Phish Lot, Rural America And The Lightning Revolution

Bitcoin and Lightning are technologies that erstwhile again revolutionize quality connections and the quality to stock information.

This is an sentiment editorial by Patrick McCaughey, a unrecorded euphony aficionado, Bitcoin advocator and pragmatist surviving successful occidental Massachusetts.

Humans are innately societal creatures. We bask meals together, we speech ideas with 1 another, and erstwhile the clip is right, we acceptable our psyche escaped and surrender to the travel of surviving successful the infinitesimal with like-minded beings. We are, aft all, conscionable swimming successful this existent happening we telephone life. As exertion progresses with exponential rapidity, the methods we usage to pass and stock accusation are going done a melodramatic shift. Our travel whitethorn beryllium abbreviated but we person travel a agelong mode successful conscionable a fewer decades of technological innovations. These innovations are paving the mode for a caller frontier of connecting with our chap humans: caller ways of exchanging ideas, storing accusation and transmitting worth are shattering the bequest systems that person for acold excessively agelong been the presumption quo. If we tin ideate it, we tin physique it — and if we tin physique it close we person the quality to conjure up a satellite that values truth, fairness and a accidental astatine an equitable aboriginal for all. This bullish sentiment relies connected a alternatively ample assumption, however: That we volition support changeless entree to wireless connection via a robust and decentralized network.

On Friday, July 23, I attended my 64th Phish concert. The venue was a archetypal for me: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts successful Bethel, NY. Bethel is astir wide known for being the determination of the iconic Woodstock Festival successful 1969, the largest euphony festival successful modern past which drew immoderate estimated 400,000+ attendees (unless you inquire Trey Anastasio). The country is drenched successful taste history, and the surrounding scenery is arsenic picturesque and breathtaking arsenic you could imagine. Despite implicit 50 years having passed since this legendary event, the small spot of agrarian America it took spot successful felt arsenic though it was untouched by the passing of time. For amended oregon worse, this mostly agrarian assemblage of the Catskills has yet to drawback up with the velocity of connectivity that metropolis dwellers person go accustomed to.

While unexpected, I didn’t truly deliberation this would airs excessively overmuch of an issue. After all, determination were nary mobile connection devices successful 1969 and they seemed to bash conscionable fine. But past I began reasoning astir the logistics of the nighttime up of us, and however our nine is ever person to being reliant connected uninterrupted Internet entree successful bid to participate. Lyft, Uber, Instagram, Twitter, SMS messages — each of these services would soon beryllium much oregon little unusable. While we easy booked our Lyft from the hotel’s WiFi, erstwhile it came clip to fetch a thrust back, we had nary hopes of booking a instrumentality travel utilizing immoderate of the modern apps we instrumentality for granted, fto unsocial the quality to telephone a cab.

Phish Lot: The Last Remaining Unfettered Free Market

Upon exiting the amusement we were instantly greeted with scents and subtle sounds, similar colors successful the landscape, and textures of the town. Hot food was sizzling connected a grill, a crisp ‘77 “Eyes of the World” was roaring from a vendor’s speaker, and the whirring hiss of nitrous oxide seemed to envelop our each moment. “One for $10, 3 for $20, crystal cold!” announced the vagabond state salesman. Some attendees lined up and happily gave his asking price, portion others tried to negotiate, “How astir 4 for $20? No? Okay, 5 for $25?” This is simply a communal improvement successful the satellite of Phish, a country that is much akin to the Wild West than it is to a accepted buying acquisition today.

This is terms find astatine its finest. On Phish Lot, determination are marketplace dynamics unfolding earlier our eyes that are rooted successful pragmatism and archetypal principles. Free markets whitethorn not beryllium the be-all end-all mode to attack everything, but they definite are efficient. No calls, puts oregon leverage astir it, this was a earthy unadulterated spot market, and we were present for it. After moving into a fewer friends, saying our goodbyes, and indulging successful a balloon oregon six, we decided to marque our pilgrimage to the exit successful hopes of catching a thrust backmost to our hotel. After what felt similar an eternity, the section taxi institution (shoutout to Catskill Mountain Transportation!) showed up and began shuttling everyone to assorted hotels and campgrounds good into the night, and we yet made it backmost to our edifice truthful we could remainder up and bash it each implicit again the pursuing day.

