BIP | Human Readable Names in Bitcoin Payments
Generally, when sending or receiving a bitcoin payment, a user has to enter a long, complex string of numbers and letters. This is difficult to type, memorize, and validate, making the user anxious about potential payment losses. Human-readable addresses allow users to enter a short string of characters (like an email address), relieving them of pressure and the risk of losses. A new BIP from developer Matt Corallo “defines a protocol to do so using only the DNS, providing for the ability to query such resolutions privately, while utilizing DNSSEC to provide compact and simple ways to verify proofs of mappings.” This would be an important implementation, especially helpful for activists operating under duress, fear, and in quick need of funds.
Lightning | Dual-Funded Channels
After four years of development and community review, a proposal for dual-funded Lightning channels has been merged into the official specifications of the Lightning Network (LN). Currently, opening an LN channel requires independent actions and resources from users on each side of the channel. Dual-funding changes this. It allows simultaneous collaboration and opening of an LN channel in both directions between users, streamlining the process and reducing complexities. This update proposed by developer and educator Lisa Neigut paves the way for easier and faster LN channel creation, which over time could potentially lead to increased LN liquidity, improved usability, greater efficiency, and improved resistance to chain surveillance.
Cashu | New iOS Client and Tutorial
Cashu is an open-source Chaumian eCash protocol built for Bitcoin and integrated with the Lightning Network. It allows users to spend Bitcoin-backed eCash without revealing their identity or transaction history, offering private, cheap, and fast transactions with the tradeoff of being custodial. Macadamia is a native iOS client for Cashu, which was released last week. It lets users mint, send, receive, and pay Lightning Network invoices. The goal, according to the team, is to have a “really polished UI that hides all unnecessary complexity from casual users but still provides advanced features to power users.” Also, in the last few days, developer Supertestnet gave “the best Cashu ecash protocol explainer and programming tutorial in existence,” according to Cashu protocol creator Calle. You can watch the tutorial here.
Mutiny Wallet | New Version Now Live
Mutiny Wallet version 0.5.8 is live. Mutiny is an open-source, non-custodial bitcoin and lightning wallet available as a progressive web app and Android app. Previously, they announced the first release of Fedimint support. Last week, they announced a new version of the wallet, which “includes additional fedimint features and fixes, including a ‘Swap to LN’ feature that moves your federation esats to a self-custodial LN channel.” Progressive web apps help activists whose jurisdictions have banned or removed Bitcoin wallets from the App Stores continue to access bitcoin, and new upgrades like this one help to secure their privacy and advance adoption.
Primal | New Onboarding Tutorial
Bitcoin educator BTC Sessions released a new onboarding tutorial for Primal, a mobile application that lets users onboard onto Nostr, a decentralized and censorship-resistant social media protocol. With Primal, users can post, share, and connect with others without the risk of a centralized authority deplatforming them. The app also comes with a built-in bitcoin wallet that allows users to earn money for their posts via bitcoin. In this way, users secure their freedom of speech while receiving potential rewards in bitcoin, which are of major value to activists under dictatorships.
OpenSats and Spiral | Open Source Funding
OpenSats announced long-term support for HRF grantee 0xB10C, who is building “Bitcoin network monitoring tools, notably the Bitcoin Core tracing framework, providing detailed insights into network activities.” Meanwhile, Spiral announced a grant renewal to Christoph Ono, who is working on improving Bitcoin design at bitcoin.design and the Bitcoin Design Foundation, as well as Sebastian Kung, who is “developing a ‘desirable’ kernel API and attempting to extract bitcoin’s consensus engine into its own library, making it easier for other devs to interact with.” They also announced a new grant to StratumV2 developer pleb hash, who is passionate about mining. We’re thrilled to see open source funding across a variety of verticals, from design to network and mining, to ensure decentralization, robustness, and ease of use.
Bitcoin | All-time Highs
Bitcoin has reached all-time high prices against dozens of collapsing fiat currencies, many in dictatorships. In economies ranging from Egypt to Nigeria to Pakistan, hundreds of millions of people are watching their local currency make all-time lows against Bitcoin. Elsewhere, in Russia, Ethiopia, and Iran, fiat currencies are very close to all-time lows. All told, billions of people in dictatorships are watching an open-source, decentralized, censorship-resistant, confiscation-resistant currency thrive while their own closed-source, centralized, frequently censored, and confiscated currencies fail.