lightning

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9b1-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F626eb441-fb89-4558-8da5-4c72aa6852ee_1600x900.gif)

***Bye bye 2025, hello 2026***. While the year was winding down, December didn’t take a holiday. It was another packed month for Breez, Bitcoin, and Lightning. Let’s dive in:

- 🎓 Welcome Class of Q4
- 👷‍♂️ A Great Time to Build
- ䷰ Stablecoins: ~~Revolution~~ Evolution
- ☕️ Lightning in the Wild
- 🎙️ Let’s Talk Breez

---

## **Welcome Class of Q4 🎓**
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uPEU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dcb12b4-70e8-4583-8a0b-a25497f7eaed_1400x800.jpeg)

2025 will be remembered by many as Lightning’s breakout year and we closed it out in style by [welcoming twelve new partners to the Breez SDK](https://blog.breez.technology/the-breez-sdk-the-class-of-q4-2025-cb3c747145eb).

In Q4, builders brought the SDK into crypto wallets, trading platforms, payroll, healthcare, and more. There was no single product category. That flexibility matters because it’s how bitcoin finds its way into every app.

Our Class of Q4 2025 included [Bitnomi](https://bitnomi.com/), [Blockschmiede](https://blockschmiede.com/), [Crinkl](https://crinkl.it.com/), [DGEN Technologies](https://www.dgentech.io/), [Flashnet](https://flashnet.xyz/), [Garden](https://garden.finance/), [Hodle](https://hodle.com.br/), [Layerz Wallet](https://layerzwallet.com/), [PaidIn](https://www.paidin.io/), [Quantum Vault](https://quantumencoding.io/), [SOUND HSA](https://soundhsa.com/), and [Split Loyalty](https://www.split-loyalty.com/).

For builders everywhere, it couldn’t be clearer: it’s no longer a question of *if* Lightning belongs in your app. It’s **when**. And the next step is [already obvious](https://breez.technology/sdk).

---

## **A Great Time to Build 👷‍♂️**
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rchl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F99bbb95d-09c3-4c20-99b7-75befc048703_2869x1470.png)

December marked the final stretch of our global developer challenge, [</time2build>](https://www.time2build.dev/).

Over the past few months, builders from all corners of the globe got involved. The end result was [long-lasting integrations across merchant tools, social apps, event platforms, crypto wallets, and more](https://geyser.fund/grants/time2build).

We saw just about everything in the challenge. And to be honest, that was the point. Give developers the tools to build, and they won’t disappoint.

Stay tuned as our prize winners will be announced shortly.

---

## **Stablecoins: ~~Revolution~~ Evolution ䷰**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rA6_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f27cf76-d66c-4f0b-83de-9c126b93edd3_1536x1024.png)

Stablecoins are having a *moment*.

They move fast, work globally, and have unlocked real utility. [Roy’s latest piece for Bitcoin Magazine](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/featured/stablecoins-evolution-not-a-revolution) doesn’t argue with that. It acknowledges it, then points out what often gets missed: stablecoins improve how today’s system works rather than redefine it.

The piece lays out why stablecoins were inevitable, why they’ve scaled as quickly as they have, and where the tradeoffs start to matter. From there, Roy draws a clear line between two very different paths. One optimizes how money moves inside today’s system. The other is entirely different: value transfer without issuers, permission, or legacy constraints.

If you’re thinking about where we should be heading, this one’s worth a read.

---

## **Lightning in the Wild ☕️**
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hsNJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd9d45176-d64e-4d23-8459-4be8282da23e_475x268.gif)

For this month’s Lightning in the Wild, we trekked to the West Coast to join Lightspark’s David Marcus buying an espresso.

He was using a freshly built demo app by Alex from the Lightspark team. He put it together in just “half a day”, despite **not** being an engineer *and* having **never** built an app before.

***That’s*** how easy it is to build with the Breez SDK.

https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1999486365093011796

---

## **Let’s Talk Breez 🎙️**
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6JIv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F377e5e61-0ce2-4d71-805d-c1b1ab04f644_220x140.gif)

December gave us plenty to talk about. So we did. Breez, Bitcoin, and Lightning. *As usual*.

First up, [Danny joined Michael on The Bitcoin Way Podcast](https://x.com/Thebitcoinway_/status/1997037552319307924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1997037552319307924%7Ctwgr%5Ee0bb2580e1591621f3b5ad40099e16165962d0ce%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notion.so%2F015-Feel-the-Breez-2bc7b1f3bc1a804aad86ff1ef08273d9%3Fd%3D2bd7b1f3bc1a80c480c9001ca762cd80pvs%3D52bc7b1f3bc1a80d79775e7ed272a8d0a). On the show, he laid out a future where bitcoin becomes part of everyday apps by focusing on its utility: [**value transfer**](https://blog.breez.technology/the-utility-of-bitcoin-moving-value-like-information-2513eae84676).

https://x.com/Thebitcoinway_/status/1997037552319307924

December also saw [Roy’s talk at Arkade Activation Day in Lugano released](https://rumble.com/v72la86-next-generation-wallets-roy-breez-francis-bull-bitcoin-gareth-layerzwallet.html). In the discussion alongside Francis from Bull Bitcoin and Gareth from Class of Q4 graduate LayerzWallet, the Breez CEO spoke about where the next generation of bitcoin-powered apps are headed.

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5u8K!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F06014098-0da9-4fa4-94d3-540cbbf8047e_2706x1526.png)

---

[That’s all for this month, folks.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qz1GMpOtUY)

Until then, remember: [*the best time to get into Lightning is now*](https://breez.technology/sdk/) — it always has been.

See y’all next time ✌️

December 2025 Newsletter. Feel the Breez 👀⚡️

bitcoin

Happy New Year folks!

Sharing the latest partners to bring bitcoin to their apps with the Breez SDK!


***

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*fFBygAvJia-7XGwG66q7yA.jpeg)

A year ago, [we talked about momentum](https://blog.breez.technology/breez-has-been-building-momentum-and-were-just-getting-started-06cf97c272ab) because things were moving fast and accelerating. But once a mass is moving, inertia comes into play too. An object in motion doesn’t want to stop, and the greater the mass, the more its motion is locked in.

In the case of Breez, the SDK might be the center of gravity, but our partners are undeniably our mass. They’re the ones who give us ideas on how to design new features. They’re the ones who are testing our product around the clock and around the world in [so](https://blog.breez.technology/the-breez-sdk-class-of-q2-2025-f6246c5da721) very [many](https://blog.breez.technology/the-breez-sdk-class-of-q3-2025-565356ef4335) diverse use cases. Our business is helping our partners to build theirs.

Indeed, the diversity of partners and use cases is what makes our SDK special. Our product has to work on wallets, trading platforms, bridging services, healthcare finance, payroll apps, and whatever else our partners dream up. And it does so reliably, securely, and at scale, as the examples below demonstrate.

So allow me to introduce the brilliant (and sizable!) cohort of partners to integrate the Breez SDK in Q4 2025. They’re the mass that gives us our energy.

# **Bitnomi**

**Frictionless finance is for everyone from Wall Street to the Global South**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*rJ0ojgAfVhWnBA9ajixWEQ.png)

The Global South is perhaps better known for natural beauty and diverse cultures than for frictionless finance. It’s hard to build economies unless money can flow freely. That’s why [Bitnomi](https://bitnomi.com/) is building self-custodial wallets with built-in pricing, settlement, and local off-ramps to give people access to bitcoin as everyday money in economies where banks and global fintechs underprovide. You gotta love the don’t-wait-for-it-just-build-it attitude! It’s how we build the Breez SDK and exactly what we’re building it for.

# **Blockschmiede**

**Combining the security of a cold hardware wallet with the convenience of a mobile hot wallet**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*B5SBPIw1SOGIekyXgKCtRQ.png)

For most people, phones have become their primary digital devices and the only kind of device they use for activities like banking and shopping. But the hot wallets on phones can’t usually match the security of an air-gapped hardware wallet. The engineers at [Blockschmiede](https://blockschmiede.com/index.html) have squared the circle by creating an NFC card that functions as a cold wallet but connects wirelessly and frictionlessly with users’ phones. Security meets convenience, powered by the Breez SDK.