The web issues I experienced that nighttime illustrated a precise important point: we volition not spot a hyperbitcoinized satellite until Internet outages are a happening of the past. If the precise happening we necessitate to utilize Bitcoin arsenic a web (consistent Internet access) is highly centralized, it doesn’t mean that Bitcoin has failed us, it conscionable means we request to excavation deeper into however to outfit ourselves with resilient techniques for securing high-range wireless communication. The lone mode Bitcoin stands a accidental astatine becoming the planetary reserve currency is if uninterrupted web entree is arsenic ubiquitous arsenic beingness itself. Otherwise, we’re conscionable encephalon dormant and made of money: No aboriginal astatine all.

Take Back The Internet With Mesh Networks

Mesh networks are really a beauteous aged schoolhouse technology. They person agelong been utilized by the subject to supply changeless communications successful locations unequipped with wired oregon outer service. Even though the exertion to conception specified a web is alternatively simple, we haven’t truly had the request for them owed to the velocity astatine which wireless compartment towers person been constructed. In the twelvemonth 2000, determination were 104,288 towers operating successful the United States. By 2020, that fig accrued to 417,215.

Source: Statista

One of the largest of these operation operators is American Tower, proclaiming connected their website, “Our planetary portfolio includes astir 222,000 communications sites, including much than 43,000 properties successful the United States and Canada and astir 179,000 properties internationally.” While we are successful galore ways fortunate to person this infrastructure enabling modernity and a technologically proficient society, it is simply a acold outcry from the decentralized, peer-to-peer permissionless satellite we aspire to unrecorded in.

In the 2018 blog station entitled Understanding Mesh Networking Part 1, Ram Ramanathan, Chief Scientist astatine GoTenna describes mesh networks arsenic follows:

“A wireless mesh web is simply a web of devices (often called nodes) that pass with each different utilizing peer-to-peer wireless links typically implicit aggregate hops — that is, by bouncing a connection from 1 device, done different and landing astatine a 3rd (or fourth, etc.). This benignant of web besides operates successful an infrastructure-less and decentralized manner, meaning it doesn’t necessitate large resources astatine the backmost extremity to beryllium usable, and nary 1 node is prioritized implicit another.”

Sound familiar? If so, it’s due to the fact that mesh networks relation utilizing the aforesaid basal principles arsenic the Lightning Network. While I similar Ramanathan’s succinct explanation of a mesh web and judge GoTenna has made a batch of advancement successful this field, being beholden to a counterparty who can/will leak your backstage information is antithetical to the full constituent of this technology. It cannot beryllium overstated that companies similar GoTenna are not our friends. Regardless of whether the rumors are existent that In-Q-Tel (the CIA’s task superior division) played a relation successful backing GoTenna, it is simply a closed level that discourages innovation, development, and interoperability. Furthermore, they are intelligibly much focused connected maintaining authorities contracts than helping the mean citizen.

Rather than rehashing what has already been written astir galore times successful this space, I volition notation you to 1 of my favourite articles connected the taxable which came retired earlier this summer: “Making Bitcoin Unstoppable Part One: Mesh Networks” by L0la L33tz. L33tz offers a wide overview of the humanities relevance of mesh networks being utilized for Bitcoin transactions (both utilizing Lightning and transacting on-chain via the Blockstream Satellite), arsenic good arsenic method processes to acceptable these up utilizing readily available, non-dedicated, off-the-shelf hardware. Personally, I wouldn’t beryllium amazed to spot mesh networks statesman to proliferate implicit the coming decennary owed to galore factors specified arsenic a simplification successful hardware costs (lead by AI and robotics), citizens becoming progressively wary of their governments' quality to enactment connected the behalf of the people, and the thrust to bring last-mile net connectivity to everyone connected the planet.

Lighting On Lot

Phish has agelong been associated with the counterculture movement. On circuit determination is simply a burgeoning microeconomy that has been increasing alongside the set since the aboriginal days of their history. Food, beverages, art, clothing, pins, hoola hoops and intoxicants of each shapes and colors are disposable for acquisition earlier and aft the shows from a multitude of unofficial vendors. For decades, currency was the lone accepted method of outgo by these nomadic sellers, but arsenic the satellite has shifted towards integer transactions, it is becoming much and much communal for folks to judge Venmo and Cash App for their goods. While this is decidedly convenient for some parties successful immoderate fixed transaction, it does not travel without its drawbacks.

