Serious and Technical Question: Why should we use Stellar Network (XLM) for payments instead of BTC Lightning Network?

Real User Opinion:  Quite a few reasons, but some main points: Path payments (auto-conversion of assets in receiver’s wallet to any digital currency of choice) – Cost/scalability efficiencies – Anchors (fiat on/off ramps) – Compatibility with existing financial networks.

Path Payments:  Allows users to send an asset and have it converted into a different asset before arriving at its destination. For instance, one sends dollars and other sends Euros.  There is a lot happening behind the scenes to make Stellar Ecosystem work.

Path payments permits a user to send an asset which they already hold, and to further convert it in transit into an asset which the recipient wants to receive.  The conversion process is built in to the operation.  Thus, the sender need not worry about the destination asset. The sender can maintain a balance in their favored currency, and it will be possible for them to instantly transact with anyone from anywhere in their favorite currency.

For instance, if someone in the US holds an account which can hold only USD balance, but wants to send money to a friend in Europe in Euro, path payments are very helpful.

Path payment operations are useful because they simplify the entire process by doing away with the need for the sender to have a trust line.  Thus, bundling transfer and conversion into a single operation which will have a single fee. This in turn reduces the overhead and complexity which will be involved in navigating the trust lines.  The SDEX will permit a user to easily take advantage of the multiplicity of Stellar assets.

Path payment strict send permits the user to send the amount in the asset type they are willing to send.

Path payment strict receive permits the user to specify the amount of the destination amount that will be received.

Stellar Anchors are the on/off ramps of the Stellar network: Fintech Partners who accept deposits of fiat currencies like USD, CNY, and BRL through existing rails like bank deposits or cash-in points are Anchors in different locations across the globe.  They send the user, the equivalent digital tokens, which will represent those deposits on the Stellar network.

Compatibility with Existing Financial Networks as opposed to using a standalone cryptocurrency to transfer value over international borders, Stellar will be having users transmit fiat-equivalent credit over the stellar blockchain. This credit is issued by “anchors,” or financial institutions which work as “bridges” between fiat currencies and the stellar network.

The core function of Stellar for everyday uses is streamlined low-cost international remittance.

Community Concerns:  Ripple is being sued by the SEC for selling XRP as a security.  So, I understand the price suppression, can anyone tell me why XLM is also being suppressed? Something big is happening behind the scenes.