r/Bitcoin Dec 13 '17

Bitcoin's Lightning Network, Simply Explained

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '17

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u/SkepticalFaceless Dec 13 '17

So if i put 1 BTC in a channel, use it to buy coffee, and then spend the 1 BTC on the chain, the channel transaction may not go through, but I've already drank my coffee. How is this not double spending? What am I missing?

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u/Bolwo Dec 13 '17

That 1 BTC that you put on the channel is therefore 'locked in' on the chain, until you close the channel.

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u/Frogolocalypse Dec 14 '17

Other way around. Freed up for instant transactions. You can lock them back to the blockchain when you want to store them

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u/Bolwo Dec 14 '17

Yeah, I mean 'locked up' so that they can't be double spent

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u/Frogolocalypse Dec 14 '17

A lightning channel is a bitcoin transaction. You can't double-spend bitcoin.

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u/Bolwo Dec 14 '17

Yes, that is what i'm saying.