Lightning node operators can connect to TBD and Block’s new Lightning infrastructure starting today.
Determineda Bitcoin-focused subsidiary of Jack Dorsey’s Block, has announced a new Lightning Network business called c=.
The company’s purpose is to “provide infrastructure using bitcoin from the Block treasury to make the bitcoin Lightning Network more usable and reliable for developers, businesses (such as merchants that accept Lightning payments), and the end consumers of those businesses,” according to a press. statement sent to Bitcoin Magazine.
The statement explains that the Lightning Network continues to grow and that transactions often fail due to a shortage of liquidity. To address that, “c= will build an infrastructure using the bitcoin it’s committing to the network so businesses and wallets can make their Lightning transactions more reliable.”
“Operating a node on the Lightning Network is all about connections; c= provides node operators, whether they are bitcoin wallets, individuals, or other entities that want to use the Lightning Network, valuable connections to Lightning,” the announcement describes. “Through the c= LSP, any business or individual running a Lightning node can gain efficiency and conduct their transactions via Lightning with minimal effort and investment without having to rely on an intermediary to custodian their bitcoin.”
For Lightning node operators, c= states that it will provide liquidity to enable transactions and “collaborate with developers to provide more efficient routing and liquidity to node operators through APIs and services.”
In 2022, when the name was changed from Square to Block, TBD leader Mike Brock explained how “TBD’s mission is to unite the old with the new… We are building a new open source company from the ground up focused on open protocols and open standards that all participants in the economy can benefit from.” Since then, the company has explored Bitcoin-based decentralized web services in various capacities, including decentralized identifiers (DIDs), decentralized web nodes, and more. .
With this new entry into Bitcoin’s second layer scaling protocol, TBD will now have a major presence on the Lightning infrastructure.
“The Lightning Network is the future of bitcoin transactions, but it’s still new and it can be difficult to get liquidity where you need it to send and receive your payments,” said Nick Slaney, lead at c=. “We are excited to use bitcoin in our treasury to grow the Lightning Network and our company in a mutually beneficial way,” he told Bitcoin Magazine.
c= will be available for connection immediately for those looking to operate a Lightning node and benefit from the infrastructure of TBD and Block.
