I think it's really important to take a step back and see the big picture. I've written this elsewhere... but it seriously, seriously bears repeating.
Almost noone as a percentage of the adult 'Western' population (for example in the United States) has heard of Lightning.
As a matter of fact, the average adult knows practically nothing about Bitcoin, and couldn't explain the most basic differences between Bitcoin and the latest $Trump token or $Hawk-Tua scam.
Let me provide some examples.
Just today this article was published in the Wall Street Journal, on a Saturday, read by investors, business-people, and elected politicians alike...
(Whether you like it or not that is the truth.)
Note the underlined: "as an investment for the Trump Family."
Most people, if they have heard anything about "crypto" and heard anything about Trump and Crypto... know something of Mr. Trump's Memecoin. And it sounds like a scam... it looks like a scam... and why exactly should it have value again?
And yet on the front page of the Wall Street Journal "Crypto" is an investment for the Trump Family:
In other words, "Crypto" is a giant Memecoin scam full stop.
From the very beginning of the article:
"President Trump regaled a group of high-rollers visiting Mar-a-Lago about all his administration was doing for the cryptocurrency industry. Then he turned to all the crypto money he is making as president.
Trump’s personal meme coin, which he launched days before his inauguration, could bring in billions of dollars, the president said with an air of amazement. At one point, he turned to the audience—a group of donors who had each paid $1 million to his super PAC—and asked whether they knew what $Trump was worth.
One donor did, according to people who were at the March 1 gathering. It had a market cap of around $13 billion.
The success of $Trump is one of the starkest examples of the president benefiting from an industry his administration regulates."
What the heck does this have to do with Bitcoin? Or Lightning?
I'll continue:
"Trump was president-elect when he signed the meme-coin deal, which has generated around $350 million worth of cryptocurrency USDC for entities affiliated with him, according to the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. That figure, which includes both trading fees and what are essentially sales of the $TRUMP token, doesn’t include some unrealized losses.
For now, crypto sales and trading are essentially free from federal oversight until Congress creates a new framework. Those rules are expected to be looser than ones that govern Wall Street.
Crypto executives who gathered for lunch last month in Northern California’s Los Altos Hills were jubilant. Coinbase had just announced that regulators agreed to drop a lawsuit that sought to regulate the company as a stock exchange. The SEC lawsuits had been a costly obstacle for the industry."
I'll ask the question again: what exactly does this have to do with decentralization or Proof-of-Work?
What does this have to do with Lightning or Bitcoin-merchant adoption? How is this related to sound-money?
And finally, where is the regulation and acknowledgement that 99% of 'cryptos' are unregistered securities?
In order to move on from this and learn about Lightning usage (like we all want) don't we need to stop the scams?
"On Friday, the Trump administration hosted a crypto event at the White House orchestrated by Sacks. It was the hottest ticket in town. Among those who wrangled an invite for the few dozen available seats was the co-founder of a crypto project backed by Trump and his sons...
In September, Trump launched the cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, which promised to “make crypto and America great.” His sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, serve as the fund’s “Web3 Ambassadors,” and Barron is “Chief DeFi Visionary.” An entity affiliated with Trump and his family members owns 60% of the equity interests.
“Crypto is one of those things we have to do,” Trump said at the time. “Whether we like it or not, we have to do it.”"
What the **** does any of this have to do with Bitcoin? It honestly looks terrible:
"World Liberty Financial also drew criticism over its potential for foreign entities and those with business before the U.S. government to channel money to Trump and his family without public disclosure.
In November, Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun invested $30 million in World Liberty Financial, which was struggling to meet fundraising targets. Afterward, Sun, who was battling an SEC lawsuit accusing him and several of his companies of fraud, became a World Liberty adviser.
Last month, the SEC asked a court to pause its fraud lawsuit, which Sun has called meritless. A representative for Sun didn’t respond to a request for comment. The White House didn’t respond to a question about whether Trump had played a role in the SEC decision.
Barron Trump, a freshman at New York University, joined strategy calls and contributed industry connections for the family’s crypto project, said people familiar with the matter. The first lady’s office declined to comment on Barron’s behalf.
