Dive into the world of Bitcoin and Lightning Network with this engaging discussion featuring Ben Arc, CEO of Nostr, as he unveils the highly anticipated V1 release of LNBits. Discover how LNBits is evolving into the WordPress of Lightning applications, empowering developers and users alike.

Explore the intricacies of building on Bitcoin, the importance of community, and the future of decentralized technologies. Learn about exciting new features, security enhancements, and the vision for a more accessible and user-friendly Lightning ecosystem.

Ben Arc is definitely one of my favorite builders in the space, and I’ve always admired his energy and work ethic. You might remember him for his contributions to the hardware wallet market via Bowser wallet, or for his left anarchist philosophy. He’s been on the show four times before… and on his fifth appearance, he really takes his time to express his opinions about everything. This new episode is 7 hours, 23 minutes long – a significant milestone which makes it an instant classic which encapsulates the vision of a consumate builder who’s reaching his peak.

If you can’t spare 7 hours to listen to Ben Arc, in spite of my momentary disappointment, I encourage you to use a faster playback speed and also navigate through topics by using the provided timestamps. This way, you’ll be able to make the most of Ben’s wisdom in the shortest amount of time. However, I must prevent you that his sweet Welsh accent will keep you listening for hours on end. So don’t expect to get bored and drop out, this is quite an addictive marathon!

This episode is sponsored by SideShift, LayerTwo Labs, Bitcoin.com News, Citrea, NoOnes.com, and HODLing.ch

Listen to Ben Arc on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Twitter/X, or this audio player!

Time stamps of S16 E17 with Ben Arc of LNBits:

00:00:53 – Introducing Ben Arc

00:01:08 – Ben Arc and LNBits V1

00:02:23 – LNBits beta version and V1 release

00:02:36 – Amir Taaki’s Post-Syria Experience

00:03:08 – Rojava and Anarcho-Syndicalism

00:04:08 – LNBits development timeline

00:05:16 – Early stages of LNBits and Lightning

00:05:33 – Disillusionment in Bitcoin Space

00:07:20 – Stepan Snigirev and Specter DIY

00:08:11 – Modularity and extensions in LNBits

00:08:38 – Nostr and Bitcoin’s Future

00:09:04 – Bear Market and Bitcoin’s Value

00:10:00 – LNBits API and extensions

00:11:10 – LNBits as a sandbox for innovation

00:11:24 – Trump, Memecoins, and Market Downturn

00:12:31 – LNBits V1 new features and improvements

00:13:18 – Desired Bitcoin Adoption

00:14:12 – Dogecoin and Market Desensitization

00:15:09 – Bitcoin’s Correlation with Stocks

00:16:26 – Bitcoin’s Utility and Bear Market

00:17:41 – LNBits Investment and Thunderfunder

00:19:12 – Bear Market Camaraderie and Future

00:20:29 – Bitcoin’s Humble Beginnings

00:22:20 – Dan Kaminsky and Len Sassaman

00:23:38 – LNBits security and real-world testing

00:23:51 – Satoshi’s Anonymity Strategy

00:25:35 – John Nash and Satoshi Candidates

00:28:00 – Building extensions and ease of use

00:29:32 – Nick Szabo’s Coding Abilities

00:30:34 – 600 Billion Meme Origin

00:34:34 – Hardware Wallets from AliExpress

00:39:09 – State of Lightning and future outlook

00:39:33 – Ledger Leaks and Supply Chain Attacks

00:41:42 – Trezor Security and Multisig

00:44:35 – Fiatjaf and Nostr

00:46:46 – Liquid Network Utility

00:51:51 – Nostr and IoT applications

00:52:48 – Lightning Network and Cross-Chain Swaps

00:55:48 – Bitcoin as digital gold and speculation

00:57:05 – Blockstream, Sidechains, and Federations

00:58:22 – Ideal money and Bitcoin’s role

01:00:03 – Luke Dash Jr and Bitcoin Knots

01:00:47 – Layer 2s

01:03:15 – ZK-rollups

01:07:40 – Competition and collaboration in Bitcoin

01:07:58 – SegWit2x and BIP Bureaucracy

01:10:57 – Ecash and Cashu’s development

01:11:11 – OpenTimestamps and Simple Proof

01:16:13 – Future Bullish Narratives for Bitcoin

01:17:29 – Improving Lightning Network design

01:22:43 – LNBits journey and future vision

01:25:08 – Businesses giving up on Lightning

01:30:01 – Node solutions and Raspberry Pi

01:34:54 – Zapstream and value-for-value content

01:37:05 – LNBits in five years

01:42:17 – Getting started with LNBits V1

01:46:33 – LNBits shop and hardware projects

02:00:00 – Nostr signing device

02:02:03 – Public key cryptography’s importance

02:03:40 – Supporting LNBits and Nostr

02:05:05 – Nostr identity provider services

02:08:53 – Nostr’s independence from blockchains

02:11:53 – Melvin Carvalho and Bitcoin community

02:14:02 – Nostr’s Bitcoin echo chamber

02:17:03 – Nostr client discussion

02:18:26 – Elon Musk and politics

02:21:33 – Anarchism and private capital

02:30:31 – Roger Ver and taxation

02:37:05 – Bitcoin block size debate

02:41:13 – Bitcoin as medium of exchange

02:54:30 – Turkish Lira and the blind drummer

02:57:03 – Lightning Network’s early days

03:05:05 – Strike and other Lightning companies

03:12:23 – Digicash and online payments

03:13:47 – Online identity and privacy

03:18:34 – Coinjoining and fungibility

03:22:13 – Privacy coins and Zcash

03:29:12 – Nostr, disinformation, and Phil Zimmerman

03:44:04 – Nostr growth and adoption

03:47:22 – Nostr applications and user growth

04:00:41 – Nostr Identity Purchases

04:05:27 – Private Key Backup Methods

04:06:41 – Nostr Development and Features

04:09:13 – Mallorca Blockchain Days

04:10:02 – Early Bitcoin Development

04:11:54 – Bitcoin & Nostr Adoption in Japan

04:15:28 – Nostr Conference Experiences

04:16:08 – Upcoming Conference Attendance

04:18:44 – Paralelni Polis Closure

04:20:25 – Room 77 Closure

04:21:14 – Early Bitcoin Wallets

04:24:20 – Early Bitcoin Figures

04:26:03 – Nokia N900 & LG Prada

04:28:36 – Ethereum and LocalBitcoins Origins

04:29:05 – Decline of Bitcoin Meetups

04:30:41 – Michael Saylor’s Hope.com

04:38:05 – Saifedean plagiarized Dominic Frisby

04:41:14 – Saylor’s Economic Views

04:45:35 – Consumerism and Planned Obsolescence

04:51:36 – Global Power Shifts and China

04:57:11 – European Union CBDC

05:03:04 – Cypherpunk Dream and Cryptography

05:06:03 – Politicians Using AI

05:15:24 – Bitcoin’s Future and Replacements

05:20:44 – Bitcoin and Altcoin Development

05:24:41 – Lightning Network Importance

05:28:03 – Quantum Computing and Hard Forks

05:34:46 – Bitcoin in Suriname

05:42:09 – Secret Word