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It kinda sucks in its current state, but theoretically it has a lot of promise as a cheap and open source alternative to PayPal and a lot of banks’ services

At this rate, I don’t know if that’s ever going to come about.. looks like it’s just gotten bogged down in ways to increase its value at the cost of its utility..



> but theoretically it has a lot of promise as a cheap and open source alternative to PayPal and a lot of banks’ services

Even theoretically, how can they do this? I don't see it happening, even setting aside the much rehashed mining electricity consumption issue.


When eth was dirt cheap, you could send $5,000 overseas in 10 minutes for $2, with just a half percent of slippage on the trades to and from fiat currency and ~1% price movement up or down

Yeah, theoretically it just used $2 worth of electricity somewhere in the world, but I’m pretty sure PayPal is going to do something nefarious with the $100+ you’d have to give them for the same service


You build a second layer.

All the hype benefits of pretending to use blockchain, without ever actually using it.


For any newbies reading THIS IS FUD.

The tldr is thst Lightning is as safe as bitcoin because it uses bitcoin under the hood.

https://endthefud.org/


Calling things you don't like FUD doesn't make them less true.

The website you linked is just a collection of random (and often contradictory, just read a few of the “energy” topic) opinions posted on medium.


“FUD” is “Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt”.

The person you’re replying to was (sarcastically? I would’ve been) suggesting a solution, which isn’t any of those things.


Lightning depends on and USES the blockchain, grandparent said it doesn't which is patently untrue, thus fud.


What’s important is they’re not engaging in fear, uncertainty, or doubt. I’m not going to accuse bananas of being unsuitable for vegetarians just because they’re shaped like sausages.

As there are different ways to use a thing, and everything I’ve seen of Lightning (network not cable) is using the Blockchain in roughly the same sense as a USD denominated bank that happens to not ban accounts from trading Bitcoin uses the Blockchain — i.e. it does, but it’s very much also pretending — this seems reasonable, if not literal.


There are chains where mining costs a fraction of BTC or ETH, both in terms of money and electricity use. Cardano, Polygon.


As of today this is my belief too. It’s reached billions of $ of values,I can’t think of a place to use it and all (absolutely all) the persons I know who owns some look at it as an investment not as a currency




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