.

I presume what most people will regard as the 'real' launch will be the big exchanges offering it. As stated elsewhere I don't think they will.

[Searing]

Well and good...what is your view on how 'gradual' will this be? I myself don't know enough....I HOPE you are correct and such a gradual rollout will gain steam and credibility

but am clueless on how/what/when they plan this (or hope this) protocol will evolve

Ain't got a clue. And there is no 'they'. It's hundreds or thousands of people from all over the world all beavering away.

I presume what most people will regard as the 'real' launch will be the big exchanges offering it. As stated elsewhere I don't think they will.

ok...point..exchanges start to offer/pump lighting...I guess I can see that...as a timeline or sorts gradual or not....

[jtipt]

Well and good...what is your view on how 'gradual' will this be? I myself don't know enough....I HOPE you are correct and such a gradual rollout will gain steam and credibility

but am clueless on how/what/when they plan this (or hope this) protocol will evolve

Ain't got a clue. And there is no 'they'. It's hundreds or thousands of people from all over the world all beavering away.

I presume what most people will regard as the 'real' launch will be the big exchanges offering it. As stated elsewhere I don't think they will.

I don't think exchanges offering LN transfers will happen anytime soon, also it isn't some I would expect LN to be used for. Main purpose of LN is for micro transactions, so essentially as a payment processor where bitcoin is accepted as payment would be the first places where I would like to see LN.
And anyways I don't think exchanges will allow trading of BTC which aren't transacted on the chain.

[pooya87]

Well and good...what is your view on how 'gradual' will this be? I myself don't know enough....I HOPE you are correct and such a gradual rollout will gain steam and credibility

but am clueless on how/what/when they plan this (or hope this) protocol will evolve

Ain't got a clue. And there is no 'they'. It's hundreds or thousands of people from all over the world all beavering away.

I presume what most people will regard as the 'real' launch will be the big exchanges offering it. As stated elsewhere I don't think they will.

I don't think exchanges offering LN transfers will happen anytime soon, also it isn't some I would expect LN to be used for. Main purpose of LN is for micro transactions, so essentially as a payment processor where bitcoin is accepted as payment would be the first places where I would like to see LN.
And anyways I don't think exchanges will allow trading of BTC which aren't transacted on the chain.

i wouldn't call "micro transactions" as its main purpose. i think the speed is the main purpose instead, even the name is "Lightning" Network which is hinting at the speed and also scaling which means adding capability of handling virtually limitless number of transactions per second.

[KwizatzHaderach]

I think people are jumping the gun already and using Lightning Network. Arduous testing should still be conducted before it can be adopted widely.

[elizavetausova0112]

Hello! Share who earns on bitcoins? can someone did not manage to earn? Waiting for an opinion ...

[Pursuer]

I think people are jumping the gun already and using Lightning Network. Arduous testing should still be conducted before it can be adopted widely.

believe it or not a lot of people are interested in the technology itself and want to get involved with it as soon as possible so they start running a Lightning node and have fun with it. you don't have to do it with a very large amount of bitcoin. you can put a smaller amount in and test things. and you may even earn some satoshis as the fees!

[HeRetiK]

I think people are jumping the gun already and using Lightning Network. Arduous testing should still be conducted before it can be adopted widely.

believe it or not a lot of people are interested in the technology itself and want to get involved with it as soon as possible so they start running a Lightning node and have fun with it. you don't have to do it with a very large amount of bitcoin. you can put a smaller amount in and test things. and you may even earn some satoshis as the fees!

Also arduous testing is exactly what those glorious bastards are doing. It's voluntary testing like this that is needed to ensure that Lightning Network gets polished quickly and reaches a stable state sooner rather than later.