Lightning Network
The Lightning Network is a network of payment channels that allows for faster and more cost-effective transactions in the Bitcoin network. It was created to address the scalability issues of Bitcoin, which has a limited capacity to process transactions per second.
In a Lightning Network transaction, users can establish a payment channel between themselves, which allows them to make an unlimited number of transactions without needing to record them on the blockchain. This results in lower fees and faster confirmation times.
The Lightning Network also allows for micropayments, which are too small to be processed on the blockchain. This makes it possible for businesses to accept small payments for products or services that were previously not economically viable to sell online.
Overall, Lightning Network is important because it provides a solution to the scalability problem of Bitcoin and makes it possible for the network to handle a higher volume of transactions.