Aside from the evident KYC constituent of these applications, chargebacks tin inactive occur. If a purchaser pays a Venmo/Cash App petition utilizing a recognition paper linked to their accounts, a chargeback tin revoke funds a seller has received good aft the merchantability has taken place. For merchandisers that trust connected funds coming successful to acquisition supplies for the adjacent show, this tin pb to problems erstwhile getting acceptable for their adjacent event. If grilled food and blistery canine peddlers bash not person liquid funds to banal their coolers with ingredients oregon refill their tanks with propane, these vibrant grey markets whitethorn not beryllium capable to prolong themselves arsenic we propel ourselves into a aboriginal wherever the integer and carnal worlds seamlessly merge.

As CBDCs loom person to becoming a reality, it is up to america arsenic a corporate to prioritize a censorship resistant, immutable and unfastened monetary web that is accessible to everyone. Otherwise, we hazard not being capable to opt retired of a dystopian nightmare wherever authorities person the quality to surveil and halt our transactions astatine will. To beryllium clear, I americium successful nary way, signifier oregon signifier condoning illicit activity, wealth laundering oregon thing of the like. I americium simply proposing that arsenic we determination distant from a currency economy, we support the properties of currency arsenic we cognize it which let for private, fungible and unsurveiled transactions.

The adoption complaint of the Lightning Network is presently increasing astatine an astonishing speed. On July 1 2022, the Lightning Network capacity broke 4,000 BTC, equating to implicit $77 cardinal worthy of worth crossed each channels. Two years prior, that fig was nether 1000 coins, representing little than $10 cardinal successful value. As the saying goes; slowly, past suddenly, past each astatine once. While the exertion is inactive precise overmuch nascent, determination are wide benefits to transacting implicit the Lightning Network. Even bankers are keen connected this fact. Earlier this summer, researchers astatine the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland wrote a insubstantial titled, “The Lightning Network: Turning Bitcoin Into Money.” The portion highlights these benefits, citing instant settlement, debased fees and simplification of congestion connected the Bitcoin timechain, each of which are a boon for Lightning adoption.

Today, galore radical request Bitcoin. It is an economical lifeboat for radical that are nether the oppression of authoritarian regimes surviving with double-digit inflation. There are countless stories of humans utilizing Bitcoin arsenic a state instrumentality successful countries similar Nigeria, Sudan and Ethiopia. People that are pursuing a jam set astir selling beers and grilled food sandwiches successful the state that holds the planetary reserve currency presumption don’t request Bitcoin successful the aforesaid mode radical bash successful say, Turkey, wherever the section currency has been melting away. The Phish country decidedly doesn’t request Bitcoin and the Lightning Network to thrive. Arguably — contiguous anyhow — it doesn’t request Bitcoin astatine all. However, determination are fewer communities that person the tenacity, willingness and know-how to follow this burgeoning exertion successful an effectual and meaningful mode that volition permeate our culture.

From Digital Music To Digital Money

Phish fans are agelong known for being aboriginal adopters of budding tech. As the portion trading assemblage pioneered by the Grateful Dead spilled implicit into the Phish scene, the quirky ‘90s geeks who obsessed implicit the band’s unrecorded recordings were arguably a large catalyst for the integer translation of euphony that we instrumentality for granted today. As the audio manufacture made leaps and bounds successful media formats, tapes led to CDs and yet affordable CD-Rs/CD-RWs and these tapers were connected the forefront of this audio revolution. Initially these unrecorded euphony aficionados simply utilized the net arsenic a means to find and link with 1 another, but the existent media itself was inactive carnal until the precocious ‘90s. In 1997, if you had involvement successful obtaining a transcript of a peculiar signaling but had nary shows to commercialized successful return, you would request to find idiosyncratic who was advertizing the amusement successful their postulation via a forum, nonstop a message, and prosecute successful what was known arsenic “B&P” (blanks and postage). A taper oregon collector would simply supply the amusement escaped of complaint arsenic agelong arsenic the inquirer sent blank CDs and instrumentality postage.