# **Crinkl**

**Turning purchase receipts into bitcoin bonuses**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*auFUj3t8Z3kMmaUi9ko-TA.png)

An asset whose value grows the more you use it would be ideal — the more cake you eat, the more cake you have. Consumer data is worth something to merchants and advertisers, but it’s also worth something to the consumers who generate it. [Crinkl](https://crinkl.it.com/) lets users scan their receipts to generate an ever-growing database, which builders, researchers, and brands value and compensate with bitcoin going back to the consumers. It’s basically financial recycling in that it turns a transaction’s trash (i.e. the receipt) into bitcoin for more transactions: a great idea powered by the Breez SDK.

# **DGEN Tech**

**Minimizing friction and maximizing privacy in bitcoin-based retail sales**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*Dkpkq626jwy_xMd28bsgKA.jpeg)

KYC is a pain. Vendors accepting credit cards but not bitcoin is a pain. But as [DGEN Tech](https://www.dgentech.io/) is proving, neither is necessary. The concept is to give users a Visa card that they can top up and spend [privately](https://blog.breez.technology/spark-or-liquid-you-cant-go-wrong-with-the-breez-sdk-c553e035fc4d) through an app. Oh, and KYC? Yeah, that’s private too. Of course, the privacy DGEN Tech provides can only be as good as the privacy in the rest of their stack, so it’s a good thing their stack is built on the Breez SDK.

# **Flashnet**

**Trade anything on Bitcoin and leapfrog tradfi**

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*02kH5KnU1_wGwVkNz0BtAg.png)

It’s become almost [a cliché](https://from-the-outside.com/2022/06/29/things-worth-keeping-as-we-reinvent-finance/) among the cognoscenti that crypto is speedrunning the history of tradfi. But no trading floor or Bloomberg terminal can offer self-custody, instant liquidity, and the ability to build your own exchange products on an existing, thriving stack. That’s exactly what [Flashnet](https://www.flashnet.xyz/products/trading) offers, and they’re not reinventing traditional finance as much as they’re innovating products that the tradfi paradigm can’t even envision. And the keystone on which that versatility and innovation rest is the Breez SDK.

# **Garden**

**A massive, self-custodial bridge across chains**

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*NSnXx0Uf2F5tBe_Jsi4y7Q.png)

Bridges are marvels of engineering, and the bigger they are, the more impressive they get. [Garden](https://garden.finance/) is a leading bridging service that lets users move their bitcoin between chains without losing custody. And considering their scale, calling this service “Garden” is like calling the Pacific Ocean “pond.” They have moved over $2B in volume and claim to have saved their customers over six and a half years relative to legacy bridges. This Garden is so lush because it’s nourished by the rich soil of the Breez SDK.

# **Hodle**

**How Brazilians buy bitcoin**

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*JMa6bnWBtyJhgW4LOeiJdA.png)

Brazil is blessed with unparalleled natural beauty, great food, and widespread love for smart financial products. [Hodle](https://hodle.com.br/) lets Brazilians buy and sell bitcoin and DePix — a stablecoin pegged to the real and issued on Liquid — with all the privacy and security users need. That means document-free, private, encrypted KYC and self-custody. Hodle leverages the Breez SDK to make bitcoin flow like the Amazon.

# **LayerzWallet**

**Many Bitcoin layers, one wallet to bind them**

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*z_v5Ks6XuEIBj6mUvnamVw.png)

Bitcoin is growing in quantity (slowly), in value (rapidly), and in features (faster than you can blink). Many of those features are enabled by new layers built on top of or around the base protocol, which can make for a dense, complicated UX. [LayerzWallet](https://layerzwallet.com/) counteracts complexity with simplicity, letting users move between and act across layers in one intuitive interface. There are few problems in the world that can’t be mitigated with good design, good design is LayerzWallet’s raison d’être, and the Breez SDK is what lets them build cleverly and beautifully.

# **PaidIn**

**Bringing the circular economy to the real economy**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*YSE1fDz0R8Z1l3GmiMIiGQ.jpeg)

Many people spend fiat because they’re paid in fiat, so if they were paid in bitcoin, it would be a huge step toward a circular bitcoin economy. But that won’t happen until the employers paying them have a reliable, familiar way to manage their payroll, invoices, taxes, and general cash flow on bitcoin. [PaidIn](https://www.paidin.io/) gives enterprises exactly that: full payroll automation in bitcoin, advanced tax reporting, multinational employee onboarding, compliance tooling, etc. The service is only available in the USA and Canada (for now), but once they expand PaidIn might be both a Breez partner and supplier.

# **Quantum Vault**

**Hodling, trading, AI: all good things go together**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*Q3zVx6YVDtq-dcxColpEsw.png)

People who are into Bitcoin and crypto generally like watching money grow, which also means that they’re probably into trading. But they also need somewhere to store their stacks. [Quantum Vault](https://quantumencoding.io/) combines those interests and turbocharges them: users get a self-custodial wallet as well as next-gen trading tools that they can operate manually or automate with AI trained on strategy. It’s an app for power users who want to make the most of their money, and the quantum leap is sprung by the Breez SDK.

# **SOUND HSA**

**Look after yourself by looking after your money**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*BH4MHF1EOr7T8eo3kdJ1hg.png)

In some countries, people can obtain healthcare without ever seeing a bill, and in others some bad news from a doctor can inflict serious financial injuries. [SOUND HSA](https://soundhsa.com/) is helping people in the latter category prepare for the worst (or even just the not-great) by giving them access to a bitcoin-based health savings account designed to triple the tax advantages. And beyond helping people prepare for medical misfortune, SOUND HSA offers rewards to users who avoid such misfortunes in the first place with healthy habits. Making the world a better place has always been a guiding principle at Breez, and we’re thrilled to see our SDK realize that principle in ways we never imagined.

# **Split Loyalty**

**Making point-of-sale bitcoin payments a win-win for customers and merchants**
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*2HrKuQqfuXbgun2nc3QdhA.png)

Many customers would like to hodl their bitcoin to watch it appreciate; many merchants would like to accept bitcoin to watch it appreciate. A payment platform that let merchants give users some cash back when paying with bitcoin would align their interests and leave everyone better off (except the banks and credit card companies — boo hoo). That’s [Split Loyalty](https://www.split-loyalty.com/Landing-page). They started by improving merchants’ UX by lowering the cost of ACH payments, and now they’re improving everyone’s UX by making bitcoin payments better for everyone, and they’re doing it with the Breez SDK.

Breez announces 12 new SDK partners ⚡️ 👀

Happy New Year folks!

Sharing Breez's latest release below:

> Payments are now up to 4.5× faster, with near-instant performance for most use cases.

Check out the release notes: https://github.com/breez/spark-sdk/releases/tag/0.6.6

***

# Features & Bug Fixes
* Improved payment performance
* Added expiration support for BOLT11 invoices
* Emitted events for token payments and incoming HTLCs

New Release: Breez SDK - Nodeless (Spark Implementation) 0.6.6 ⚡️

**Stablecoins are an evolution. *Not a revolution*.**

They solve real problems for millions, but inherit the limits of the system they’re built on.

Bitcoin is different because it enables something else entirely: digitally native, borderless value transfer.

In his latest for Bitcoin Magazine, @roy lays out the benefits of stablecoins, their limitations, and why Bitcoin’s utility goes far beyond fiat-based system.

***

# Stablecoins: Evolution, not a Revolution

Technologies tend to have a natural ceiling built into their utility and popularity. Once they’ve solved all the problems they can solve, their growth is effectively capped. As soon as all potato fans own a potato peeler, the peeler market’s growth potential is largely tapped out. Indeed, the big question around AI at the moment is how many problems it will be able to solve. The market could already be overblown, or it could be practically limitless.

