Most merchants who ask "Should I accept Bitcoin?" are actually asking the wrong question. The real question is which layer: on-chain or Lightning. This guide breaks it.
TL;DR:
- On-chain Bitcoin settles directly on the blockchain. Confirmations take 10 to 60 minutes on average, fees fluctuate with network congestion, and the transaction model is built for high-value, final settlement.
- The Lightning Network routes payments off-chain through payment channels and settles in under a second, with fees that typically cost less than a cent.
- Merchants who try to use on-chain Bitcoin for everyday purchases face real friction: customers wait, on-chain fees eat into margins on small transactions, and unconfirmed payments.
- Lightning supports micropayments, streaming payments, and cross-border transactions that on-chain cannot handle cost-effectively.
How does lightning support streaming payments?
Do you mean live zaps made when podcasting/streaming? That problem has been solved already by platforms like zap.stream fountain.fm and similars.
If you mean other micropayments and subscriptions in auto-renew simulating fiat UX, that's what CLINK is for.
Well, what did you mean when you wrote the post?
I did not write the post, just shared it here.