I’ve been noticing a common bit of Lightning Network FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) among the lazy detractors of Bitcoin. It goes like this:

“If Lightning is so great, let’s try it out. It’s fast and cheap and can send micropayments? Send me 100 sats right now. Oh, you can’t send me that right now? So much for those instant micropayments!”

This is being intentionally obtuse while making it appear that a genuine attempt is being made to test if the Lightning Network works.

The Lightning Network can send real Bitcoin micropayments instantly at near zero fees once a payment channel is created. So under normal and the safest circumstances, you need to wait for the transaction that creates the channel to confirm before you can start sending micropayments at will. That being said, there are clever ways to send and receive Lightning payments as soon as the transaction is created, but it requires some trust of the other party. Life is full of compromises, so if the tradeoff is worth it for you, then go for it.

This FUD is a clear case of moving the goalposts. Using the Lightning Network isn’t quite the same as onboarding onto the Lightning Network. The FUDster wants you to believe that the initial onboarding is the same as the regular usage. Anyone who honestly studies the Lightning Network or attempts to use it understands that this is not the case.

Original image credit: https://static.coindesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-05-at-2.15.51-PM.png