Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong owes me $100. That is as a result of he could not know find out how to use the Lightning Community, the moment cost answer constructed on Bitcoin.
Armstrong, who has been constructing within the Bitcoin (BTC) area since 2012, not too long ago tweeted that he would pay folks to supply the "greatest examples" of individuals utilizing cryptocurrencies in Africa. "If utilizing crypto in Africa, reply with a brief video (<30 seconds) or picture exhibiting how you're utilizing it," Armstrong wrote. "One of the best examples get $100 in crypto."
If you happen to use crypto in Africa, reply with a brief video (< 30 seconds) or picture exhibiting how you employ it. One of the best examples obtain $100 in crypto. Use hashtags #CryptoAfrica
And if you have not already, attempt Coinbase Pockets with self-custody - ship suggestions https://t.co/zWvaH1nerF
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 7, 2023
That is the CEO of Coinbase, in any case, so I shared a video of me with Bitcoin in Africa that was a part of a 30-second phase of a latest Cointelegraph documentary on Bitcoin in Senegal.
The tweet rapidly grew to become the preferred and shared response to Armstrong's request. (Crucially, the tweet referred to Bitcoin in Africa, not crypto in Africa, and it demonstrated the Lightning Community's ease and pace.)
Nevertheless, Armstrong appears to have ignored my submission regardless of greater than 600 likes and 100 retweets. The second hottest publish solely had 50 likes. So I reached out to some key thought leaders, creators, and influencers throughout the bitcoin neighborhood to amplify the tweet. Depraved, an nameless Bitcoin instructor and information analyst, tagged Armstrong in a publish, accusing him of "actively ignoring the #Bitcoin Lightning Community."
My tweets are robotically deleted after just a few months, so there isn't a search historical past.
Lightning is superior and one thing we are going to combine.
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 8, 2023
Depraved kindly drew Brian's consideration to my tweet video about bitcoin in Africa. Armstrong's tweet and affirmation that "Lightning is superior and one thing we'll combine" led information shops around the globe to cowl Coinbase's subsequent growth. He then tweeted that he despatched me the cash.
Impressively! despatched $100 to [email protected]
applause
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 8, 2023
That is the place it will get bizarre. Armstrong mentioned he paid me the $100. He mentioned he despatched $100 to the Lightning deal with listed in my Twitter profile bio: [email protected]
If you happen to've by no means used the Lightning Community earlier than, forgive your self if you happen to mistake this deal with for an e mail deal with. However would Coinbase's CEO make this error? Could not the Bitcoin OG have realized that the request in my bio - which reads "Ship BTC to [email protected]" surrounded by lightning emojis - might be my Lightning deal with?
Facet notice: working a bitcoin node is barely technical, and sending cash over the bitcoin blockchain for the primary time is somewhat nerve-wracking because it takes about 10 minutes to substantiate the transaction and we dwell immediately world. However utilizing the Lightning Community in 2023? It is mind useless straightforward. A stroll within the park. Critically.
"That is an enormous problem, Joe," I hear you say.
Sure, it's. And I've the receipts to show it. It is really easy to make use of the Lightning Community that I am on the streets in locations around the globe handing out folks bitcoin on their model new Lightning wallets - and I am filming their reactions.
The commonest feedback are "I did not realize it was that straightforward" and "Wow, it is so fast". The movies are on mine youtube Channel. Here is a video shot in France for Cointelegraph's YouTube channel the place I am gifting away bitcoin:
So please - let's not faux that Armstrong is overwhelmed by the complexity of sending cash to my Lightning deal with. As well as, oddly sufficient, bitcoin advocates worldwide noticed my tweet and had been completely happy to ship me sats to point out my Lightning deal with is alive and effectively.
My telephone explodes with cost notifications.
Again to the story. Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner -- a Bitcoin and Lightning firm -- was fast to level this out to Armstrong Twitter that he could have made a mistake by complicated bitcoin and e mail since Coinbase supplies a "ship to e mail" function. function.
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Scott instructed Cointelegraph in an e mail, "Clearly we all know the deal with [that Joe shared] is a Lightning deal with, however clearly not everybody.”
"So my guess is that Brian is aware of little or no about Lightning proper now, particularly LNURL, Lightning addresses and different improvements being developed, which is completely wonderful, he is distracted, it is taking place, now let's simply hope that he's serving to himself and the trade by turning their consideration to what actually has substance and long-term worth, Bitcoin and Lightning.”
That is proper: Coinbase gives buying and selling for greater than 250 totally different cryptocurrencies - that is a number of tokens to control. And as Scott provides, "I can admire how busy he'll be — this trade by no means sleeps, and working a bitcoin firm myself I do know that feeling on a smaller scale."
To offer Brian, and finally Coinbase, the good thing about the doubt, I waited just a few days earlier than writing this text. I repeatedly tweeted Brian (no reply) and likewise reached out to the Coinbase Press Group. They instructed me they had been investigating, however "My guess is that Brian might be bundling the exhibits at sure occasions." A day has handed since that message (extra doubt-benefit-giving) they usually have it not performed despatched a proof.
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The e-mail from the press staff was notably left-wing because it referred to "batching." Batching consolidates a number of funds right into a single transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain, not the Layer 2 Lightning community. Once more, they're unfamiliar with Lightning. This provides one other insult to the breach: may it's that the Lightning Community is simply not on Coinbase's radar?
It has been three days since Armstrong mentioned he would ship the cash and there have been some merely fantastic memes from the bitcoin and wider crypto neighborhood.
Brian the "LN Maxi" tries to slot in. Supply: @Cordalorian
Armstrong has been lively on Twitter whereas his firm is busy launching new initiatives and profitable insider commerce instances for the 250+ crypto initiatives Coinbase hosts.
In the meantime, I am nonetheless ready for my $100. However I am additionally more and more involved that the billionaire CEO of Crypto OG and Coinbase Armstrong has had bother discovering a Lightning deal with.
Joe Corridor joined Cointelegraph in 2021 as a reporter. He has an MA in French and Spanish from the College of Edinburgh and a BA in Languages from Sceinces Po Lyon.
This text is for common informational functions and shouldn't be construed as authorized or funding recommendation. The views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are solely these of the creator and don't essentially replicate or characterize the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
