Not medical advice: Bitcoiner implants Lightning chip to make BTC payments by hand

The Lightning Network continues to daze the Bitcoin (BTC) community. A swiss IT Professional called F418 (not his existent name) surgically implanted a Lightning-enabled spot into his close manus to marque Lightning Network (LN) payments.

An X-Ray representation of the spot implanted into F418's hand. Source: Youtube

Speaking with Cointelegraph, F418 said helium experimented with assemblage modification and LN payments for fun. He does not urge that Bitcoin enthusiasts instrumentality the layer-2 payments network, the LN, into their ain hands arsenic helium did. “The usage is conscionable to amusement that it is imaginable and you tin bash worldly similar that." He added that astir radical transportation cards, it’s conscionable his manus has the wow factor:

“It’s comic if you are doing a presumption arsenic I sometimes bash presentations astir payments and speech to radical that are moving successful banks, and they marque “Big Eyes” if they spot that [my hand]. You don’t request to person the implant.”

Cointelegraph archetypal met with F418 successful his location state of Switzerland astatine the LN-friendly Plan B Lugano Conference. His attempts to wage failed arsenic the archetypal implant F418 utilized was “Defective.” Undeterred, F418 visited a aesculapian nonrecreational to surgically region the implant earlier trying again.

The 2nd effort succeeded. The spot sits neatly successful his close manus and tin present marque LN payments–without reaching for a Bolt Card oregon a smartphone. But does it hurt, Cointelegraph asked. “I don’t consciousness anything–even erstwhile I spell to the gym,” helium replied.

F418 taps his manus connected the backmost of his telephone to wage for 2 beers and immoderate crisps. Source: Youtube

Nonetheless, F418 brings up definite risks to the procedure. While the process is medically safe, “The lone occupation with the implants is that you tin not marque them truly safe. It’s not the aforesaid information arsenic the bolt card–you tin lone bash LNURL withdraw; it’s not safe.” 

Plus, if you marque a mistake during the implantation process, it’s not a bully thought to instrumentality the spot successful and retired of the body. It could origin harm oregon infection, F418 explained, truthful it's champion to get it the close the archetypal time.

In brief, the NFC spot works identically implanted successful F418’s manus enables him to marque LN payments without the request for a carnal device, specified arsenic a smartphone oregon card. He tin simply clasp his manus adjacent a compatible NFC scholar to initiate a payment. It’s arguably the astir convenient Bitcoin payment, allowing for speedy and casual transactions without the request for immoderate further equipment.

NFC, oregon Near Field Communication exertion usage cases person bubbled up successful the Bitcoin world. Indeed, NFC payments implicit the LN person surged successful popularity since the instauration of the Bolt Card, archetypal trialed over luncheon connected the Isle of Man, and present disposable successful ‘Bitcoin Country,’ AKA El Salvador.

F148 shows the tiny raised insert of the spot to Cointelegraph during a call. Source: Google Meet

It’s straightforward to acceptable up an NFC card, sticker oregon adjacent a sock to enactment for payments (see beneath Twitter video). However, it’s worthy noting that F418’s NFC implant into a quality is the archetypal of its kind. F418 has made the full process open-source and accessible–including wellness warnings–on GitHub. He has called the process "Lightning Paw."

— Molly Spiers (@CoinCornerMolly) December 10, 2021

The LN is simply a second-layer outgo protocol that operates connected apical of the Bitcoin blockchain. It allows for near-instant and near-free transactions by enabling users to marque aggregate payments without having to hold for the transactions to beryllium confirmed connected the blockchain. In essence, the LN creates a web of outgo channels betwixt users, allowing them to transact straight without the request for each transaction to beryllium recorded connected the blockchain.

Related: Subway accepts Bitcoin, truthful users tin get a sandwich connected the Lightning Network

As for F418, helium continues to tinker with Bitcoin and, progressively the Lightning Network. IT nonrecreational and utmost sports enthusiast by day, he's a Bitcoin hobbyist “who likes to effort anserine stuff” by night. He joins thousands of Bitcoin hobbyists astir the satellite who proceed to physique connected Bitcoin contempt the brutal carnivore market. Speaking from location successful Switzerland, helium told Cointelegraph:

“If you person an unfastened web wherever everyone tin bash innovative things; it volition ever person the vantage of a closed strategy that lone a mates of radical tin enactment connected it.”

Just don’t effort this astatine home, anon.