In this episode we have the pleasure of sitting down with the one and only Ben Ark, the founder of LNbits, a leading open-source Lightning Network wallet and invoice generator. Ben shares his journey into Bitcoin and the development of LNbits. He discusses the importance of building for oneself and the community, as well as the influence of the maker scene. Ben also highlights the different use cases of LNbits and the impact of Nostr on the project. The conversation explores various use cases for Nostr, including building a bankless e-commerce platform and creating a decentralized IoT network. The potential of split payments and the flexibility of LNbits extensions are also discussed. Challenges in advocating for Bitcoin adoption include the need for public key cryptography education and the perception of complexity. The conversation highlights the importance of freedom of choice in Nostr clients and the potential for Nostr to revolutionize various industries. In this conversation, Ben Arc discusses the importance of scaling solutions for Bitcoin and the need to prepare for future challenges. He emphasizes the significance of the Lightning Network and Liquid as solutions for day-to-day payments. Ben also highlights the need for further development and automation to make Bitcoin more accessible and easier to use. He encourages individuals to contribute back to the Bitcoin community and participate in the development of software and projects.

Takeaways

Building for oneself and the community can lead to valuable contributions.

The maker scene and open-source projects provide a supportive and encouraging environment for developers.

LNbits offers a common API and extension framework for building on top of the Lightning Network.

The influence of Nostr has expanded the possibilities and use cases of LNbits. Bitcoin needs to address scaling issues to ensure its usability in the future.

The Lightning Network and Liquid are important solutions for day-to-day payments.

Further development and automation are necessary to make Bitcoin more accessible.

Contributing back to the Bitcoin community is essential for its growth and development.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ben Ark and LNbits

08:14 Ben's First Encounter with Bitcoin

13:13 Development of Hardware Projects

19:33 The Creation of LNbits

30:26 Different Use Cases and the Influence of Nostr

38:35 Exploring Use Cases for Nostr

40:14 Building a Bankless E-commerce Platform

43:02 The Power of Interoperability

45:27 The Ease of Development with LNbits

46:48 Challenges of Traditional E-commerce Platforms

49:24 The Potential of Split Payments

50:54 The Flexibility of LNbits Extensions

52:47 The Potential of Micro Payments

54:43 The Potential of Cooperatives

56:10 The Possibility of Transparent Taxes

59:39 The Role of Algorithms in Nostr

01:04:08 The Freedom of Choice in Nostr Clients

01:09:05 The Potential of Nostr IoT

01:12:23 The Blank Canvas of Nostr Use Cases

01:15:06 The Accessibility of Public Key Cryptography

01:16:29 Scaling Solutions and the Future of Bitcoin

01:18:24 The Importance of Lightning Network and Liquid

01:19:22 The Need for Further Development and Automation

01:21:33 Contributing to the Bitcoin Community

Connect with Ben:
Nostr: ben@nostr.com
X: https://twitter.com/arcbtc
Website: https://lnbits.com
GitHub: https://github.com/arcbtc

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