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I read a post from nostr:nprofile1qqstk884y5zrtl68tnvtx2kty037u7a73lpc7623wp950xz389rkwtqpzfmhxue69uhkummnw3ezua3sdshxjmcpr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ez6un9d3shjtnhd3m8xtnnwpskxega4epfs today that really caught my attention. The last time I came across the ARK protocol was about 1–2 years ago — back then it felt like a real glimpse of hope. I am not a big fan of the current lightning usability. For me custodial lightning is not a solution and non-custodial is technical to complicated. Maybe nostr:nprofile1qqstk884y5zrtl68tnvtx2kty037u7a73lpc7623wp950xz389rkwtqpzfmhxue69uhkummnw3ezua3sdshxjmcpr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ez6un9d3shjtnhd3m8xtnnwpskxega4epfs can help me out with a few questions? ——————————————— ARK relies on “Ark Service Providers” (ASPs) to coordinate off-chain CoinJoin rounds every 5 seconds. ARK is non-custodial. ASPs never control the users’ actual Bitcoin – instead, users interact via “virtual UTXOs” (vTXOs), which can always be reclaimed on-chain by the user. Even if an ASP goes offline or becomes malicious, the protocol is designed so users don’t lose funds — they just exit back to the main chain. That raises key questions, if there is a bad actor : 1) how the protocol prevent users to loose sats? (How the vTXOs goes back to the user) 2) Is privacy really protected? (Incl. Metadata) —————————————- A try to simplify ARK in a few words: What is ARK? A new Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol with the simplicity of e-cash, the privacy of CoinJoin, and no custody risks. Unlike Lightning, there’s no need to open channels or lock up liquidity. How it works: Users receive off-chain “vTXOs” (valid for 4 weeks) Ark Service Providers (ASPs) batch transactions every 5 sec via CoinJoin Fast, cheap, private payments Interoperable with Lightning via HTLCs Pros: No channels, no liquidity management Better UX for casual users Enhanced privacy Runs on Bitcoin mainnet – no soft fork needed Cons: ASPs are central coordination points (non-custodial but not decentralized) - Trust Reliant on regular CoinJoin rounds Time-limited vTXOs can expire Still early: Alpha stage, no production wallets yet ARK is a promising complement to Lightning — not a competitor. Still early, but could become a major building block for scalable, user-friendly Bitcoin payments. #Bitcoin #Layer2 #ARK #LightningNetwork #BTC