Is the Lightning Network bitcoin’s killer app? It might be, but there’s a long road ahead. One of the stops on that road is the possible inclusion of stablecoins. Does bitcoin need them? Aren’t there inherent counterparty risks with those? The debate over those questions rages on. And in their latest post, The Bitcoin Layer makes the case for this development to be crucial. Related Reading: An Interview with Ben Caselin on AAX- Lightning Network Integration and TARO Protocol Implementation According to The Bitcoin Layer, “a global capital market operating on top of bitcoin-denominated financial rails is inching closer with each new onramp.” And the Taro protocol and all of the assets it would bring to The Lightning Network is the mother of all onramps. However, the risks it brings forth are as big as the opportunities it presents. Let’s explore what The Bitcoin Layer has to say before jumping to conclusions. They might surprise us. Making Lightning Interoperable With Everything The first part of the article is about Magma, “a Lightning liquidity marketplace that allows nodes to buy and sell liquidity by leasing other network participant’s channels for a minimum specified period of time.” According to the articles, Magma’s existence proves “a structural demand for secondary markets of liquidity, where participants can buy and sell collateral as needed—eventually blossoming into a deep and liquid capital market.” Not only that, ...
