#blockchain

Shout-out to the Bitcoin Technician! This man has some important things to say about Bitcoin. Show him some love by checking out his YouTube channel.
Remember, a like, share, and subscribe are always free!

https://youtu.be/E5Vmsl1AhzI
______________________________________
#Bitcoin #Sats #BitcoinTechnician #YT #BTC #Investing #Blockchain #zap #zapvertise

Check out my new video! Welcome to Altseason – the explosive cycle where altcoins outperform Bitcoin! In this video, we break down everything you need to know about Altseason. What it is, why it happens, and how to navigate it.

YouTube link
https://youtu.be/Q2NRdA1NWAY?si=jxgMj1rrh4Bf-xRy

#Altseason #CryptoNews #Altcoins #BitcoinVsAltcoins #CryptoCycle #CryptoInvesting #CryptoMarket #AltcoinSeason #Blockchain #ethereum #CryptoTips #FinancialFreedom #learnaboutbit

New video! Welcome to Altseason – the explosive cycle where altcoins outperform Bitcoin! In this video, we break down everything you need to know about Altseason. What it is, why it happens, and how to navigate it.

Check it out on YouTube
https://youtu.be/Q2NRdA1NWAY?si=GlDdueLJ_oP1uLDW

#Altseason #CryptoNews #Altcoins #BitcoinVsAltcoins #CryptoCycle #CryptoInvesting #CryptoMarket #AltcoinSeason #Blockchain #ethereum #CryptoTips #FinancialFreedom #learnaboutbit

United Nations has over 80,000 retirees and beneficiaries across 190+ countries.


A Long-standing Challenge:

Verifying annual “Proof-of-Life” for its pensioners



NEW JBBA RESEARCH ALERT:



United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) Blockchain-based Digital Identity Solution for Proof-of-Life


This peer-reviewed article presents a cutting-edge digital identity solution, combining Blockchain, biometrics, AI, and geo-localisation, designed to streamline and secure the verification process for pension beneficiaries.

Highlights:

Automates and secures the “proof-of-life” process

Addresses real-world deployment challenges

Replaces legacy, manual systems with a streamlined, auditable, and ISO-certified platform

Boosts trust, accountability, and operational efficiency across global jurisdictions


Authored by Dino Cataldo Dell'Accio!and Mirko Montuori of UNJSPF, USA .


Read the Full Article – Open Access in The JBBA:

https://jbba.scholasticahq.com/article/142770-unjspf-blockchain-based-digital-identity-solution-for-proof-of-life


Indexed in DOAJ and Web of Science | Reaching >2.7 Million readers/month:


https://doaj.org/article/d10f01ac6d4d47b39af6b7a544f97ac7

This paper was first presented at the BBA's Annual International Scientific Conference in London on 4 April 2025, and received Best Abstract Award:

https://x.com/brit_blockchain/status/1909552708660728308?s=46



This paper will be featured in the upcoming *16th* issue of The JBBA (Oct - Nov 2025).

JBBA Editor in Chief:

Prof. Dr @30109bec MBE FBBA



Submit your articles to The JBBA:

https://jbba.scholasticahq.com/for-authors

#JBBA #Blockchain #DigitalIdentity #ProofOfLife #Web3 #AI #UN #Pensions #GovTech #TrustTech #DigitalTransformation #BBA



https://blossom.primal.net/c5f0a768b9eca1cf263162f98579a9662ad6b6e0887c80b6647275173a6e26e4.jpg

Opening your home door with the Blockchain.

No physical keys. Just cryptographic proof.

You prove ownership of your NFT - in this case, your unique ENS - e.g. “Sarah.eth”

(ENS = Ethereum Name Service)

‍ You sign a transaction.

The door unlocks.

This isn’t sci-fi.

This is what Web3 identity looks like in the real world.


My advice to all:

Please learn the basics of Blockchain today. Your future self will thank you.


