The legacy financial system is built on credit, intermediaries, and delay. Bitcoin and Lightning turn that model upside down. 5 structural upgrades Lightning brings to the user experience: 1. Push, not pull – You initiate every payment. No third party can reverse it or reach into your account. 2. No debt layer – There’s no IOU between hops. Payments settle instantly, peer to peer. 3. No counterparty risk – Transactions don’t depend on bank solvency or clearinghouse trust. 4. Always-on access – Lightning runs 24/7/365. No batch windows. No business hours. No waiting. 5. Internet-native – Built to operate at the speed of software, without relying on legacy infrastructure. Lightning changes how money moves—and who gets to move it.