What about stablecoins? They’ve grown from practically nothing at the turn of the decade to a market cap in the mid-12 digits and monthly transaction volumes in excess of $1 trillion. Citigroup expects the aggregate stablecoin market cap to hit around [$2 trillion](https://www.citigroup.com/rcs/citigpa/storage/public/GPS_Report_Stablecoins_2030.pdf) by the end of the decade.

If we’re talking trillions, it sounds much more like AI than potato peelers.

But do stablecoins have a natural limit? Is their utility restricted to a certain range of problems? How far can stablecoins grow, and what might stop them?

In order to find answers to these questions, let’s recall why stablecoins have come so far already, what will limit their future growth, and what that means for their overall utility, i.e. the range of problems they can solve.

# **Why Stablecoins Gained Market Traction**

Three reasons for stablecoins’ current popularity stand out.

### **Stable Prices, Low Volatility**

The first reason is price stability. Many cryptocurrencies are volatile, which makes them valuable for speculation but awkward to use as everyday currencies. The value of stablecoins is, well, stable. By definition. Price stability is their fundamental value proposition.

Price stability is also arguably an advantage relative to other cryptocurrencies whose value is perpetually expected to rise. If your coins’ value will double in five years, you might be reluctant to spend them now. But if your coins will be worth the same or even a little less in five years, you better spend them before they burn a hole in your pocket.

### **Greater Portability**

The second is portability. Exchanging fiat for crypto can be arduous, but exchanging one crypto for another is usually much easier. So many users find it more efficient to convert fiat into stablecoins in bulk, then easily shift value between various cryptocurrencies as needed. [USDT is the most traded coin overall](https://www.tradingview.com/markets/cryptocurrencies/prices-most-traded/) because it works so well on the other side of any crypto trade.

In many markets, these first two factors reinforce each other. Many countries’ national currencies depreciate more rapidly than stablecoins’ pegged currencies, so stablecoins give people in those countries a way to protect their wealth from depreciation. And those same countries often use currency controls to prevent capital flight, but their citizens can often access stablecoins to circumvent those artificial barriers.

### **Tax Optimization**

The third reason is simply taxes. [Many jurisdictions](https://www.binance.com/en/academy/articles/how-is-crypto-taxed-in-different-countries) — including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia — classify cryptocurrencies as commodities rather than currencies. As a result, capital gains taxes apply to cryptocurrency price appreciation, so each transaction can be a taxable event. But many users and businesses might want to use crypto for its portability, like payment rails, so stablecoins’ price stability helps them avoid taxable events during routine payments.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*J6jzHhForQFP44Gh41t65Q.png)

# **You Can’t Copy State Money without State Rules**

Fiat currency is the modern state’s crown jewel. Beyond a national currency’s symbolic value, controlling the source of everyone’s money is a very advantageous position. For an impression of what a big deal this can be, rewatch [Ridley Scott’s Black Rain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woY1UH9Ki28) (it’s a great rewatch for any reason, not least of which is Michael Douglas rockin’ a killer mullet).

If stablecoins are minting hundreds of billions of fiat equivalents and moving trillions in value each month, the state is going to take a very close interest in what they’re doing and how. You can’t open your own private mint moving that kind of liquidity and hope to stay under the regulatory radar.

Besides, history shows that states will regulate whatever they can. They have to. Any activity they cannot regulate implicitly threatens their claim to authority, and they don’t actually produce anything (besides perhaps regulation), so they need to acquire resources. In order to take their cut from an activity, states have to first quantify and control (i.e. regulate) that activity. This is the kind of argument that led Charles Tilly, one of the last century’s most respected historical sociologists, to call states “[protection rackets](https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511628283.008)” and “organized crime.”

Centralized activity is also why [states preferred tariffs over taxes](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2706885) until pretty recently. Back when bureaucracies were small and populations were spread out, states found it very hard to tax income. They didn’t have the data to quantify it nor the technology to control it. So they preferred tariffs because there are far fewer ports and bridges than there are households and shops.

In other words, the more centralized an activity is, the easier it is to quantify and control (and skim of course). More concisely: centralization attracts regulation. And the more central an activity is to state power, the more incentive the state has to regulate it, and printing money is about as central as it gets.

Stablecoins are no exception. They are centralized both in terms of the source of their value and in their actual operations, which is why regulators have been busy churning out rules lately. While that regulation might even be necessary and wise, it does and will limit stablecoins’ utility.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*U7gdB65OnyKvvr49kgJ_9Q.png)

### **Rules, Their Effects, and Extrapolating the Future**

The supply of regulation has increased a lot recently, but maybe it’s just meeting demand. In fact, Tether and Circle, the two biggest stablecoin issuers, are getting involved in the regulatory process with [different strategies](https://margex.com/en/blog/tether-seeks-legitimacy-as-it-hires-white-houses-former-crypto-advisor/). They’re aware of their position as private USD mints and companies that take large amounts of private deposits and reinvest them (i.e. banks). Mature stablecoin issuers seem to *want* regulation.

The regulators themselves argue that stablecoin regulation is a good thing because it protects users and gives issuers “[more predictable regulatory environments](https://www.sec.gov/files/stablecoin_regulatory_framework.pdf).” Not surprisingly, this is the view of the SEC.

And this reasoning is not without merit. Companies managing hundreds of billions in liabilities should be able to meet those liabilities, and maybe someone should check. But the existing regulations have added some massive obstacles to where and how people can use stablecoins.

Let’s start with Europe, because regulatory legalese is the EU’s official language. The [Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA)](https://www.esma.europa.eu/esmas-activities/digital-finance-and-innovation/markets-crypto-assets-regulation-mica) is the key stablecoin regulatory measure in Europe. It became law in 2023, but the consequences only really struck in Q1 2025. Since MiCA requires stablecoin issuers to obtain an e-money license in at least one European state, [major exchanges](https://cointelegraph.com/learn/articles/binance-stablecoin-delisting-in-europe) like Binance and Coinbase delisted nine leading stablecoins, including USDT, the biggest stablecoin of all. (Of course, [a consortium](https://blogs.law.ox.ac.uk/oblb/blog-post/2025/11/europes-mica-moment-racing-against-time-stablecoin-wars) of nine too-big-to-fail European banks is trying to launch their own euro-pegged stablecoin.)

MiCA was a regulatory nuke, practically banning leading stablecoins and seeking to replace them with astroturfed European alternatives.

Somewhat more friendly to experimentation and innovation, the USA has implemented the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins ([GENIUS](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1582)) Act. GENIUS is a little more permissive in that the Treasury Department can determine that foreign stablecoin issuers are subject to sufficient regulation at home, sparing them the need for a local US presence. It also prescribes a few particulars like reserve requirements and public disclosure.

While the GENIUS Act formally restricts issuers and protects users, it also makes issuers subject to the Bank Secrecy Act to prevent money laundering. As anyone knows who’s ever bought crypto on an exchange, AML and KYC are significant friction, and they effectively restrict how holders can use stablecoins. Eliminating exactly that friction was one of the features that made stablecoins attractive in the first place. Greater consumer protection might increase stablecoins’ utility in the long-term aggregate, but a user who wants to buy and trade USDT right now might disagree.

And while the EU and the USA are arguably the most important markets for stablecoins, [many other markets either](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/pla02-stablecoin-regulation-globally/) have regulations in place (e.g. Japan, Canada, Chile) or in the pipeline (e.g. the UK, China, Australia, Brazil, Turkey).

Imagine a giant Venn diagram of all these regulatory regimes, and stablecoins’ utility is in the space where they all overlap and the activity remains economical. How big is that space? And given that stablecoins are pegged to national currencies, which national administrations guard jealously, are these already diverse regulatory regimes likely to converge or diverge in the future?

The denser the jungle of regulations, the smaller and more isolated the clearings where stablecoins can flourish. They will still have a niche, but some niches are more niche than others. It’s unlikely that any stablecoin, based on a national or even regional fiat currency, will satisfy all the regulators in all the markets necessary to become a global currency. That’s probably why real-world stablecoin usage ends up being far more geographically constrained than the “global digital dollars” many hoped for. Even USDT, the most widely used stablecoin, operates at scale in only a few permissive jurisdictions. With roughly 40% of USDT’s market cap and an effectively identical product, USDC faces the same structural limits.

