Lightning Network
a.k.a. Lightning, LN
A second layer on top of Bitcoin that lets people make fast, cheap payments without recording each one on the blockchain.
The Lightning Network is built on top of Bitcoin to make small, everyday payments quick and cheap. Two people lock some bitcoin into a shared "channel" with one on-chain transaction. Then they can pay each other back and forth instantly, as many times as they like, off-chain. When they're done, the final balance gets settled on the main blockchain.
Channels link up into a network, so you can pay someone you've never opened a channel with by routing through others. It's like running a bar tab instead of paying the till for every drink. The trade-off is extra complexity, and your wallet usually needs to be online to receive.
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