“The president should be proud of having a son who is that focused and that thorough in his thinking,” said Witkoff, who has stepped away from World Liberty Financial since he started working for the White House.
Bo Loudon, an 18-year-old friend of Barron Trump, has touted his connections in calls with cryptocurrency executives seeking access to the Trump family, said two people who joined the calls.
Loudon in one call said it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to keep him on retainer, serving as a conduit to the Trump family, according to a person on the call. Loudon didn’t respond to requests for comment."
Read the above carefully - it's outrageous corruption.
The article literally ends this way:
"Trump and first lady Melania Trump launched their meme coins days before the inauguration. Executives and investors complained the tokens undermined industry credibility and raised ethical questions. But Trump was antsy to make a deal before he became president, a person who discussed the matter with him said.
Trump has since told Mar-a-Lago associates the coin might now be worth more than the club itself."
If this is what people "learn" about "cryptocurrency" and "Bitcoin" and "what Bitcoin's for..."
- When are they ever going to learn about Lightning and how to use it?
- How to open Lightning Channels?
- What Lightning "is" and why it's a more ethical, transparent, energy-based form of money?
And finally, what does this article actually teach people with regard to the differences between 'Bitcoin' (decentralized and PoW) and memecoin scams that are get-rich-quick schemes for insiders?
To the extent that the discerning-public only has 'so much time' to learn about new technologies and forms of money and value native to the internet...
What are we doing here?
When is the public actually going to learn about this?
At the end of the day, 'better money' is the Point right?
The comments, to this paid-subscription, globally-respected newspaper article are predictably brutal.
Some below:
"Our Carney barker president is as venal as ignorant."
"As per usual Trump being a grifter and enriching himself and the family by abusing the presidency. nothing new here"
"No wonder Sean Hannity was taking about crypto this evening. I should have known it was an effort to benefit his idol, Donald Trump."
""Trump had criticized cryptocurrency for years, calling the industry a “scam”
He still thinks so. The difference is he's now on the right side of the scam, i.e. in the role of perpetrator."
"The potential for larceny must have skipped his attention the first time around when he condemned it as a scam. Not that I have a single wit of sympathy for those getting fleeced, --rip them all off Don! Rip them until there's nothing left to rip, then criticize them like only you can for being such naive and greedy lemmings."
"Why would the Don ban a currency that enables corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking and terrorism?"
"Trump was right the first time, crypto is a scam. However, a long as there is money to be made, Trump can unscam the scam."
"Wow, with all that crypto support, maybe nows the time to dive into crypto! Except that, as always, it's the hucksters and money shufflers that make the money. The poor sap that just invests, er, gambles in, the product always ends up left blowin in the wind."
"Bitcoin is a scam against the dollar and Trump is a scam against the world."
"Crypto is a scam so he just became a crypto scammer."
"Why would you possibly believe that? An untraceable cryptocurrency is the perfect vehicle for bribes, and we all know The Donald is open for business."
"It is the currency of criminals."
"Elon Musk - Bitcoin mining is bad for the planet - Fortune Magazine May 13, 2021. Also in not accepting Bitcoin payment for Tesla, Musk has tweeted - " Cryptocurrency is a good idea on many levels and we believe it has a promising future, but this cannot come at great cost to the environment "."
"Corruption this bold would have resulted in impeachment in any other time period.
Trump can accept untraceable, anonymous bribes from anyone in the world."
"Never met a scam he didn't like."
"so much for honest money. All I can think of is tulip bulbs."
And these comments, especially in the next day or so will go on and on... in 2025.
Now clearly these people (commenters) know nothing about "cryptocurrency"... but these reactions to "crypto" are not uncommon at all!
We are we going to 'grow up' and like Stackers say 'onboard the next generation of "merchants and vendors"'?
When is Lightning going to become widespread?
When is the Uber driver going to have a Lightning wallet specifically for tips?
And when is Lightning, being a great "layer 2" in my opinion going to be mentioned in any of these articles? Lightning, for Stacker News, buying a VPN, or having some "travel-sats" has nothing to do with the "crypto" mentioned in this article -
And yet so many people will never learn about it if all hear about is meme-coin scams.
How do we fix this?
(More of this please:)
(And less of this Thank You)
