Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong owes me $100. That’s as a result of he won’t know use the Lightning Community, the moment fee resolution constructed on prime of Bitcoin.
Armstrong, who’s been constructing within the Bitcoin (BTC) area since 2012, not too long ago tweeted that he would pay individuals who offered the “greatest examples” of individuals utilizing cryptocurrency in Africa. “In the event you’re utilizing crypto in Africa, reply with a brief video (<30 seconds) or picture of the way you’re utilizing it,” Armstrong wrote. “Finest few examples get $100 in crypto.”
In the event you’re utilizing crypto in Africa, reply with a brief video (<30 seconds) or picture of the way you’re utilizing it. Finest few examples get $100 in crypto. Use hashtag #CryptoAfrica
And if you have not already, check out self-custodial Coinbase Pockets – 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 myself utilizing Bitcoin in Africa, which was a part of a 30-second phase of a current Cointelegraph documentary overlaying Bitcoin in Senegal.
The tweet shortly turned the most-liked and most-shared response to Armstrong’s question. (Crucially, the tweet referred to Bitcoin in Africa, not crypto in Africa, and it demonstrated the convenience and pace of the Lightning Community.)
Nonetheless, Armstrong seems to have ignored my submission, regardless of greater than 600 likes and 100 retweets. The subsequent hottest submission had simply 50 likes. So, I reached out to some key opinion leaders, creators and influencers inside the Bitcoin group to amplify the tweet. Depraved, an nameless Bitcoin educator and information analyst, tagged Armstrong in a put up, accusing him of “actively ignoring the #Bitcoin Lightning Community.”
My tweets auto-delete after some variety of months, so there isn’t any search historical past.
Lightning is nice and one thing we’ll combine.
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 8, 2023
Depraved very kindly drew Brian’s consideration to my tweet video about Bitcoin in Africa. The tweet, and Armstrong’s affirmation that “Lightning is nice and one thing we’ll combine,” led to information retailers around the globe reporting on Coinbase’s subsequent improvement. He then additionally tweeted that he had despatched me the cash.
Superior! despatched $100 to joe@coincorner.io
cheers
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 8, 2023
Right here’s the place issues get bizarre. Armstrong stated he paid me the $100. He stated he despatched $100 to the Lightning tackle proven in my Twitter profile bio: Joe@Coincorner.io
Now, should you’ve by no means used the Lightning Community earlier than, you’d be forgiven for complicated this tackle with an e-mail tackle. However would the CEO of Coinbase make that mistake? Might the Bitcoin OG have failed to acknowledge that the request in my bio — which says “Ship BTC to Joe@Coincorner.io,” surrounded by lightning bolt emojis — could possibly be my Lightning tackle?
Aspect observe: Working a Bitcoin node is mildly technical, and sending cash on the Bitcoin blockchain for the primary time is a bit nerve-wracking, because the transaction takes roughly 10 minutes to verify and we dwell immediately world. However utilizing the Lightning Community in 2023? It’s brain-dead simple. A stroll within the park. Critically.
“That’s a giant name, Joe,” I hear you say.
Yep, it’s. And I’ve obtained the receipts to show it. It’s really easy to make use of the Lightning Community that I stand on the street in areas worldwide giving out Bitcoin to individuals on their brand-new Lightning wallets — and I movie their reactions.
The most typical remarks are “I didn’t understand it’s really easy” and “Wow, it’s so quick.” The movies are on my YouTube channel. Right here’s a video shot in France for the Cointelegraph YouTube channel the place I give out Bitcoin:
So, please — let’s not faux that Armstrong is overwhelmed by the complexity of sending cash to my Lightning tackle. Furthermore, funnily sufficient, Bitcoin advocates worldwide noticed my tweet and took pleasure in sending me sats to point out that my Lightning tackle is alive and nicely.
Again to the story. Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner — a Bitcoin and Lightning firm — was fast to level out to Armstrong on Twitter that he may need made a mistake in complicated Bitcoin and e-mail, as Coinbase offers a “ship to e-mail” operate.
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Scott advised Cointelegraph in an e-mail, “Clearly, we all know the tackle [that Joe shared] is a Lightning tackle, however clearly not all people does.”
“So my guess is Brian is aware of little or no about Lightning proper now, specifically LNURL, Lightning addresses and different improvements being constructed out, which is completely advantageous, he is distracted, it occurs, now we simply hope he helps himself and the business by turning their consideration to what actually has substance and long run worth, Bitcoin and Lightning.”
It’s true: Coinbase affords buying and selling for greater than 250 totally different cryptocurrencies — that’s a whole lot of tokens to maintain one’s eye on. And as Scott provides, “I can admire how busy he can be — this business doesn’t sleep, and operating a Bitcoin firm myself, I do know that feeling even at a smaller scale.”
To present Brian and in the end Coinbase the advantage of the doubt, I waited just a few days earlier than writing this text. I’ve tweeted repeatedly at Brian (no reply) and I additionally reached out to the Coinbase Press Crew. They advised me that they might unravel it, however “My guess is that Brian is probably going batching the sends at sure instances.” A day has handed since this message (extra doubt-benefit-giving) and so they’ve not despatched a proof.
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The press crew e-mail was notably left-field because it referred to “batching.” Batching is consolidating a number of funds right into a single transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain, not the layer-2 Lightning Community. Once more, they’re not acquainted with Lightning. This provides additional insult to harm: Might it’s that the Lightning Community merely isn’t on Coinbase’s radar?
It’s been three days since Armstrong stated he would ship the cash, and there have been some merely fantastic memes from the Bitcoin and wider crypto group.
Armstrong has been lively on Twitter, whereas his firm is busy launching new tasks and successful insider buying and selling instances for the over 250-plus crypto tasks Coinbase hosts.
In the meantime, I’m nonetheless ready for my $100. However I’m additionally more and more alarmed that the billionaire, crypto OG and Coinbase CEO Armstrong struggled to identify a Lightning tackle.
Joe Corridor joined Cointelegraph as a reporter in 2021. He holds an MA in French and Spanish from the College of Edinburgh and a BA in languages from Sceinces Po Lyon.
This text is for normal data functions and isn’t meant to be and shouldn’t be taken as authorized or funding recommendation. The views, ideas and opinions expressed listed here are the writer’s alone and don’t essentially mirror or signify the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
