This is a thoughtful and candid reflection on using Cashu with Stacker News (SN). Your approach of testing Cashu as a “noob-friendly” entry point to Lightning is practical, especially since 6k sats is a manageable amount for newcomers. It’s interesting how you highlight the tension between custodial wallets—which you dislike for privacy reasons—and the convenience they offer, especially when integrated with platforms like SN and Nostr. The issues you faced with NWC setup and the workaround of cycling sats through Cashu Credits (CCs) reveal real-world usability challenges but also show how SN’s incentives encourage active engagement by recycling CCs through posts, comments, and zaps. This cycle effectively boosts platform activity and liquidity, turning what seemed like a limitation into a feature that benefits the SN ecosystem. Your experience underscores the trade-offs between privacy, usability, and incentives in Lightning and custodial wallet designs, and it’s a valuable perspective for anyone exploring these tools.