The British Blockchain Association


#Ethereum #ENS #Web3 #Blockchain #DigitalIdentity #Cryptography #FutureTech #Identity #Innovation #Tech
https://blossom.primal.net/44b641febb19321ca11655fe5cca672dc6f68a2de6f6fc83406482a0ee0a2bae.mov

# Why the Bitcoin Lightning Network Is Impossible to Fully Decentralize and Risks Becoming a “CBDC 2.0”

The Bitcoin Lightning Network (LN) was designed as a layer-2 scaling solution to enable fast, low-cost off-chain Bitcoin payments while preserving the decentralized and censorship-resistant properties of Bitcoin’s base layer. However, **the LN faces fundamental technical, economic, and structural challenges that make true decentralization impossible today**. This centralization also exposes the network to a high risk of evolving into a centralized digital payment system resembling a “CBDC 2.0” (Central Bank Digital Currency).

## 1. Infrastructure Centralization

A large portion of LN nodes rely on a small number of centralized cloud providers, creating critical points of control and failure external to the Bitcoin ecosystem:

- Nearly **50% of LN nodes run on major cloud platforms**, with **over 30% on Amazon Web Services (AWS)** and roughly **18.5% on Google Cloud**.
- This concentration means outages, policy changes, or government pressure on these providers could disrupt or censor a significant fraction of the network.
- Cloud dependency undermines Bitcoin’s principle of distributed trustlessness by placing network resilience in the hands of a few corporate entities.

## 2. Network Topology and Routing Hubs

Although LN is designed as a peer-to-peer payment network, reality shows a **concentration of liquidity and routing power in a few “hubs”**:

- Large nodes with ample liquidity dominate payment routing because they can efficiently forward transactions.
- Such hubs can censor transactions, impose fees, or become attack targets.
- This “hub-and-spoke” model resembles centralized payment processors, reducing the effective decentralization of the network.

## 3. Dominance of Custodial Wallets

One of the gravest centralization hurdles is the **widespread dependence on custodial Lightning wallets and service providers** for user transactions:

- Industry data and expert analysis estimate that **over 60–70% of Lightning transactions flow through custodial wallets**, which manage channel liquidity and routing for users.
- Custodial wallets hold users’ funds, recreating the very trust relationships LN was intended to eliminate.
- This custody concentration enables censorship, user surveillance, regulatory intervention, and risk of loss from hacks or mismanagement.

## 4. Technical and Economic Barriers for Non-Custodial Adoption

Running a non-custodial Lightning node involves significant complexity:

- Nodes must be online almost 24/7 to receive payments reliably.
- Managing inbound and outbound liquidity and channel rebalancing is a constant challenge.
- Opening and closing channels necessitate on-chain confirmation, incurring fees and delays.

These technical hurdles and economic costs push many users toward simpler custodial solutions, reinforcing centralization.

## 5. Risk of Becoming a “CBDC 2.0”

These centralizing forces pose a serious risk that the Lightning Network will evolve into a **centrally controlled payments platform akin to a CBDC**, undermining Bitcoin’s core values:

- **Custodial wallets replicate the CBDC custody model**, where users surrender direct control of their funds, enabling censorship, freezing, and forced compliance.
- **Centralized infrastructure and dominant routing hubs create chokepoints** vulnerable to governmental or corporate pressure—similar to how CBDCs would enforce regulatory compliance.
- **Routing hubs holding significant liquidity can censor or block transactions**, defeating Bitcoin’s permissionless design.
- **Liquidity lockups and custodial dominance reduce self-sovereignty**, mimicking centralized digital money.
- **Regulatory pressure and technical complexity push most users toward custodians**, accelerating centralization.

This scenario envisions the Lightning Network shifting from a decentralized Bitcoin scaling layer to a **permissioned, surveilled financial network**, a “CBDC 2.0” masquerading as Bitcoin technology.

## Summary Data Highlights

| Aspect | Data / Estimate |
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| LN nodes on centralized clouds | Nearly 50% (AWS ~30%, Google Cloud ~18.5%) |
| Custodial Lightning wallet usage | Over 60–70% of LN transactions flow through custodial wallets |
| LN transactions as of 2024 | Lightning payments comprise ~16.6% of Bitcoin’s total transaction volume and growing |

## Conclusion

While the Lightning Network promises to scale Bitcoin through decentralized, low-fee micropayments, **the current realities of cloud infrastructure dependence, routing hub centralization, and custodial wallet dominance make full decentralization practically unattainable**. Furthermore, these trends dangerously risk transforming LN into a **centralized, regulated payment system—a “CBDC 2.0” that contradicts Bitcoin’s censorship-resistant, permissionless vision**.

