Two core developers resign, Nostr founder questions if Lightning Network is a scam?

BlockBeats media author Jaleel recently focused on the Bitcoin community and found that the highly respected founder of Nostr, Fiatjaf, complained that the Bitcoin infrastructure Lightning Network is a scam.

Controversy Surrounds Lightning Network, Bitcoin Community Faces New Challenges

Jaleel writes that the Bitcoin community has recently seen a series of doubts and criticisms towards the Lightning Network, sparked by comments made by Fiatjaf, the founder of Nostr. In a screenshot shared by Nikita, a key developer at Blockchair, Fiatjaf stated, "Lightning is a scam," criticizing the network for "cheating Bitcoin users of their time, energy, and money for 6 years." This accusation has garnered widespread attention and discussion within the community.

Nostr and Lightning Network, a Shift in Supportive Attitudes?

The Nostr protocol, developed since 2019, aims to create a decentralized, censorship-resistant global social network and has received support and sponsorship from industry giants, including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. Nostr's "Zap culture," which enables content monetization through the Lightning Network, was once seen as an innovative practice within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

However, recent statements from the founder of Nostr suggest a shift from support to skepticism towards the Lightning Network. Community member @bitrabbit_btc expressed regret, noting similarities in this attitude change to that of BCH/BSV supporters in the past.

Meanwhile, the Lightning Network itself faces challenges. On October 30th, Anton Kumaigorodski, the developer of the first Lightning mobile wallet at Nostr, announced his departure from work related to the Lightning Network, detailing his reasons on Nostr. Subsequently, security researcher Antoine Riard mentioned the risk of fund loss in Lightning Network channels, indicating his decision to cease involvement in Lightning Network development.

Despite these doubts and technical challenges, the Lightning Network's liquidity capacity has continued to increase over the past month. This indicates that, despite differing views among developers and founders, the Bitcoin community's demand for and support of the network remains strong.

The Bitcoin ecosystem and narrative have become lively recently with the progress of a Bitcoin spot ETF, receiving positive market responses. However, the controversy and challenges surrounding the Lightning Network also highlight internal divisions and uncertainties within the Bitcoin community. Balancing innovation and security, and handling internal criticisms and disputes, will be key issues going forward.

Read Jaleel's full report