The new blockchain game Fortnite has integrated Lightning Network transactions.

The Bitcoin-enabled gaming startup Satoshis Games announced on 10/19 that they have developed a game similar to Fortnite called Lightnite, which incorporates Lightning Network microtransactions within the game.

Game Earns Bitcoin

According to the announcement, all in-game interactions between players will trigger monetary rewards or penalties for the users. Satoshis Games provides some examples:

Simply put, in a shooting game, players can earn Bitcoin by shooting other players, while losing Bitcoin when being shot.

Additionally, certain in-game items have Bitcoin value, which players can pick up from fallen players and purchase items in the in-game store using fiat currency or BTC microtransactions. When players want to exit the game, they can even withdraw their balance instantly through the Lightning Network.

Aimed at Increasing Bitcoin Adoption

The company explains that in order to attract new users who are new to cryptocurrencies to start trying Bitcoin:

Non-Bitcoin users can use a mode without Bitcoin features, and will eventually be attracted by the enhanced interactivity allowed by Bitcoin integration, and start trying this innovative technology. This is also a way we hope to contribute to the mass adoption of Bitcoin.

Indeed, if the cryptocurrency exchange within blockchain games cannot solve the problems of high transaction fees and slow transaction speeds, the development will be significantly hindered. The emergence of the Lightning Network provides game companies with a new path to take, and it is hoped that blockchain games in the future will thrive and solve the long-standing issues of traditional games.

Lightning Network Fee Issues

When the Lightning Network made its first appearance after the release of the white paper in 2015, three major teams emerged as enthusiasts, namely: Eclair, c-Lightning, and Lightning Labs. Concerns about wallet design and Lightning applications have also raised worries in the community about the next steps for the network.

One of these concerns is default fees, meaning there is no fixed criteria for the minimum price to send payments through the Lightning Network channels.

As part of the Bitcoin world, the Lightning Network has absorbed the enthusiasm of Bitcoin for individual sovereignty and free markets. Whether the three major Lightning developers will set a precedent by changing default fees has become a recent focus of discussion. However, as the CEO of Lightning Labs mentioned:

In the end, it is still too early for Bitcoin payment solutions. The costs of participating in the Lightning Network are still very low, and the network is moving in the right direction regardless of whether default fees are increased.

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