# **Good as Far as They Go, but Bitcoin Can Go Farther**

So stablecoins are centralized fiat tokens. Being centralized and *tethered* to state fiat means that regulators are grasping them tightly, resulting in cost and friction for everyone involved. This process is already well underway and will continue. Does this mean that stablecoins are doomed?

Probably not. As tokenized fiat, stablecoins are likely to thrive wherever fiat is good enough. In practice, that means conventional payments. I recently defined payments as [instructions to clear a debt](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/the-utility-of-bitcoin-moving-value-like-information). Wherever an intermediated quid pro quo describes the interaction, stablecoins will probably work as the quid. Indeed, the potential to capture some of the payment business from other fintech solutions (or to defend their own) is probably why established fintech players like [Klarna](https://www.klarna.com/international/press/klarna-launches-klarnausd-as-stablecoin-transactions-hit-usd27-trillion/), [PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/us/digital-wallet/manage-money/crypto/pyusd), and [Stripe](https://cointelegraph.com/news/stripe-announces-stablecoin-financial-accounts) have launched their own stablecoins or stablecoin accounts. Stablecoins are turning into normal payment fintech, but maybe *just* normal payment fintech.

*Normal* means subject to state regulations and the functional and geographic limits they impose. It means juicy fees going to intermediaries. It means friction for users.

But there is a whole universe of value that eludes the payment model either because it requires direct, disintermediated transfers, it disregards political geography, there is no debt involved, or *all of the above*. The potential for value transfer is sometimes hard to see because the balkanized, intermediated payment paradigm is so dominant. We’ve simply lacked the technology to do much else until recently.

Still, whenever you toss some coins to a busker or tip a content creator, you’re pushing value, not clearing debt. Whenever cash moves from hand to hand, the transfer is disintermediated. Now imagine the busker is on the other side of the globe, and you discovered them through an app. The key to perceiving the rest of that value-transfer universe is to bring that directness and borderlessness into our digital world.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*5_eKfGc6rKhVaWfns2rABg.gif)

Value transfer needs less friction than fiat in both a technical and regulatory sense. But to achieve that, you’d need a currency that is detached from national currencies and *decentralized*. That’s where bitcoin comes in. Bitcoin is an open, decentralized, neutral monetary network that works for anyone, anywhere, anytime. If stablecoins have to get by in the clearings of the regulatory jungle, bitcoin floats breezily and limitlessly in the sky above.

Bitcoin was built on and for the internet, so it is natively programmable in ways that stablecoins can only vaguely approximate. And far from needing third-party custodians, bitcoin transfers are direct and disintermediated between the millions of users everywhere. The future stablecoins promise without much credibility is already the present for bitcoin.

# **It’s Easier to Win the Race without Hurdles**

[Utility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility) is one of the central concepts in economics because it’s the mystic substance of decision making. People choose what they find most useful, and you know what’s most useful because it’s what people have chosen.

People are using stablecoins, which proves their utility. That usefulness isn’t going to go away, but regulation limits it. Stablecoins’ growth will stop where their utility is roughly matched by the friction that regulation induces. And the current state and probable future of regulation suggest that we’re getting pretty close to this equilibrium.

But since Bitcoin is not centralized and does not feed off state-based fiat currency, it is inherently harder to regulate and consequently attracts much less regulation. It’s also digitally native, which makes it a natural fit for a world of global commerce and value that flows frictionlessly across borders from one app anywhere to another. If regulation is what limits stablecoins’ utility and bitcoin is subject to much less regulation, it’s pretty clear who’s going to win the utility race.

Stablecoins: Evolution, not a Revolution by Roy Sheinfeld

Builders 👋

We're into the home stretch of the ```</time2build>``` challenge.

If you're working on an integration, make sure to get it submitted.

If you're still sitting on the sidelines, what are you waiting for? 

Here's some inspo:
https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1998402200825970923

It's time to build ⚡️

***

Builders, let’s go.

- Turn any existing open-source app into a bitcoin app with the Breez SDK.

- $25,000 prize pool with special prizes

- **Challenge ends December 16**

Start here → https://www.time2build.dev/


Devs, the </time2build> challenge ends soon 🔜 👀


**November was big. Lightning went mainstream.**

Read all about it in the latest edition of Feel the Breez:
https://newsletter.breez.technology/p/014-feel-the-breez


***

# 🌊 #014 Feel the Breez

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BL98!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83204dfb-5b21-49bc-8607-e7d8fd1cf3f9_1600x900.gif)

Lightning hit the mainstream in November, and the momentum keeps building as we head into the last month of 2025. One thing is clear. There’s never been a better time to build on Bitcoin, so let’s jump in:

- 🚀 Lightning Goes Mainstream
- 👀 Spark or Liquid?
- ⚒️ It’s (Still) Time to Build
- 🥗 Bringin(g) Bitcoin to Everyday Life
- ⚡️ Amsterdam & Why Lightning

---

## **Lightning Goes Mainstream 🚀**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59n2!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac4b0bca-9d8e-481b-8bc0-3c25294d32ea_796x648.png)

It’s official folks: **Lightning is now mainstream.**

[Square just enabled bitcoin for *FOUR MILLION* merchants across the US](https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1988313617205166250). Four million more reasons for developers to pay more attention.

For developers everywhere the message really couldn’t be clearer: if your app doesn’t have Lightning yet, you’re going to be left behind. And if history is anything to go by, **the clip below** is a perfect preview of what happens when you ignore a seismic shift like this.

The *good news* is that it’s easy to catch up. The [Breez SDK](https://breez.technology/sdk) gives you everything a developer needs to add Lightning to any app. Minimal effort. Maximum flexibility. Start building today and join the future of bitcoin-powered apps.

---

## **Spark or Liquid? 👀**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HRP3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa58f29bf-d1b0-44bb-8b4a-b96f569a6294_722x722.png)

We get this question a lot: *What’s the best Breez SDK implementation? Spark or Liquid?*

**Our answer: You can’t go wrong with the Breez SDK.**

Choosing between our Spark and Liquid implementations is a developer’s dream dilemma. That’s why [Roy has broken things down in his latest post](https://blog.breez.technology/spark-or-liquid-you-cant-go-wrong-with-the-breez-sdk-c553e035fc4d), walking through the differences between the [two Nodeless implementations](https://breez.technology/sdk), and how each one unlocks different superpowers for your app.

Bitcoiners know the value of being early. Bitcoin is still young and reshaping global finance. Lightning is younger and reshaping Bitcoin. Spark and Liquid are *even* younger, and they’re finally turning bitcoin into the peer-to-peer electronic cash the world has been waiting for.

Choose Spark if you want instant settlement and offline support. Choose Liquid if privacy is your priority. Either way, the best move is to start building now because the future belongs to the developers who don’t wait for tomorrow.

---

## **It’s (Still) Time to Build ⚒️**

https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1995870823371210776

Builders around the world continued to answer the call for `</time2build>`.

As the challenge progresses, [submissions are starting to roll in](https://geyser.fund/grants/time2build). We’ve already seen integrations across events, gaming, Nostr, and more.

The global meetups haven’t slowed down either. Developers are still gathering across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia as they look for inventive ways to bring bitcoin to existing open-source apps. And just in case you thought you’d missed the boat, there are still two weeks left, with submissions closing on **December 16**.

You know the drill by now. [It’s time to build](https://www.time2build.dev/).

---

## **Bringin(g) Bitcoin to Everyday Life 🥗**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fOs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6323e98f-0703-468d-b778-75ccea1a6f24_480x270.gif)

For this month’s Lightning in the wild, we’re heading over to Europe.

[Bringin](https://t.co/fB1catWPEi) is freshly out of beta and ready to make bitcoin part of everyday life for Europeans. Since their release in October, we’ve seen a wave of videos showing the app in action.

Bitcoin in every app, used every day. *Let’s go.*

---

## **Amsterdam & Why Lightning? ⚡️**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Hpp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04042a3d-4fff-489f-aa1e-9027cc1a235a_640x426.gif)

November saw Roy head over to Europe for the Bitcoin Conference in Amsterdam. He kicked things off with a [Q&A hosted by Shinobi on unlocking Bitcoin’s utility to make value move like information](https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1988979722014077397/).

