#HCPP18 - Interview with Lightning Developers about Lightning Hackday in New York City #LIVE

## Podcast Episode Summary: #HCPP18 - Lightning Developers on Lightning Hackday

This episode of the Human Capital Podcast features an interview with Lightning Network developers, focusing on the recent Lightning Hack Day in New York City and the current state of development for this Bitcoin scaling solution. The discussion highlights the practical applications and ongoing challenges of the Lightning Network, emphasizing the need for continued development and simplification to reach broader consumer adoption. While the Lightning Network faces criticism and technical hurdles, the developers remain optimistic about its potential to revolutionize Bitcoin payments and are actively working to address these issues through initiatives like the upcoming Hack Day and the development of user-friendly tools. The overall tone is one of enthusiastic progress, tempered by a realistic understanding of the work still required.

1. Main Topics Discussed:

• Lightning Network Development & Scaling: The core focus is on the progress and challenges of the Lightning Network as a scaling solution for Bitcoin.
• Lightning Hack Day: A two-day event (October 27th & 28th in NYC) combining a conference, bar camp, and hackathon, designed to foster development and collaboration.
• Practical Applications: Showcasing real-world use cases, such as a self-order point-of-sale system in Bern, Switzerland, allowing customers to pay for coffee and muffins using Lightning.
• Technical Hurdles & Improvements: Addressing issues like route finding, the need for two-sided channels, L2 protocol fixes, and the complexity of setting up Lightning nodes.
• iOS Wallet Development: Highlighting the importance of a user-friendly iOS Lightning wallet, with the promising "Zep" project potentially releasing within two weeks.
• Onboarding & Bootstrapping: Examining the difficulties new users face in acquiring Bitcoin and setting up Lightning channels, and exploring solutions like channel factories.
• Privacy Considerations: Discussing the privacy implications of the Lightning Network, including potential benefits and drawbacks related to transaction broadcasting and IP address exposure.
• Satoshi's Vision: Connecting current Lightning Network design to Satoshi Nakamoto’s original ideas about Bitcoin and the need for online connectivity to receive payments.

2. Key Quotes:

• "We really wanted to do something exciting, and meanwhile, in the crypto community, we have so much scams going on in so much drama inside the Bitcoin community about how to scale." - Reflecting on the need for positive development within the Bitcoin space.
• "The bootstrapping is always the hardest part, I guess, in these networks." - Highlighting a significant barrier to entry for new Lightning users.
• "You've got to follow all those steps if you want your lightning wall to work." - Illustrating the current complexity of setting up a Lightning node.

3. People Mentioned:

• Jeff: Previous podcast guest.
• Gabri: (Role unspecified)
• Stefan: Technical developer and guest.
• Peter Todd: Critic of Lightning Network scaling solutions.
• Christian Decker: (Role unspecified - likely a Lightning developer)
• Ted Strider: (Role unspecified)
• Matt Corallo: (Role unspecified)
• Kenny Chi: (Role unspecified)
• Rusty Russell: Organizing a spec conference in Australia.
• Zach Mollers/Jack Mollers: Developer.
• Samurai: Wallet developer.
• Julie: (Role unspecified)

4. Bitcoin Price:

• No specific Bitcoin prices were mentioned during the podcast.