Without significant architectural and economic innovations to mitigate these forces, LN will struggle to fulfill its role as a decentralized scaling solution and may instead become a vehicle of institutional financial control.

## Sources

- Bitcoin Magazine, *Is The Lightning Network Centralized?*
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/is-the-bitcoin-lightning-network-centralized
- SimpleSwap, *What Is Bitcoin Lightning Network and How It Works* (2025)
https://simpleswap.io/blog/what-is-bitcoin-lightning-network
- Bitcoin Magazine, *What Is The Lightning Network?* (2024)
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/guides/lightning-network
- BeinCrypto, *Amazon and Google Power 45% of Bitcoin Lightning Nodes* (June 2025)
https://beincrypto.com/amazon-google-operating-bitcoin-lightning-nodes/
- Forbes, *Bitcoin And The Future Of The Lightning Network* (June 2024)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/06/07/bitcoin-and-the-future-of-the-lightning-network/

#Bitcoin #BTC #LightningNetwork #Crypto #DeFi #Blockchain #CustodialWallets #CryptoNews #BitcoinSecurity #CryptoWallets

# Monero vs. Bitcoin: Why Monero Is Superior in Privacy, Scalability, Anonymity, and Decentralization

Monero and Bitcoin are two of the most well-known cryptocurrencies but differ fundamentally in their design goals and technological approaches. While Bitcoin has established itself as “digital gold” and a widely accepted store of value, Monero excels in privacy, scalability, anonymity, and decentralization—addressing many of Bitcoin’s inherent challenges. A comprehensive comparison shows why Monero can be considered superior in several key fields.

## Privacy and Anonymity

**Bitcoin transactions are pseudonymous but fully transparent on a public ledger.** Every transaction, including sender and receiver addresses and amounts, can be traced and analyzed through blockchain explorers and chain analysis tools. This transparency, while beneficial for auditability and trust, exposes users to surveillance risks and reduces financial privacy[1][2][3][5][9].

**Monero, conversely, is designed for complete transaction privacy by default.** Using advanced cryptographic technologies such as ring signatures, stealth addresses, and Ring Confidential Transactions (RingCT), Monero hides the sender, receiver, and transaction amount on-chain. This makes Monero transactions untraceable and unlinkable, offering strong anonymity guarantees for users concerned with privacy, fungibility, and resistance to censorship[1][2][3][9].

- **Fungibility difference:** Bitcoin’s traceability can taint “tainted” coins associated with illicit activity, causing some coins to be blacklisted by exchanges. Monero’s privacy ensures every minerable and spendable coin is indistinguishable from another, preserving fungibility and equal economic value[1][5].

## Scalability and Transaction Performance

Bitcoin’s blockchain uses a fixed 1 MB block size, limiting throughput to roughly 3–7 transactions per second (TPS) with ~10-minute confirmation times. During congestion, fees often spike, making Bitcoin unsuitable for small or frequent payments. Layer-2 solutions like the Lightning Network aim to address this but introduce complexity, custody risks, and face their own centralization challenges[5].

Monero uses **dynamic block sizes**, automatically adjusting to transaction demand. This flexibility helps sustain higher throughput, typically around 10–15 TPS, with average 2-minute confirmation times. Because there is no reliance on complex off-chain solutions, Monero transactions maintain privacy and finality natively on-chain while remaining affordable, often costing only a few cents per transaction[1][5][8].

Advantages of Monero’s protocol for scalability:
- Dynamic blocks scale with usage surges, reducing bottlenecks[5][8].
- Efficient integration of privacy tech minimizes overhead[1].
- Fees generally remain low compared to Bitcoin under typical load[1][5].

## Decentralization and Mining

Bitcoin mining is **highly centralized** due to ASIC dominance, specialized mining pools, and concentration of mining capacity in specific geographic areas. This centralization risks network security, susceptibility to regulation, and potential censorship[1][2][3][5].