![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Oy0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95dc1ac8-4f69-4ab1-8fce-b1d469399825_1200x900.jpeg)

Later, on the Oranje stage, [he joined Jesse Shrader (Amboss) and Veronika Kütt (Arkade) for a panel on the user experience of bitcoin payments](https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1994425298805240295), where he reinforced what is fast becoming the mainstream view: [**Lightning is the common language of bitcoin**](https://blog.breez.technology/lightning-is-the-common-language-of-the-bitcoin-economy-eb8515341c11) as the technology moves into the spotlight.

With Lightning front and center, the online conversation followed the same energy as our partners took to social media to answer a simple question: “*Why Lightning?*”.

Have a read of what they had to say 👀

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yI_F!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88928fbc-5400-45d4-8189-82eecd605289_1024x1024.gif)

---

[That’s all for this month, folks.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qz1GMpOtUY)

Until then, remember: [*the best time to get into Lightning is now*](https://breez.technology/sdk/) — it always has been.

See y’all next time ✌️

***

Breez November Newsletter: Lightning Goes Mainstream, </time2build>, and more ⚡️

Stacker_Sports

Real Betis beat Sevilla FC (0-2)

Carresan

https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1994425298805240295

> *Square flipped Lightning on for 4 million merchants. Kraken, Coinbase, Binance already use it daily. Roy Sheinfeld (Breez) and Jesse Shrader (Amboss) discuss the real hurdles and what's coming up in the future. Hosted by Veronika Kuett (Ark Labs).*


Don't Sleep on Lightning - Discussion @ Bitcoin Amsterdam

We have a new Breez SDK update 👀

Want to implement atomic swaps on Spark? You now can with HTLC support.

**Check the release notes for more updates and the latest features.**

***
# Breez SDK Spark 0.5.1 Latest

## Features & Bug Fixes
* Added support for manual acceptance of HTLCs for atomic cross-chain swaps
* Added a recommended-fees endpoint
* Added idempotency-key checks to Bitcoin and Spark payments
* Enabled concurrent token operations

***

Breez SDK - Nodeless [Spark Implementation] | New Release: 0.5.1 👀

For folks that weren't in Lugano and missed this panel.

A good discussion on Lightning as the common language of Bitcoin.

> Join moderator Giacomo Zucco as he leads a technical and strategic discussion on "Lightning as the common language of Bitcoin."
>
> Speakers:
>
> • Roy Sheinfeld (Breez)
> • Marco Argentieri (Arkade)
> • Federico Tenga (Bitfinex)
> • Kilian Rausch (Boltz)
>
> [You can watch a clip from the full panel here.](https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1991900267252461781)

https://stacker.news/items/571253




Lightning as the Common Language of Bitcoin | Panel @ Plan B Lugano

I'm Miles Suter, Bitcoin Product Lead at Block, AMA!

MilesSuter

No question, just a big shoutout to the Block team!

Really impressive launch. A **lot** of marketers our world should take notice.

Enabling bitcoin for four million more merchants. Awesome.

# Breez SDK - Nodeless [Spark Implementation]

## Notable Updates 
* [Enabled private mode](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/guide/config.html#private-mode-enabled-by-default) by default (balance & transactions are hidden from public explorers) 
* Introduced seamless real-time sync across multiple devices and apps
* Added nostr zaps support (requires public mode [for now](https://github.com/breez/spark-sdk/pull/389))
* Added C# language bindings
* Added support for [BTKN token issuance](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/guide/tokens.html)

**Note**: apps that require public explorers for monitoring transactions should change the default [private mode](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/guide/config.html#private-mode-enabled-by-default).

New Release: Breez SDK - Nodeless [Spark Implementation] 👀⚡️

> **Lightning is the common language of Bitcoin** ⚡
> New subnetworks are emerging to offer different last-mile solutions, and Breez is where it all comes together. 50+ partners already use the Breez SDK to move value with Lightning.
> ***But which implementation is best for you?***
> In his latest post, @roy breaks down the advantages of the [Spark](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/) and [Liquid](https://sdk-doc-liquid.breez.technology/) implementations.

***

# Spark or Liquid? You Can’t Go Wrong with the Breez SDK

Fettucini or udon? Ramen or vermicelli? Many choices in life are between two things that are both great but just different enough to present a dilemma.

The [Breez SDK — Nodeless](https://breez.technology/sdk/) also has two flavors, and they’re both delicious. Choosing between the Spark and Liquid implementations of the Breez SDK is a developer’s dream dilemma. We released [the Liquid implementation](https://blog.breez.technology/to-help-bitcoin-flow-were-adding-some-liquid-to-the-breez-sdk-b56c14b0c9b0) of the Breez SDK last year. [The Spark implementation](https://blog.breez.technology/breez-spark-a-new-way-to-build-on-bitcoin-5abc3fb515cb) went into public beta a few weeks ago. Both are attracting attention and adoption, as the [most recent cohort](https://blog.breez.technology/the-breez-sdk-class-of-q3-2025-565356ef4335) of SDK partners shows, so both have proven themselves in solving real-world problems.

# **Many Implementations; Lightning is the Goal**

Thanks to new last-mile technologies, like Ark, Fedimint, Cashu, Liquid, and Spark, bitcoin is finally coming into its own as a medium of exchange. And Lightning is what’s making this evolution possible. As [the common language of Bitcoin](https://blog.breez.technology/lightning-is-the-common-language-of-the-bitcoin-economy-eb8515341c11), Lightning is what lets all these new technologies talk to each other and to the Bitcoin mainnet.

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*7RKDKyg4eJmcFW0hyQCuZw.png)

New last mile technologies are helping bitcoin thrive as a MoE.

This growth is entirely positive, and we support it. Breez has been in the Lightning business since the beginning, and fostering its utility and spread as the common language of Bitcoin is the purpose of all our SDK implementations. We [once dreamt of UX improvements](https://blog.breez.technology/lightning-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-overcoming-bitcoins-ux-challenges-5738171c759e) like Lightning addresses and LNURL protocol support on top of basic functions like sending and receiving payments and on-chain interoperability. Our SDK implementations r̵e̵a̵l̵i̵z̵e̵ exceed these dreams and bring them within the grasp of all developers. They turn yesterday’s fantasy into today’s reality.

Breez has already released three SDK implementations: two Nodeless implementations based on [Liquid](https://sdk-doc-liquid.breez.technology/) and [Spark](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/) as well as a Native implementation based on Greenlight. But our laboratory never closes, and our roadmap includes further implementations to leverage other subnetworks and their specific utility profiles. And though we have since deprecated our Native Greenlight implementation, we’re actively working on a replacement based on [LDK](https://lightningdevkit.org/). If there’s a way to improve the Bitcoin UX with Lightning, we’re probably working on it or we’ve already built it.

Still, as the field of subnetworks and SDK implementations expands, developers are faced with the dilemma of what to choose. We added a Spark implementation because it offers different advantages and tradeoffs than our Liquid implementation. But our Liquid implementation is live and beloved because it remains the right fit for many use cases.

So our goal here is to give developers a sense of each implementation’s strengths and help them answer the question they’re asking themselves (and frequently ask us): *which Breez SDK implementation should I choose — Spark or Liquid?*

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*AbAtU-OG-2BPxtkwRdTg-w.png)

Both flavors of our SDK offer a “Michelin star” experience. [[Image: ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/)]

# **Spark: State(chain)-of-the-Art**

Spark, a new Bitcoin L2 introduced by [Lightspark](https://www.lightspark.com/), lets developers move bitcoin and stablecoins instantly and at low cost. Spark lets multiple users share a common UTXO managed by a group of operators called a Spark Entity. When you join a Spark, you deposit funds into a jointly controlled address and pre-sign a withdrawal so you can always unilaterally exit. Each payment updates the shared state with a new pre-signed transaction, creating a branching history of ownership where each finalized state is a “leaf.” Old keys are deleted after every update, ensuring only the latest state is valid. This setup enables trust-minimized, off-chain payments without changing the base UTXO. However, the [trust assumptions](https://docs.spark.money/learn/trust-model) it introduces are different from the Lightning Network.

