Wed, Nov 1
The creator of the Nostr platform asserts that the Lightning Network is a scam, further stating, "the system has only been consuming time, energy, and money from Bitcoiners!"
Indeed, it is a strong statement from the Nostr platform creator, who categorically claims that Bitcoin's Lightning Network is nothing but a genuine scam, having consumed time, energy, and money from Bitcoin enthusiasts for six years.
This declaration follows the recent departure of a Lightning Network developer, who cited numerous security issues and a desire to distance themselves from a payment system aimed at solving Bitcoin's scalability problems.
However, this is not an isolated incident, as another developer announced their departure, citing reasons such as the system's complexity and its deteriorating state.
According to developer Anton Kumaigorodski, the protocol can only be worked on slowly by a team that truly understands what they are doing. He adds that the system should not be so complex that it is challenging for the average person to comprehend if the Bitcoin community wants a system that works for the majority.
The following text was used by Anton Kumaigorodski (@udiWertheimer on X account):
"I consider LN a done deal. The reasons were briefly posted on Twitter already, but since the Twitter account is deleted, I'll provide them here again.
Serious LN development is hard and time-consuming. I no longer have the time or resources to maintain it. In my opinion, the whole LN protocol is overly complex and is getting worse, and it can only be developed by very few high-profile specialists at a very slow pace. I think LN has already passed the complexity barrier.
It's been 6+ years of struggle to get LN beyond a community of mostly ideological users with no visible success. My opinion is ultimately LN is not what the market at large wants from Bitcoin, and people should explore other directions besides dumb payments and not overly fixate on LN.
Remaining LN demand has been mostly absorbed by various custodial solutions. A truly non-custodial LN wallet will always be worse than a custodial one in terms of user experience, and historically, the majority of users consistently choose convenience over control. This makes developing end-user non-custodial LN solutions feel thankless."
- Anton Kumaigorodski, developer of the first mobile lightning wallet
Source: Twitter
As mentioned earlier, another developer had also announced their disconnection from the Lightning Network protocol. Here is an excerpt from Stacker News in which Antoine explains the reasons for his departure:
Dear Bitcoin community,
I’ve been excluded from the Lightning Dev Kit communication space (Discord and other platforms) by the LDK code of conduct team for very unclear reasons. This raises questions about whether there is corporate capture of the Lightning Dev Kit open-source project by the Spiral team. I've been an active contributor for years, far before many other contributors using the code of conduct for obscure interests.
The reasons given have no basis, and the LDK code of conduct team never provided me with communications with PGP signatures and OTS proofs, which a transparent open-source process requires. I’ve never harassed anyone in the community, and this is a bag of pure calumnies from the LDK code of conduct team. I don’t know their underlying motivations.
There was a private dispute between the Spiral team and me in October 2022, where someone there broke their committed business words towards me in an explicit fashion. This is being resolved through the appropriate channels.
This has poisoned the relationship between myself and some LDK contributors employed by Spiral, where I’ve been asking for accountability of the Spiral team in the janitorial roles of the project. My maintenance credentials were removed in Q1 2023 without notice in an opaque fashion. Since then, there has been a "cancel culture" in the Lightning Dev Kit project, where maintainers abuse their admin rights as soon as you question their decisions.
Whenever you ask for motivation publicly or privately, they dodge difficult yet necessary conversations, claiming they're "not comfortable" having such discussions. Discomfort, even from maintainers, should not be the sole criterion for decision-making on issues like security or project sustainability. This breaks the peer-to-peer nature of Bitcoin open-source.
I advise the Bitcoin community to be skeptical of commitments and PR statements made by the Spiral team, Steve Lee, and Matt Corallo, as they may be trying to cover up their past misbehavior or engage in "virtue signaling" to hide their lack of personal values. This behavior casts doubt on economic stakeholders interested in investing in the LDK project. Accountability and clear rules matter for long-term investment decisions.
Overall, I don't harbor anger towards the Spiral team. They are competent in the tech field, but I'm disappointed in their behavior in human affairs. I remain committed to building better human standards in this space. Ask them for their version of the story on their social media.
While I'm busy with other technical matters, I'll be available in the coming weeks or months to answer questions about cancel culture in Bitcoin, the Bitcoin FOSS culture, the state of LDK, and why respecting human values matters.
This doesn't change my commitments to other Bitcoin open-source projects, especially Bitcoin Core. I have sensitive security information to share with the appropriate LDK contributors in 2024.
Disclosure: Based on past information, I believe Steve Lee is an investor in stacker.news. I trust the editors to be mindful of potential conflicts of interest while maintaining civility.
(For context, see the #general channel on LDK Discord, apologies for not inserting links with markdown.)
Cheers,
Antoine
Source: Stacker News
Therefore, in addition to the Nostr platform creator calling LN a scam, these two developers also seem to suggest that the protocol has significant shortcomings, is time-consuming, and has complexities that the average person would struggle to use.
Despite these statements and conclusions from these figures in the crypto space, there are those who disagree with the claims made by both the Nostr creator and the developers. However, for the common good, it is essential to acknowledge that LN has many issues and complexities that are not needed in Bitcoin.
Bitcoin should be simple, practical, and user-friendly to allow a broad audience to use it effectively. LN does not currently meet these criteria, and with these figures confirming what has long been suspected, it is crucial for Bitcoiners to explore other systems or solutions.
What are your thoughts on this bold statement by the Nostr creator, and what do you think about the abandonment of LN by these two developers?
See you next time.
If you appreciate our informative articles and want to support our pursuit of truth, consider making a donation. Your support is invaluable. Click here Or click the donation/tip button to contribute directly to this article. Thank you for your generosity!