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⚡ MeshLightning - payments over Bluetooth mesh when internet failsgithub.com/marinhotg/mesh-lightning
819 sats \ 6 comments \ @supratic 11h lightning
Lightning Network requires constant internet connectivity. This fails in rural areas, disasters, or unreliable infrastructure.
Mesh networking allows devices to connect and communicate directly with each other, forming a decentralized network where each device can relay messages. Mesh Lightning uses this to route payment information through nearby phones via Bluetooth until reaching an internet-connected node.
[Vendor OFFLINE] --Bluetooth--> [Customer OFFLINE] --Bluetooth--> [Gateway ONLINE] --> Lightning Network
Architecture
  • Lightning Node: LDK-based Lightning implementation
  • Mesh Network: Multi-hop Bluetooth relay system
  • Payment Queue: Offline transaction storage with auto-sync
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0 sats \ 4 replies \ @BeeRye 7h
hard for me to imagine this working based on my experience with lightning and the mesh network bluetooth apps i've used. Cool idea still, would be really interesting if someone made sending lightning payments of this sort over LoRa imo
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55 sats \ 3 replies \ @supratic OP 7h
Someone is playing with it, not sure specificly about LoRa, however is not teh first time I hear about sending bitcoin transactions with LoRa, here another one and an interestinng video. Juray ran a Cashu client over Reticulum
Not sure what are the limitations on doing the same for lightning transactions.
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0 sats \ 2 replies \ @BeeRye 6h
Mmm yes a local fedi or cashu mint that could swap tokens over bluetooth + LoRa that you could then cash out from when connection with broader internet is achieved is probably the most realistic.
I can see how one transaction could be broadcasted later to settle a payment you sent or received, but i don't see how you could do further commerce (ie, spend the lightning payment you received to someone else before coming back online), and maybe that is simply a limitation of this project.
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55 sats \ 1 reply \ @supratic OP 5h
local fedi or cashu mint that could swap tokens over bluetooth + LoRa that you could then cash out from when connection with broader internet is achieved is probably the most realistic.
Would be interesting to know if a cashu mint is operating exclusively in a close local mesh network, where's the need for it to connect to the internet? For example, let's say a mint start with 1M sats budget, go offline (from the internet), but still accessible in the mesh network from the ecash wallets. Ecash tokens can be generated and redeemed with no issue. The wallets only need to communicate with the cashu mint, not with the lightning node attached to it. Not sure if the same apply to fedirations.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BeeRye 5h
A truly closed loop economy but it is started with actual collateral..all using magic internet monies :)
Ya, that would be awesome to see in the wild. I think fedi can work the same way, can be offline and still process payments for users of the mint.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DarthCoin 10h
It's interesting, but not sure if will be so practical. I see many force closed channels from this if is used with public channels.
For a private LN with some private channels between participants (as I explained in this post #843264) maybe it will work and could have its usage.
[Vendor OFFLINE] --Bluetooth--> [Customer OFFLINE] --Bluetooth--> [Gateway ONLINE] --> Lightning Network
Much better is to use that mesh network for all to reach that internet gateway... like this one https://ncmesh.net
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