### **Native L2**

Spark keeps bitcoin as bitcoin. Unlike Liquid, which converts BTC into a wrapped form known as L-BTC, Spark transfers the native asset directly within its statechain, preserving bitcoin’s on-chain integrity while enabling off-chain scalability.

### **No Minimum Amount**

Spark has no minimum transaction amount, making it ideal for low-value, high-volume activity such as nostr zaps. This distinguishes Spark from networks like Liquid, which impose a minimum transaction fee (currently 0.1 sats/vByte) to mitigate DoS attacks, which is a design choice that limits support for the smallest micropayments.

### **Unilateral Exits**

When joining a Spark Entity, users pre-sign an exit transaction that lets them unilaterally withdraw their funds on-chain at any time without requiring permission from the Spark Entity. While the cost to exit depends on factors like the transaction history and current on-chain fees, this capability is crucial for ensuring users can always reclaim their bitcoin independently.

### **Instant Settlement**

Spark’s statechain design doesn’t rely on block confirmations, so transfers settle as soon as they’re executed. By contrast, networks like Liquid require transactions to be included in a block, which typically occurs every minute under normal conditions.

### **Offline Receive**

One longstanding UX obstacle in Lightning is that the recipient needs to be online to claim their funds. There are workarounds using mobile notifications (which we’ve introduced as part of our Liquid implementation) to wake apps, but a workaround is always just a workaround.

[Become a member](https://miro.medium.com/v2/da:true/39309aa989a0b10efa2291d777f51465d571981b6b92231e51a0846a592cb403)

Spark shines with a means for recipients to [receive funds when they’re offline](https://docs.spark.money/learn/lightning), and it does so without jury-rigging notifications or gumming up the network’s liquidity with payments frozen in transit. It’s a UX improvement for users and operators alike.

### **Stablecoins & Tokens via BTKN**

Spark supports [BTKN](https://docs.spark.money/learn/tokens/hello-btkn), a token protocol based on [LRC-20](https://github.com/akitamiabtc/lrc-20), enabling users to issue, trade, and transfer stablecoins and other digital assets directly on the Spark network. This integration extends Spark’s utility beyond bitcoin payments, allowing seamless movement of different asset types while maintaining the same trust-minimized and self-custodial design.

Although the Breez Spark SDK is still in public beta, several apps have already adopted it for a diverse spectrum of use cases. It’s new, but it’s not untested, and we’re excited to see what new applications devs might come up with. If you have any questions, we have [more documentation available](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/), and we’re always ready to [answer questions](https://breez.technology/sdk/) and learn with you.

# **Liquid: Privacy with a Side(chain) of Bitcoin**

Unlike Spark’s tree-structured statechain, Liquid is a sidechain — a separate network that runs its own blockchain. It’s operated by a federation of functionaries who take turns proposing and signing blocks and managing the peg between BTC and its sidechain asset, L-BTC.

Although Liquid uses a wrapped form of bitcoin, its integration with Lightning is seamless. Through the Breez SDK, users can send and receive Lightning payments via submarine swaps between L-BTC and BTC, enabling fast, private, and cost-efficient transfers.

### **Confidential Transactions**

Privacy is one of Liquid’s biggest strengths. Through [Confidential Transactions](https://blog.liquid.net/guide-to-confidential-transactions/), the amounts and types of assets being transferred are hidden from everyone except the sender and receiver. This ensures strong financial privacy while maintaining verifiable transaction integrity. The privacy Liquid offers surpasses many other crypto solutions as well as virtually anything fiat and conventional fintech can offer.

### **Native USDT**

Beyond L-BTC, Liquid also offers native USDT support (issued by Tether). Just as the intersection between Liquid and Lightning is seamless, the Breez SDK performs seamless atomic swaps between USDT and L-BTC to make all assets on Liquid feel at home. Liquid also facilitates the creation of [new assets and tokens](https://docs.liquid.net/docs/liquid-features-and-benefits#asset-issuance-on-liquid), which could recommend it for remittance apps, in-game currencies, reward points, and attested assets.

### **BOLT 12 & BIP 353 Functionality**

The Breez SDK also makes Liquid compatible with new and useful Bitcoin innovations, like [BIP 353](https://bitcoin.design/guide/how-it-works/human-readable-addresses/) and [BOLT 12](https://bolt12.org/). Together, these innovations deliver a broad array of improvements from human-readable addresses and reusable payment requests to hidden IP addresses.

For more information, check out our [extensive documentation](https://sdk-doc-liquid.breez.technology/). If you want to take our Liquid implementation for a test drive, [try Misty Breez](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.breez.misty&pcampaignid=web_share), our reference app to show just how beautifully Liquid flows.

# **The Only Wrong Choice Is Waiting**

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*AYHeuoDYhGTjsDneXkYJyg.jpeg)

Photo by [Vladislav Babienko](https://unsplash.com/@garri?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) [Image: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/man-standing-in-the-middle-of-woods-KTpSVEcU0XU)]

As anyone who bought bitcoin last decade will tell you, bitcoiners love adopting early and enjoying first-mover advantages. Bitcoin is a young technology, and it’s changing the world. Lightning is younger, and it’s changing Bitcoin. Spark and Liquid are even younger, and they’re finally turning bitcoin into the peer-to-peer electronic cash the world has been waiting for.

Both of these technologies are strong candidates. Many apps would succeed with either one, though others might benefit from the particular advantages of one option or the other.

So, whether you choose Spark for its instant settlements and offline capabilities or Liquid for its privacy, the best move is to start building now because the future belongs to the devs who don’t wait for tomorrow.

Spark or Liquid? Building with the Breez SDK ⚡️

# 

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mx3l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa55c3c8c-3401-423d-8630-4333118ca994_1600x900.gif)

From global builders answering the call to new apps going live with Nodeless on Spark, it’s been another packed month for Breez. Developers are building, partners are shipping, and even AI is getting in on the action. Here’s what’s new in the world of Breez:

- ⚡️ The World’s Building
- 🇪🇺 Bringin’ Bitcoin to Europe
- 🤖 AI Agents are Bitcoiners
- 🔥 SatGo Goes Nodeless
- 🌍 Breez Around the World

## **The World’s Building ⚡️**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_0B!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e78bf0d-8bcd-4b3a-846a-3dffc31d01f4_3219x1811.jpeg)

We’ve been shouting it from the rooftops: [**it’s time to build**](https://www.time2build.dev/).

In case you’ve been off the grid, here’s the rundown. We launched [**</time2build>**](https://www.time2build.dev/) — a global developer challenge to bring bitcoin to existing open-source apps using the [**Breez SDK**](https://breez.technology/sdk).

Thanks to the support of our sponsors and bitcoin communities, the challenge has spread like wildfire across the globe. From Sofia to Hong Kong, Taipei to Kampala, Lusaka to Lugano, Tokyo to Amsterdam, builders everywhere are getting involved. India, Mexico, and beyond have also joined in — with the UK, El Salvador, Brazil, and South Korea up next.

If you’re a builder, now’s the moment. Jump in, build something that lasts, and help bring the utility of bitcoin to millions.

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JYpl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F296672f8-73db-456f-9742-3b3b57abd650_1000x1000.gif)

---

## **Bringin’ Bitcoin to Europe 🇪🇺**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K-KU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7f61da-feaa-4574-8664-8d65fac464e5_400x225.gif)

For Europeans looking to live on bitcoin, life just got a *little* easier. [**Bringin**](https://bringin.xyz/) has officially launched, helping anyone buy, sell, and spend their bitcoin.

We sat down with their founder, [Prashanth Chandrashekar](https://bringin.xyz/), who explained how the idea for the company came from experience when he moved from India to Estonia. He was paid in BTC but waited days to access euros. Holding bitcoin was easy. Using it wasn’t. So he built a way to change it.

