Bitcoin News

Story: Bitcoin Lightning Payment Zaps Across Satellite in Historic First

By Steven Anderson

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Lightning Payment Reaches Space. In the test, a Lightning invoice was first generated in a wallet and then converted into an image.

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How This Differs From Previous Satellite Bitcoin Tests. Previous Bitcoin satellite experiments mostly focused on on-chain transactions or broadcasting…

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Technical Details of the Experiment. The QO-100 satellite, located at 25.5°E in geostationary orbit, supports amateur radio…

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Why Satellite Integration Matters for Bitcoin. The importance of this milestone goes beyond novelty.

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The Limits of the Experiment. Despite the excitement, it’s important to recognize the practical limitations:

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Bitcoin’s Expanding Presence in Space. Bitcoin’s relationship with space technology is not new.

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The Bigger Picture: Toward Off-Grid Bitcoin. While the payment itself still relied on internet connectivity to complete, this satellite relay…

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Conclusion. The first successful Bitcoin Lightning invoice sent and paid via satellite marks a historic moment…

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A groundbreaking demonstration has shown that a Bitcoin Lightning payment request can be transmitted via satellite before being paid on Earth, marking a major milestone in the…

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The invoice was then rebroadcast back to Earth, where it was decoded and scanned as a QR code.

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Printer summarized the achievement by posting: “Achievement unlocked: Received and paid the first Lightning invoice which was sent through actual space.”

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The crucial detail is that the invoice itself—encoded as a BOLT11 payment request—was transmitted via satellite, not the payment channels.

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The QO-100 satellite, located at 25.5°E in geostationary orbit, supports amateur radio communication across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.

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For enthusiasts, the setup required specialized equipment, including a parabolic dish, RF components, and a compatible modem.

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The importance of this milestone goes beyond novelty. Satellite-based Bitcoin communication strengthens the network’s resilience in cases of internet outages, censorship, or…

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