In contrast, **Monero favors decentralization by design**:
- It uses a **proof-of-work algorithm (RandomX)** optimized for CPUs and GPUs rather than ASICs, making mining accessible to a wider range of participants.
- Mining power is therefore more dispersed, enhancing security and censorship resistance.
- Community-driven governance enables protocol improvements and upgrades with agility[1][2][3][5].

This approach promotes greater true decentralization and resists monopolization.

## Use Case and Ecosystem Focus

- **Bitcoin** primarily serves as digital gold and a store of value. However, its transparency, slower transactions, and rising fees limit its utility for private, everyday payments[1][2][3].
- **Monero** targets users who prioritize privacy, anonymity, and fungibility—ideal for activists, people under oppressive regimes, and anyone requiring confidential financial transactions[1][2][5].

## Summary Table

| Feature | Bitcoin | Monero |
|-----------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| **Privacy** | Pseudonymous, transparent ledger | Fully private by default (RingCT, stealth addresses, ring signatures) |
| **Transaction Speed** | ~3–7 TPS, ~10 min confirmation | ~10–15 TPS, ~2 min confirmation |
| **Fees** | $1 to $10+ (in congestion) | ~$0.01–$0.05 typically |
| **Mining Hardware** | ASIC dominated | CPU/GPU optimized (RandomX algorithm) |
| **Supply Limit** | 21 million fixed supply | Main supply capped plus perpetual tail emission |
| **Governance** | Decentralized but slower upgrades | Community-driven, faster improvements |
| **Use Case Focus** | Store of value, digital gold | Privacy-focused, fungible everyday payments |

## Conclusion

Monero effectively addresses many limitations of Bitcoin by offering native privacy on every transaction, better scalability with dynamic blocks, more accessible mining for true decentralization, and preservation of fungibility. While Bitcoin dominates market value and institutional adoption, Monero stands out as a superior option for users requiring privacy, fungibility, and censorship resistance.

Both coins serve different needs within the crypto ecosystem; however, for privacy, anonymity, scalability, and decentralization, **Monero is a more effective and privacy-respecting solution compared to Bitcoin in 2025**.

---

## References and Sources

[1] Exolix.com. *Monero vs. Bitcoin: Full Comparison*.
https://exolix.com/blog/monero-vs-bitcoin

[2] FXCM. *Monero (XMR) Vs Bitcoin (BTC)*.
https://www.fxcm.com/markets/insights/monero-xmr-vs-bitcoin-btc/

[3] Investopedia. *Monero (XMR) Cryptocurrency: Definition, Mining, vs. Bitcoin*.
https://www.investopedia.com/tech/introduction-monero-xmr/

[4] DIVA Portal. *Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients of cryptocurrencies*.
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1265361/FULLTEXT01.pdf

[5] Reddit. *What are the main differences of Monero and Bitcoin?*
https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/1875cu9/what_are_the_main_differences_of_monero_and/

[6] ScienceDirect. *Spillovers and multiscale relationships among cryptocurrencies*.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0313592624000766

[7] Wiley Online Library. *Blockchain networks: Data structures of Bitcoin, Monero, Zcash ...*
https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/widm.1436

[8] Monero Stack Exchange. *What are the primary differences between Monero and Bitcoin?*
https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/415/what-are-the-primary-differences-between-monero-and-bitcoin

[9] TRM Labs. *The Rise of Monero: Traceability, Challenges, and Research Review*.
https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/the-rise-of-monero-traceability-challenges-and-research-review

---

#Monero #Bitcoin #CryptoPrivacy #Cryptocurrency #Decentralization #Blockchain #Anonymity #CryptoScalability

FREE BITCOIN GIVEAWAY!

Join us at the Michigan on July 31st for a chance to score some crypto! Don’t miss out on this epic event!

#FreeBitcoin #CapitolEvent #Bitcoin2025 #CryptoLovers #GiveawayAlert #BTC #Blockchain #CryptoCommunity



https://blossom.primal.net/e5475261ec29d5fad9b75607457537708768f82ffb32a076ca0d9c99295f7b7c.mp4

#bitcoin #blockchain https://image.nostr.build/0878e709cd768ccf1a8505249c71a2660a4b89bc71edbcac26c97181343acd37.jpg