After 18 months in beta, Bringin is now live, helping users pay rent, bills, and move value across borders. The European-based app is the latest to go nodeless with the [**Breez SDK**](https://breez.technology/sdk). No nodes, no channels, no liquidity headaches. Just an effortless integration for developers and a world-class experience for users.

*Bringin(g) bitcoin to every app* ⚡️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKV64qS8CO0

---

## **AI Agents Are Bitcoiners Too 🤖**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxMM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7111be41-24e8-4100-bd3b-e062c997fb22_1280x720.png)

AI just got a way to speak Lightning. The new [**Breez MCP Server**](https://github.com/breez/breez-mcp) lets developers plug the [**Breez SDK – Nodeless**](https://breez.technology/sdk) into AI tools, built with our latest [Spark implementation](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/).

It means AI agents can now create invoices, send sats, fetch wallet data, and more with Lightning.

Another step toward making value move as easily as information, check it out on [**GitHub**](https://github.com/breez/breez-mcp).

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GTD3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F114ec0aa-df4d-4410-93ec-3f803e998bc7_910x1280.jpeg)

---

## **Ready, SatGo! 🚦**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nGUU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34792783-e549-4532-ae1b-7240b87ef2bb_220x159.gif)

Our newest Nodeless SDK is already out in the wild — and builders are *loving* it.

[**SatGo**](https://satgo.io/) is the [first partner live in production using the Spark implementation](https://x.com/roy_breez/status/1981469421961924863), showing how fast builders can go from idea to launch with the Breez SDK.

Check them out and see our latest SDK implementation in action.

https://x.com/SatGoBTC/status/1981364447055655215

---

## **Breez Around the World 🌍**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xlo9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6e6b02e-85dc-4682-ad89-230a8e7099ca_498x278.gif)

It’s been a *busy* month.

Alongside the [**global meetups for </time2build>**](https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1978106473772122294/), our team has been on the road (and in the skies) spreading the good word of Bitcoin. First stop: Los Angeles. We kicked things off at [**Lightspark’s Sync**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLZTGMSGcXE), connecting with builders and innovators from across the tech world.

![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f1V1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65868ae5-a619-4d28-a27e-cfaf4f17d768_1900x1069.jpeg)
Panel: [Lightning is the common language of the Bitcoin economy.](https://rumble.com/v70mlfs-wagmi-stage-lugano-plan-forum-2025-live-from-lugano-.html?start=28883)


From there, Roy headed to Lugano for the [**Plan ₿ Forum**](https://planb.lugano.ch/planb-forum/), hosting an [in-person builder meetup](https://planbweek.com/) for **</time2build>** and joining panels at **Bitcoin Suisse**, **Arkade Day**, and the main event itself. There, he shared [how Lightning is becoming the common language of the Bitcoin economy](https://rumble.com/v70mlfs-wagmi-stage-lugano-plan-forum-2025-live-from-lugano-.html?start=28883) and later [joined Stephan Livera](https://rumble.com/v70mts4-day-1-stephan-livera-hosts-plan-b-podcast-in-lugano.html) to discuss what’s next for Breez.

![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YJis!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45ddd06e-640e-4807-9fc2-1e0f96d5b38b_2631x1973.jpeg)
Interview: [Stephan Livera LIVE](https://rumble.com/v70mts4-day-1-stephan-livera-hosts-plan-b-podcast-in-lugano.html)


Finally, Danny from the Breez team sat down with Rob Clarkson, CTO of [**Lightning Pay**](https://lightningpay.nz/), to talk with the co-founder about how the company is bringing bitcoin to Kiwis — with Lightning powered by the [**Breez SDK**](https://breez.technology/sdk), of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkuZXbmkbc

---

[That’s all for this month, folks.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qz1GMpOtUY)

Until then, remember: [*the best time to get into Lightning is now*](https://breez.technology/sdk/) — it always has been.

See y’all next time ✌️

#013 Feel the Breez: </time2build>, Bitcoin in EU & AI Agents are Bitcoiners ⚡️

Breez MCP for AI agents ⚡️

# Helping Kiwis live on Bitcoin 🇳🇿⚡️

We sat down with Rob Clarkson, Co-founder and CTO of [Lightning Pay](https://lightningpay.nz/), to talk about how their team has built the best set of tools for stacking, saving, and spending Bitcoin across New Zealand.

## Simple Beginnings

Lightning Pay started with a simple goal: increase Bitcoin adoption across Aotearoa. What began as a way to help merchants accept BTC quickly grew into a platform where anyone can buy, sell, and spend Bitcoin directly from their bank — with full self-custody.

## Unleashing the Kiwi Spirit

Rooted in New Zealand’s “*number 8 wire*” spirit of innovation, Rob explains how Lightning Pay is helping Kiwis protect their wealth: Bitcoin only, no distractions. Their agile team is bringing together all the financial tools Kiwis need to stack, save, and spend in one place.

## Going Nodeless with Breez

When it came to adding Lightning, Lightning Pay went [nodeless with the Breez SDK](https://breez.technology/sdk), calling it a developer’s dream. It removed the complexity of running nodes, managing channels, and handling liquidity, allowing the team to focus on building the best user experience and growing adoption across New Zealand.

Here’s Rob’s story 🎧

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkuZXbmkbc

**To see more conversations with builders in Bitcoin, make sure to subscribe to the Breez channel.**

How Lightning Pay are Bringing Lightning to New Zealand 🇳🇿 🎥

https://youtu.be/oKV64qS8CO0

***

## Helping anyone in the world move value with Lightning ⚡️

We sat down with [Prashanth](https://x.com/prashanthc123), Founder & CEO of [Bringin](https://bringin.xyz/), to talk about how they’re making Bitcoin usable in everyday life.

Bringin’s goal is simple: help people live on Bitcoin. Buy and sell from any wallet, spend even when a merchant doesn’t accept BTC, and send or receive value anywhere in the world.

### Like most products, the idea was born from a problem. 

When Prashanth moved from India to Estonia, he was paid in BTC but waited days (sometimes weeks) to access euros while banks made the whole process a nightmare. For Prashanth, holding Bitcoin was easy. Using it? *Not so much*.

### It was from that frustration that the spark for Bringin was born.

They’ve spent the last 18 months focused on building the best experience for users in beta, and have now gone public, helping Bitcoiners across Europe use Bitcoin the way they want to: from paying rent and bills to moving value across borders.

### And to deliver the best UX with an effortless developer experience, Bringin went nodeless with the [Breez SDK](https://breez.technology/sdk).

The whole build took just “*two to three weeks*,” avoiding the headaches of building on Lightning. No node setup, no channel management, no liquidity issues. Just value moving freely from one person to the next, leaving the Bringin team free to focus on building for real-world adoption.

Here’s Prashanth’s story 🎧




Bringin' Bitcoin to Europe | Conversation with Prashanth of Bringin ⚡️🎙️

Music

Zelda's Fairy Fountain meets Crystal Waters

bitcoingraffiti

Happy Friday folks!

Breez's monthly newsletter just dropped. 

This month is jam-packed with updates.

If you're enjoy it, make sure you subscribe to get it straight to your inbox: https://newsletter.breez.technology/p/012-feel-the-breez


***

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nNTw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F77cbdcc6-e2e6-47cb-b94e-920695289717_1600x900.gif

From launching a global developer challenge to releasing a new SDK implementation, to new apps and partners, we’ve kicked off autumn with a bang (or a flash, if we’re talking Lightning). Here’s what’s new in the world of Breez:

- 🔑 The Utility of Bitcoin
- ⚡️ It’s Time to Build
- 🎓 Class of Q3
- 🔥 Nodeless on Spark Goes Public
- 🌳 It’s Klever to Add Swaps
- 📰 Breez in the News

---

## **The Utility of Bitcoin? Moving Value Like Information ⚡️**

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UhSm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F530a354d-9e7d-4b2e-bf95-8b4f8cf647d9_1280x800.png)

Last month, Roy was busy putting words to what we’ve all been feeling.

Yes, we all know Bitcoin is the best asset. But there is a bigger opportunity, one that can transform our lives just like the internet has done for billions around the world.

