The research unit of Arcane Crypto predicts the Lightning Network will go parabolic as adoption of the Bitcoin (BTC) layer-two payment protocol ramps up over the decade. Arcane Research published the “State of Lightning” report on Tuesday and analyzed the Lightning Network in terms of current capacity, wallet payment volume, the growing rate of adoption, and the switch from online services to everyday usage. The report provides ambitious estimates for the future of the Lighting Network, such as 90% of Salvadorans over the age of 15 having access to Lightning payments by 2026, and 50 million Lightning users, representing $17 …

Creditors from the now-defunct crypto exchange Mt. Gox have until Friday Japan time to vote on a rehabilitation plan that could pay back millions in lost Bitcoin (BTC). Figures including Blockstream founder Adam Back and former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès took to social media this week to remind crypto users of the looming deadline. Claimants representing more than half of the lost value of the Mt. Gox collapse as well as half of all creditors must vote for the proposed rehabilitation plan by Friday for all to receive compensation. The court will mark any missing votes as a “no” …

Crypto payments are becoming increasingly popular as Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets continue to go mainstream. This has become the case for both crypto holders and non-crypto owners who are primarily interested in the concept of using cryptocurrencies for payments. Recent data has found that 93% of crypto users surveyed would consider making purchases in crypto. The report further revealed that 59% of consumers who don’t hold crypto would be interested in using it to make purchases in the future. As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that major payment providers like Mastercard have been ramping up their …

Dfinity Foundation’s Internet Computer blockchain is bringing smart-contract capabilities to the Bitcoin (BTC) network, potentially opening the door to new use cases for the premier cryptocurrency. Internet Computer will utilize its so-called chain key cryptography to integrate with Bitcoin, paving the way for smart contracts with native BTC addresses that are hosted directly on Internet Computer, Dfinity Foundation announced Tuesday. “Internet Computer smart contracts will gain access to bitcoin liquidity, and Bitcoin will gain powerful new smart contract functionality, without the need for insecure and cumbersome trusted bridging services,” explained Dominic Williams, the founder and chief scientist of Dfinity Foundation. …

Credit rating agency Standard and Poor (S&P) Global believes the country of El Salvador has severely harmed its credit rating after enacting its Bitcoin Law recognizing Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender nationwide on Sept. 7. According to a report from Reuters Thursday, El Salvador’s Bitcoin embrace exposes its economy to significant financial risks and could pose challenges for the country’s lending industry. The credit agency also believes the move could also dampen El Salvador’s chances of securing a $1-billion loan agreement it is seeking from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “The risks associated with the adoption of bitcoin as legal …

AMC Entertainment will not only accept Bitcoin (BTC) payments for movie tickets by the end of 2022 but will also include other popular digital currencies in its crypto acceptance policy. Tweeting on Thursday, the company’s CEO, Adam Aron, announced plans for AMC to accept three other cryptocurrencies — Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). As previously reported by Cointelegraph, AMC initially unveiled plans to accept Bitcoin payments for online movie tickets before the end of the year. At the time, Aron said that moviegoers were eager to use crypto as payment means for tickets and concessions at AMC …

Peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange Paxful has integrated Lightning Network into its platform, giving its 7 million users access to near-instant Bitcoin (BTC) transfers. The new feature gives users the ability to send and receive BTC from their Paxful Wallet in a matter of seconds and with much lower fees than existing blockchain transactions, the company announced Tuesday. Paxful co-founder and CEO Ray Youssef described Bitcoin as “the best financial option” but acknowledged that scalability issues could be hindering adoption. He said Lightning Network is Bitcoin’s greatest chance of achieving the scalability needed to make microtransactions a reality. Related: Journeys in Blockchain: …

Bancoagrícola, El Salvador’s largest financial institution, is set to boost the country’s Bitcoin adoption policy following its partnership with digital payments gateway Flexa. According to an announcement by Flexa on Thursday, Bancoagrícola has inked a deal with the crypto payment network to enable Bitcoin (BTC) transfers for the bank’s customers, including retail and merchant clients. As part of the partnership, Bancoagrícola customers can make credit card payments denominated in United States dollars via Flexa or other Lightning Network-enabled wallets like Chivo and Éclair. According to the release, these payments will not attract any additional fees and will cover loans and …

Amid all the recent price volatility seen by Bitcoin (BTC) and the rest of the crypto market, news of social media behemoth Twitter reportedly getting ready to enable Bitcoin tipping for content creators went relatively unnoticed. Reports suggest that the latest Twitter iOS beta is being devised in a way that will help BTC become part of the company’s upcoming Tip Jar module. If implemented, the move could have a substantial impact on the global crypto landscape, as it might instill the confidence necessary for other companies operating within the social media space to follow suit. Merrick Theobald, vice president …

El Salvador’s recognition of Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender has opened up new payment options for its citizens, with fast-food empire McDonald’s reportedly accepting payments in the cryptocurrency through Lightning Network. Journalist Aaron van Wirdum broke the news Tuesday after he visited a McDonald’s restaurant in El Salvador, where he was presented with a printed QR code directing him to an invoice page on Lightning Network. McDonald’s had 19 locations across the Latin American country as of 2019. Just walked into a McDonald's in San Salvador to see if I could pay for my breakfast with bitcoin, tbh fully expecting …

Seety, a digital parking startup based in Belgium, has introduced crypto payment support for parking tickets. According to a report by DataNews on Thursday, the company, which is one of the firms bootstrapped by Belgian accelerator program Start it @KBC, has rolled out a crypto payment feature in Antwerp and Brussels. Beginning Thursday, Seety users will be able to use Bitcoin (BTC) to pay for parking tickets in both cities. In addition to Bitcoin, customers can also use cryptocurrencies such as Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Litecoin (LTC), as well as stablecoins like Dai and USD Coin …

After four years of debate, a five-star hotel in a luxurious area of the Swiss Alps is prepared to accept Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as payment from guests. According to an Aug. 26 report from Swiss news outlet Blick, guests at the Chedi Andermatt hotel are now allowed to settle bills of more than 200 Swiss francs — roughly $218 — using Bitcoin or Ether. Prices are still seemingly set in fiat to reduce any risk of volatility, with the hotel converting any cryptocurrency received immediately into francs. “We have long known that cryptocurrencies also have a future in …