Lightning Network Will Be Highly Centralized: Gavin Andresen

Bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen has said he believes the Lightning Network will be “highly centralized” when it eventually rolls out.

In a series of tweets Tuesday, Andresen, who has become a source of commentary on the progress of the Bitcoin network, added that he was “OK” with the Lightning prognosis.

“I predict Lightning Network will be highly centralized in practice (big hubs at wallets/exchanges will dominate),” he wrote. “I’m ok with that, too.”

I predict Lightning Network will be highly centralized in practice (big hubs at wallets/exchanges will dominate).

I’m ok with that, too. — Gavin Andresen (@gavinandresen) August 15, 2017

A previous message had made similar assertions about Blockstream’s newly-revealed plans to broadcast Bitcoin transactions via satellite from space. In this, Andresen won support from Litecoin creator Charlie Lee.

The comments present an uncommon view of the Lightning Network, the benefits of which have been one of the most uniting factors behind the Bitcoin community locking in SegWit August 9.

Anticipation is broadly strong, as seen in Bitcoin’s subsequent upward price movement which began in the run-up to the lock-in date and continued through this week.

So-called ‘layer two’ solutions, of which Lightning is one, are considered to work best for the Bitcoin network once SegWit is already activated.