Binance Sets Up Bitcoin Lightning Nodes to Ease Deposits and Withdrawals
A host of crypto exchanges have set up their own Lightning nodes in recent months to offer faster bitcoin transactions to users.
Jun 20, 2023 at 9:37 a.m. UTCCrypto exchange Binance today said it had set up Lightning nodes on the Bitcoin network to eventually offer Lightning-based bitcoin deposit and withdrawal services to users, as per a Tuesday tweet.
“Binance is working to integrate the Bitcoin Lightning Network for deposits and withdrawals,” the exchange tweeted. “However, there's still more tech work to be done. We'll update once Lightning is fully integrated.”
The Lightning network is dubbed a “second layer” of the Bitcoin blockchain, which serves to speed up transaction times and decrease network congestion. It achieves this by setting up payment channels that conduct off-chain transactions between users with fees of a few cents.
In May, Binance said it would integrate the Lightning network to ease deposit and withdrawal activity for users. Binance had temporarily paused bitcoin withdrawals citing network congestion at the time – which led to concerns among users around the exchange’s reserve funds.
Exchanges Kraken and Bitfinex already offer Lightning network services to users, and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong suggested in an April tweet that the exchange would offer Lightning network to users in the future.
The Lightning network holds just under $145 million worth of bitcoin meant for quick payments as of Tuesday morning, data shows.
DISCLOSURE
Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
:format(webp)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/coindesk/6c6bb5af-692c-4fcf-9f8b-a75d0549effd.png)
Shaurya is the Deputy Managing Editor for the Data & Tokens team, focusing on decentralized finance, markets, on-chain data, and governance across all major and minor blockchains.
Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.