As Bitrefill reports, from now on users of the Coinbase exchange will be able to use the Lighting Network on their accounts.
We demonstrated the power of our new Thor API & Recharge services by adding Lightning Network capabilities to Coinbase before they did themselves. Read all about it at @BitcoinMagazine https://t.co/Ye4fvAaZCg
— Bitrefill (@bitrefill) June 25, 2019
This integration has been made possible by the Bitrefill service, Thor Lightning, an easy and fast service that gives access to the second layer payment network, that is Lightning Network. In practice, Thor Lightning automatically opens a payment channel that connects directly to the Bitrefill Lighting Network node.
In addition, Bitrefill has also launched Thor Turbo, the first product that allows users to avoid waiting for on-chain confirmation.
Furthermore, Bitrefill allows the use of some APIs, the ThorAPI, that exchanges can use to integrate Lightning directly into their platforms.
Bitrefill’s COO, John Carvalho, explained:
“We chose to demonstrate this new service by utilizing our pre-existing integration with Coinbase’s API for accounts to show how Bitrefill allows any crypto platform in the world to provide access to the Lightning Network whether they currently support Lightning technology internally or not. Lightning is about to allow exchanges to collaborate on instantly moving BTC over Lightning and to coordinate on the liquidity needed to make that possible. Soon, you will see major exchanges opening fat or wumbo channels with each other and with Bitrefill to unleash the power of Lightning even further”.
As the data show, there are currently over 8,000 Bitcoin nodes on the Lightning Network with over 34,000 channels and a current capacity of 944 Bitcoin (BTC).
