From Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to crypto billionaires, the Lightning Network torch is still a thing on social media. It most recently found its way into the hands of Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Zhao, like many in the Bitcoin community, would like to see Tesla CEO Elon Musk grab the torch next.
Twitter Wants Elon Musk to Join Bitcoin’s Lightning Experiment
I am sure you will get it soon enough, let me harass brother @elonmusk a bit more. lol
— CZ Binance (@cz_binance) February 11, 2019
Litecoin creator Charlie Lee wanted it for himself, at the suggestion of Lightning Labs co-founder Elizabeth Stark.
Charlie hasn’t had it yet! @SatoshiLite ?⚡️
— elizabeth stark (@starkness) February 11, 2019
He took the opportunity to point out that many people don’t seem to “want” the torch.
I will take it off your hands since no one wants it. ?
— Charlie Lee [LTC⚡] (@SatoshiLite) February 11, 2019
TakeTheTorch.online is progressively developing as a website and potentially a movement. Every time we visit it, the appearance has changed, and the list of people who’ve received the torch has grown longer. It now sports a meme gallery.
The recent Bitcoin price increase moved the value of the torch (3.21 million satoshis) to about $116.
Will This Bitcoin Torch Be ‘Stolen’ More Often As It Grows in Value?
Binance’s Zhao obviously sees the value of the Twitter game. Demonstrating the microtransactional possibilities of Lightning Network, the scaling solution for Bitcoin has a lot to prove after two forks of Bitcoin have viably created systems where the value of a transaction is much lower.
New study shows that Bitcoin Cash “outperforms everyone else in Reddit enthusiasm during a bear market, with a community that’s clearly passionate and devoted to global adoption.”https://t.co/qsKbIjBe2q pic.twitter.com/fnHhWZyjas
— Roger Ver (@rogerkver) February 11, 2019
Other notable torch-bearers in the week-long experiment include @Excellion or Samson Mow, the outspoken Blockstream Chief Strategy Officer. Mow once spoke so fervently in favor of Bitcoin Core that Gavin Andresen labeled both him and Gregory Maxwell “toxic trolls.”
In addition to Samson Mow, @aantonop or Andreas Antonopoulos previously took the torch and passed it to pseudonymous Peter Parker.
Interestingly, a few transactions in the list are marked as “steal,” “dup,” or “return.” Presumably, someone who receives the torch and keeps it has “stolen” it. If it’s sent to someone who has already received it, that’s a “dup” or duplicate. A “return” is what we might expect more as the experiment grows in value and people who simply have no interest turn the transaction around.
For his part, Elon Musk has not addressed the dozens of frantic Lightning Network supporters tagging him on Twitter. As previously reported, Musk is deeply involved in work at SpaceX presently. The company is working hard to turn things around after massive layoffs were induced by some of its more “insane” research projects.
Elon Musk Image from Shutterstock