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Lightning, explained
Lightning is a network built on top of Bitcoin for instant payments that cost almost nothing.
- Lightning payments arrive in seconds and usually cost a few sats.
- It is built for everyday spending: coffee, tips, small bills.
- It runs on top of Bitcoin, so most payments are never recorded on Bitcoin itself.
Instead of recording every coffee on the main chain, two parties lock some bitcoin into a shared channel and pass payments back and forth. Payments can also hop across many channels to reach someone you have never connected with.
Only opening and closing a channel touches the main chain. Everything in between is instant and cheap.
Many wallets now handle Lightning for you. You scan a code, tap pay, and it is done. The simplest ones are often custodial, meaning a company holds your coins, so keep only spending money in them. See where you can spend bitcoin in real life.
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Is Lightning as safe as regular bitcoin?
It has different trade-offs. It is great for spending money, but large savings are better kept on the main chain in cold storage.
What is a Lightning invoice?
A one-time payment request, usually a QR code, that starts with "lnbc." Many wallets also support reusable Lightning addresses that look like email addresses.