While this worked good enough, determination was a thrust wrong this assemblage of tenacious tapers and traders to bring their recordings to the integer space. While this was discussed arsenic aboriginal arsenic 1996, the operation of dilatory net speeds and ample record sizes made this process thing much than a tube imagination astatine the time. However, the exponential maturation of net adoption was a cardinal constituent successful cracking this metaphorical nut. According to Statisa, the percent of Americans who utilized the Internet accrued from 14% successful 1995 to a whopping 46% conscionable 5 years aboriginal arsenic we approached the twelvemonth 2000. As illustrated by the illustration above, this was the largest summation of net users successful a 5 twelvemonth clip span successful the past of its existence. As net entree grew and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) servers dispersed similar wildfire, tapers were yet capable to instrumentality afloat vantage of their passionateness and trade successful 1998 with the birth of etree, a decentralized integer record sharing assemblage that allowed users to stock lossless audio files implicit the net for the archetypal clip successful history. While this process was a spot clunky astatine first, it led to the infamous but short-lived Napster, with the modern time equivalent being Spotify and Apple Music, which galore of america person astatine our fingertips. Now, a 4th of a period later, it is estimated that carnal albums relationship for little than 10% of each euphony depletion successful the United States.

Just similar with the integer audio revolution, a caller monetary paradigm is not thing that volition hap overnight. New exertion is funny; One time a instrumentality shows up and a fewer radical commencement utilizing it, past each of a abrupt it becomes ingrained successful mundane life. Being an aboriginal adopter of tech myself, I retrieve the nonstop time the archetypal iPhone came out: June 29 2007. I was astatine a backyard enactment successful Oakland and idiosyncratic had conscionable gotten backmost from the Apple store with 1 of these shiny caller 21st period marvels, anxious to amusement disconnected their fancy caller gadget. All the guests stood successful awe arsenic we gazed upon a caller property of accusation access. Over the adjacent mates of years it seemed uncommon to conscionable idiosyncratic with 1 of these caller miniature supercomputers, with galore inactive favoring the Blackberry oregon adjacent flip phones. Then, successful what felt similar an each of a abrupt transformation, the smartphone became ingrained successful regular life. In 2022, the fig of smartphone users successful the satellite is 6.648 Billion, which is implicit 83% of the earth’s population. This fig is rather staggering erstwhile considering that the archetypal iPhone deed the signifier successful Cupertino conscionable 15 years ago.

Whether it comes to spending oregon saving, Bitcoin is objectively superior to authorities issued dollars. For audiophiles, Bitcoin is the FLAC to the .mp3 that is fiat currency. Just similar lossless audio cannot beryllium degraded, Bitcoin cannot beryllium debased, and its find has allowed america arsenic humans to contain, explicit and transportation worth successful specified a mode that is genuinely singular for our species. If we attraction astir the clip and vigor we expend arsenic individuals and arsenic a group, we should each request the quality to transact utilizing a currency that is not taxable to corruption, 1 that plays nary favorites, and treats each subordinate successful the web arsenic an equal. Blockware estimates that by 2030, we volition spot 10% of the planetary population utilizing Bitcoin. Whether oregon not this prediction comes existent is evidently yet to beryllium seen, but if it does, it mightiness not beryllium a atrocious thought to get acceptable for the modulation earlier it happens. The dollar is dying and the oligarchy is doing everything they tin to support their powerfulness to control the money. But this doesn’t mean we are destined for a de facto doom and gloom dystopian future.

There are things we tin bash right now to amended hole ourselves for the satellite we privation to unrecorded in. Are you funny successful however Bitcoin Core works? Run a afloat node. Do you person immoderate sats and privation to supply liquidity connected Lightning? Open Lightning Channels. Do you attraction astir our quality to wirelessly pass successful a decentralized and immutable manner? Operate a mesh network. Do you worth discrete transactions? Learn however to usage Bitcoin privately. Are you a developer? Develop connected Lightning. Do you tally a tiny business? Accept Bitcoin. By taking these tiny but almighty actions we tin signifier our world successful specified a mode that decreases economical friction, ensures self-sovereignty and sends a almighty connection to aboriginal generations: Keep what's important and cognize who's your friend.

This is simply a impermanent station by Patrick McCaughey. Opinions expressed are wholly their ain and bash not needfully bespeak those of BTC Inc. oregon Bitcoin Magazine.