In order to develop into a protocol usable by the entire world, certain scaling improvements for Lightning need to be considered. The Lightning Network is a well-developed, fast-growing, Layer 2 transaction solution on the Bitcoin network. More and more services and exchanges are integrating it, the liquidity available for routing payments is growing, and more … Read more
Explaining the controversy around Bitcoin’s BIP 119 (CTV) proposal and debunking some myths that in part fueled it. It’s been hard to ignore the discussion around CheckTemplateVerify (CTV) over the past few weeks as it has apparently been generating a divide in the Bitcoin community with developers, users and companies taking sides on whether the … Read more
The feud between bitcoin mixing services Wasabi and Samourai should not come down to the latter’s Transaction Zero feature. Wasabi Wallet versus Samourai Wallet has been one of the longest running feuds in this ecosystem. Privacy on Bitcoin is a very vital property, with a lot of work having gone into providing solutions to date, … Read more
The history of Bitcoin upgrade activation mechanisms informs an opinion on how to make protocol changes in the future. One of the most contentious questions in Bitcoin over the last five years has been how to activate soft forks. There have been many different mechanisms used in the history of Bitcoin to activate new features … Read more
Users can take advantage of the cryptographic protection offered by GPG to secure files and data that they want to keep well under wraps. In this guide, I will explain the options at your disposal for encrypting files using open-source software on a Linux, Mac, or Windows computer. You can then transport this digital information … Read more
The debate about BIP119 has two central issues being conflated: the proposal itself and the activation mechanisms that could be used to implement it. This is an opinion piece about BIP119 (OP_CTV). If you would like to submit a counter argument, please email Bitcoin Magazine. BIP119, or Check Template Verify (CTV), has been the center … Read more
UASF versus URSF is one mechanism for proposed changes to Bitcoin’s code. This should be the way changes to Bitcoin are decided and implemented. Watch This Episode On YouTube Listen To The Episode Here: Apple Spotify Google Libsyn Overcast In this episode of “Bitcoin, Explained,” hosts Aaron van Wirdum and Sjors Provoost discuss URSFs, which … Read more
Use of an air-gapped computer improves general operational security relative to the exposure other devices experience. I get many questions about this so I’ve decided to write about why an air-gapped computer (AGC) for Bitcoin security might be desirable for some people. Reason One The primary reason for an air-gapped computer (AGC) is to check … Read more
As yet another altcoin nears zero, the event reminds the community why Bitcoin is the only authentic cryptocurrency. Terra is crumbling. The blockchain project home to the popular algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST), which had recently become the fourth-largest stablecoin by market value but now sits at fifth, is near collapse as UST repeatedly fails to … Read more