Evaluating the Lightning Network: Potential and Criticism

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation, Paul Sztorc is Founder and CEO of LayerTwoLabs and the creator or Drivechains.

In this episode, we discuss whether Bitcoin is falling behind the innovation curve, if Lightning Network has failed as a project, and if privacy models like eCash are a dangerous compromise or a practical necessity. We also get into whether hard forks should be revived as a path for progress, how censorship resistance is being weighed against usability, and why Paul believes Bitcoin is accumulating “technical scar tissue.” Finally, we explore whether Bitcoin’s culture has become a bottleneck to innovation, and what that means for its long-term future.

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