比特币的闪电网络：从炒作到衰落——批判性检验

尽管闪电网络最初承诺彻底改变比特币的采用，但近年来却面临着重大挫折。由于其支持者的过度宣传，该网络经历了容量下降、反复出现的错误以及开发人员贡献的大幅下降。结果，闪电网络未能实现成为比特币扩容主要解决方案的雄心勃勃的目标。

The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin's Lightning Network: A Critical Examination

比特币闪电网络的兴衰：批判性审视

Bitcoin's Lightning Network (LN), once heralded as the key to scaling Bitcoin adoption globally, has faced mounting challenges, leading to a decline in its usage and a growing chorus of skepticism from the Bitcoin community.

比特币的闪电网络（LN）曾经被誉为扩大比特币在全球范围内采用的关键，但现在面临着越来越多的挑战，导致其使用量下降，并且比特币社区的质疑声越来越大。

Diminishing Capacity and Rising Costs

产能减少和成本上升

The amount of Bitcoin available on LN has been steadily declining since late 2023, with the total capacity currently hovering around 4,700 Bitcoins. This represents a significant drop from the peak capacity of over 10,000 Bitcoins in 2021.

自 2023 年底以来，闪电网络上可用的比特币数量一直在稳步下降，目前总容量徘徊在 4,700 个比特币左右。这与 2021 年超过 10,000 个比特币的峰值容量相比大幅下降。

Compounding this issue is the cost of using LN. To join the network, users must pay for a regular Bitcoin transaction on-chain, which can be prohibitively expensive during periods of high network traffic. Additionally, users must pay additional fees to receive more Bitcoin than their initial deposit, and again when closing a channel.

使用 LN 的成本使这个问题变得更加复杂。要加入网络，用户必须为链上的常规比特币交易付费，这在网络流量高的时期可能会非常昂贵。此外，用户必须支付额外费用才能收到比初始存款更多的比特币，并且在关闭通道时还要支付额外费用。

Security Concerns and Technical Bugs

安全问题和技术错误

LN has also been plagued by a number of security vulnerabilities and technical bugs. In October 2023, developers disclosed a critical vulnerability known as "replacement cycling," which could potentially allow attackers to steal funds from Lightning channels. A subsequent vulnerability, referred to as "jamming," was discovered in November 2023.

LN 还受到许多安全漏洞和技术错误的困扰。 2023 年 10 月，开发人员披露了一个名为“替换循环”的严重漏洞，该漏洞可能允许攻击者从闪电通道窃取资金。随后的一个被称为“干扰”的漏洞于 2023 年 11 月被发现。

Furthermore, a bug in the popular Lightning software implementation LND led to a widespread freeze in Bitcoin transactions, trapping funds for several hours. These vulnerabilities and technical issues have shaken confidence in the network's stability and reliability.

此外，流行的闪电软件实施 LND 中的一个错误导致比特币交易大范围冻结，资金被困数小时。这些漏洞和技术问题动摇了人们对网络稳定性和可靠性的信心。

Developer Exodus and Community Skepticism

开发者流失和社区怀疑

Several prominent Lightning Network developers have abandoned the project in recent years, citing dissatisfaction with its progress and scalability. Notably, Tadge Dryja, one of the network's co-creators, has expressed doubts about its feasibility, while Joseph Poon, another co-founder, has ceased contributing to its development.

近年来，几位著名的闪电网络开发商放弃了该项目，理由是对其进展和可扩展性不满意。值得注意的是，该网络的联合创始人之一 Tadge Dryja 对其可行性表示怀疑，而另一位联合创始人 Joseph Poon 已停止为其开发做出贡献。

The Bitcoin community has also voiced concerns about LN's shortcomings. Matt Corallo, a senior Bitcoin developer, has labeled it a "joke" due to its inaccessibility to non-technical users. John Carvalho of Synonym has echoed these sentiments, stating that LN has failed to fulfill its promise of revolutionizing Bitcoin payments.

比特币社区也表达了对 LN 缺点的担忧。比特币高级开发人员马特·科拉洛 (Matt Corallo) 将其称为“笑话”，因为非技术用户无法理解它。 Synonym 的约翰·卡瓦略 (John Carvalho) 也回应了这些观点，表示 LN 未能履行其彻底改变比特币支付的承诺。

Custodial Solutions and Centralization

托管解决方案和集中化

In an attempt to address the high costs and complexity of LN, custodial Lightning providers have emerged, offering wallets that subsidize inbound capacity for new users. However, these solutions introduce a level of centralization that goes against the decentralized ethos of Bitcoin.

为了解决闪电网络的高成本和复杂性，托管闪电网络提供商应运而生，提供钱包来补贴新用户的入站容量。然而，这些解决方案引入了一定程度的中心化，这与比特币的去中心化精神背道而驰。

Declining Usage and Niche Applicability

使用率下降和利基适用性

As a result of these challenges, the usage of LN has plummeted in recent months. Despite its initial promise, the network has failed to become a viable solution for day-to-day Bitcoin transactions. Instead, it has become a niche tool primarily used by hobbyists and enthusiasts.

由于这些挑战，近几个月来闪电网络的使用量急剧下降。尽管最初做出了承诺，但该网络未能成为日常比特币交易的可行解决方案。相反，它已成为主要由业余爱好者和爱好者使用的利基工具。

Conclusion

结论

The Lightning Network has faced significant obstacles that have hindered its widespread adoption and scalability. Despite the initial excitement and hype surrounding it, LN has been plagued by declining capacity, rising costs, security concerns, technical bugs, developer departures, and community skepticism.

闪电网络面临着阻碍其广泛采用和可扩展性的重大障碍。尽管最初围绕它的兴奋和炒作，闪电网络一直受到容量下降、成本上升、安全问题、技术错误、开发人员离职和社区怀疑的困扰。

While LN remains an interesting use case for Bitcoin's smart contract capabilities, it is unlikely to become the global payment solution it was once envisioned to be. Its future remains uncertain, and it will require significant innovation and improvements to overcome its current limitations and regain the trust of the Bitcoin community.

虽然闪电网络仍然是比特币智能合约功能的一个有趣的用例，但它不太可能成为曾经设想的全球支付解决方案。它的未来仍然不确定，需要重大创新和改进才能克服其当前的局限性并重新获得比特币社区的信任。