The Lightning Network (LN) is a rapidly growing second-layer payment protocol that works on top of Bitcoin to provide near-instantaneous transactions between two parties. With this practical guide, authors Andreas M. Antonopoulos, Olaoluwa Osuntokun, and Rene Pickhardt explain how this advancement will enable the next level of scale for Bitcoin, increasing speed and privacy while reducing fees. Ideal for developers, systems architects, investors, and entrepreneurs looking to gain a better understanding of LN, this book demonstrates why experts consider LN a critical solution to Bitcoin's scalability problem. You'll learn how LN has the potential to support far more transactions than today's financial networks. This book examines:How the Lightning Network addresses the challenge of blockchain scalingThe Basis of Lightning Technology (BOLT) standards documentsThe five layers of the Lightning Network Protocol SuiteLN basics, including wallets, nodes, and how to operate oneLightning payment channels, onion routing, and gossip protocolFinding paths across payment channels to transport Bitcoin off-chain from sender to recipient