In his latest piece, published on Bitcoin Magazine, [*The Utility of Bitcoin: Moving Value Like Information*](https://blog.breez.technology/the-utility-of-bitcoin-moving-value-like-information-2513eae84676), Roy explains how Bitcoin’s real innovation is not payments but **value transfer**, the ability to move value directly, freely, and without intermediaries. Just as the internet made information flow, Bitcoin is doing the same for value.

He describes how fintech and stablecoins still depend on permissioned systems, while Bitcoin, Lightning, and a growing ecosystem of subnetworks such as Spark, Ark, Liquid, and Fedimint are together enabling a new era of peer-to-peer value transfer.

It is a deep dive into how Bitcoin’s utility is redefining how value moves online and how apps are becoming the engines of that change.

If you read one thing this week, make it this one: [The Utility of Bitcoin: Moving Value Like Information](https://blog.breez.technology/the-utility-of-bitcoin-moving-value-like-information-2513eae84676).

---

## **It’s Time to Build on Bitcoin ⚡️**

https://storage.googleapis.com/geyser-projects-media/grants/round-016/time2build.webp

This week the world stepped up to answer the call as we launched [</time2build>](https://www.time2build.dev/), a global developer challenge to bring bitcoin to the open-source apps used by millions.

Together with our friends at [Tether](https://tether.io/), [Lightspark](https://www.lightspark.com/), [Plan ₿ Network](https://planb.network/en), [Fulgur Ventures](https://fulgur.ventures/), [Draper University](https://draperuniversity.com/), [Pleb Lab](https://www.pleblab.dev/), and [Geyser](https://geyser.fund/grants), we are inviting developers everywhere to help move value like information and build the next era of our online lives.

From Lagos to London, and Buenos Aires to Tokyo, more than **50 communities** have joined the global grassroots movement, sharing the challenge with members and hosting in-person meetups.

And a quick reminder: this is not a hackathon or a bounty. It is an ambitious experiment to accelerate bitcoin adoption in the apps we use every day, rewarding only merged code and the developers who work hand in hand with project maintainers.

So why now? [Lightning is becoming the common language of the Bitcoin economy](https://medium.com/breez-technology/lightning-is-the-common-language-of-the-bitcoin-economy-eb8515341c11). Subnetworks are growing. And the tools are finally ready, with the [Breez SDK – Nodeless](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/) making it simple for any developer to add bitcoin to their app.

Stay tuned as we spotlight submissions, partners, communities, and some seriously awesome projects in the weeks ahead. So whether you are merging code, mentoring devs, or just cheering them on...

***It’s time to build*** ⚡️

---

## **It’s Graduation: Welcome Class of Q3 🎓**

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*LcJ8HBQNFuI_hrZprGWeZg.jpeg

As Q3 comes to a close, we’re welcoming a new class of bitcoin-powered apps built with the Breez SDK. This cohort marks a series of milestones worth celebrating.

[SwapSo](https://www.swapso.io/), a bitcoin super app built in India, went live just **five days** after downloading the Breez SDK. Yes, ***FIVE DAYS***. That’s how quickly builders can go from idea to production with Breez.

Meanwhile, [Bitnob](https://bitnob.com/), [Open Wallet](https://www.openwallet.com/), and [SatGo](https://satgo.io/) became the first partners to integrate with the newest [Spark implementation of the Breez SDK](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/), making it faster and simpler than ever to add bitcoin to any app.

Honestly, this class has it all: AI assistants charging by the second, family apps teaching kids to stack sats, and chat platforms turning conversations into payments. It shows the full range of what’s possible with the Breez SDK.

So without further ado, meet the [Breez SDK Class of Q3 2025](https://blog.breez.technology/the-breez-sdk-class-of-q3-2025-565356ef4335): [AvatarTalk.ai](https://avatartalk.ai/), [Bitnob](https://bitnob.com/), [BTCBitByBit](https://launch.btcbitbybit.com/), [EvoMone](https://www.evomone.com/), [Open Wallet](https://www.openwallet.com/), [RETI](https://reti.tech/), [SatGo](https://satgo.io/), [SatSails](https://www.satsails.com/), [SwapSo](https://www.swapso.io/), and [ZapLN Bot](https://github.com/musa-42/Zap_lnbot).

What’s next? Well, the next class is already forming and builders everywhere are making value move like information ⚡️

---

## **Nodeless on Spark Goes Public 🔥**

https://breez.technology/breez_spark.png

The wait is over. The **Breez SDK – Nodeless ([Spark implementation](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/))** is now open to everyone.

This marks a new chapter for builders everywhere. With our Nodeless SDK, developers can bring bitcoin to any app effortlessly, without the headaches of running a node, managing channels, or paying setup fees.

For anyone who missed the memo, **Spark** is a Bitcoin-native Layer 2 built for speed, scale, and simplicity. It powers real-time, low-fee, self-custodial payments and supports Bitcoin-native assets such as stablecoins. And we’re bullish.

Whether you are building a wallet, a social app, or an entirely new kind of product, the **Breez SDK – Nodeless** gives you the freedom to build with bitcoin in just a few lines of code.

What are you waiting for? [**Add bitcoin to your app today**](https://sdk-doc-spark.breez.technology/) ⚡️

---

## **Lightning in the Wild (Again)⚡️**

https://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/6e9267ee-a57c-4d36-a6f7-ab3c921e2edc/unknown-3.png

Spotted ***again*** in the Bitcoin rainforest: the Brazilian-born [**Klever Wallet**](https://klever.io/) just expanded its Lightning superpowers.

Earlier this year they added Lightning to their wallet, and now it powers their swaps, bringing instant, low-cost, and secure bitcoin swaps straight to users — another reminder of how flexible the Breez SDK can be.

This herd is growing fast, keep your eyes peeled for the next sighting 🔭

---

## **Breez in the News 📰**

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Hu2s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2805595-d746-4d22-a752-86b0586ae790_220x147.gif

It’s been another busy month for Breez. The </time2build> launch had people talking, with features in [Bitcoin Magazine](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/breez-lightspark-and-tether-launch-time2build-global-hackathon-with-25k-in-prizes-to-boost-open-source-bitcoin-integrations), [Cointelegraph](https://cointelegraph.com/news/breez-and-partners-launch-time2build-to-incentivize-bitcoin-integration), [Lightning News](https://t.co/LpBApnTqsS), and Atlas 21. Danny from the Breez team also joined [#CHAINREACTION](https://x.com/Cointelegraph/status/1975563635394290070) with Robert Baggs and Gareth Jenkinson from Cointelegraph to unpack the challenge and what it means for builders.

![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5lCq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F473bb1ae-7f19-425b-8478-ea9f415bedce_800x672.png)

Roy has also been active on every front. In addition to publishing [*The Utility of Bitcoin: Moving Value Like Information*](https://blog.breez.technology/the-utility-of-bitcoin-moving-value-like-information-2513eae84676) in Bitcoin Magazine, he released [a new piece](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/print/ark-and-spark-the-channel-factories-print) on channel factories, exploring how Ark and Spark revive the promise of channel factories, cementing Lightning’s central role in Bitcoin’s future. He also joined the [Mr. M Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/@MrMPodcast) to discuss Lightning and where AI could intersect with Bitcoin’s evolution, and spoke at [Infobip’s Shift](https://x.com/Breez_Tech/status/1967633175389278450) in Croatia about life building a Bitcoin startup.

![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CSlM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2997835-1ec3-43a9-8552-42d5f8f1510c_4096x2736.jpeg)

And it’s not just Roy. Breez’s very own Ivan Makedonski was featured in Bitcoin Magazine’s Lightning Issue with [*Lightning Strikes: The Value-for-Value Future of Money and Work*](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/print/lightning-strikes-future-value-for-value), exploring how Lightning will reshape how we earn, spend, and create value online.

---

[That’s all for this month, folks.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qz1GMpOtUY)

Until then, remember: [*the best time to get into Lightning is now*](https://breez.technology/sdk/) — it always has been.

See y’all next time ✌️