{"id":48549,"date":"2023-04-13T00:56:46","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T00:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/egrowonline.com\/?p=48549"},"modified":"2023-04-13T00:56:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T00:56:46","slug":"brian-armstrong-promised-me-100-in-bitcoin-so-where-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/?p=48549","title":{"rendered":"Brian Armstrong promised me $100 in Bitcoin \u2014 so where is it?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-v-2ab31f4e=\"\">\n<p>Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong owes me $100. That\u2019s because he might not know how to use the Lightning Network, the instant payment solution built on top of Bitcoin.<\/p>\n<p>Armstrong, who\u2019s been building in the Bitcoin (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/bitcoin-price\" rel=\"noopener\">BTC<\/a>) space since 2012, recently tweeted that he would pay people who provided the \u201cbest examples\u201d of people using cryptocurrency in Africa. \u201cIf you\u2019re using crypto in Africa, reply with a short video (&lt;30 seconds) or photo of how you\u2019re using it,\u201d Armstrong wrote. \u201cBest few examples get $100 in crypto.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If you&#8217;re using crypto in Africa, reply with a short video (&lt;30 seconds) or photo of how you&#8217;re using it. Best few examples get $100 in crypto. Use hashtag <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CryptoAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"noopener\">#CryptoAfrica<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>And if you haven&#8217;t already, try out self-custodial Coinbase Wallet &#8211; send feedback <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zWvaH1nerF\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/zWvaH1nerF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brian_armstrong\/status\/1644146369094111234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"noopener\">April 7, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This is the CEO of Coinbase, after all, so I shared a video of myself using Bitcoin in Africa, which was part of a 30-second segment of a recent Cointelegraph documentary covering Bitcoin in Senegal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Senegalese are adopting Bitcoin to escape their economy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1WL3dHoVX6Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The tweet quickly became the most-liked and most-shared response to Armstrong\u2019s query. (Crucially, the tweet referred to Bitcoin in Africa, not crypto in Africa, and it demonstrated the ease and speed of the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/learn\/what-is-the-lightning-network-in-bitcoin-and-how-does-it-work\" rel=\"noopener\">Lightning Network<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>However, Armstrong appears to have ignored my submission, despite more than 600 likes and 100 retweets. The next most popular submission had just 50 likes. So, I reached out to some key opinion leaders, creators and influencers within the Bitcoin community to amplify the tweet. Wicked, an anonymous Bitcoin educator and data analyst, tagged Armstrong in a post, accusing him of \u201cactively ignoring the #Bitcoin Lightning Network.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">My tweets auto-delete after some number of months, so there is no search history.<\/p>\n<p>Lightning is great and something we\u2019ll integrate.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brian_armstrong\/status\/1644794656570617856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"noopener\">April 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Wicked very kindly drew Brian\u2019s attention to my tweet video about Bitcoin in Africa. The tweet, and Armstrong&#8217;s affirmation that &#8220;Lightning is great and something we&#8217;ll integrate,&#8221; led to news outlets around the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/coinbase-ceo-says-bitcoin-lightning-is-something-we-ll-integrate\" rel=\"noopener\">world reporting on Coinbase&#8217;s next development.<\/a>\u00a0 He then also tweeted that he had sent me the money. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Awesome! sent $100 to joe@coincorner.io<\/p>\n<p>cheers<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brian_armstrong\/status\/1644844792608874496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"noopener\">April 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Here\u2019s where things get weird. Armstrong said he paid me the $100. He said he sent $100 to the Lightning address shown in my Twitter profile bio: Joe@Coincorner.io<\/p>\n<p>Now, if you\u2019ve never used the Lightning Network before, you\u2019d be forgiven for confusing this address with an email address. But would the CEO of Coinbase make that mistake? Could the Bitcoin OG have failed to recognize that the request in my bio \u2014 which says \u201cSend BTC to Joe@Coincorner.io,\u201d surrounded by lightning bolt emojis \u2014 could be my Lightning address?<\/p>\n<p>Side note: Running a Bitcoin node is mildly technical, and sending money on the Bitcoin blockchain for the first time is a little nerve-wracking, as the transaction takes roughly 10 minutes to confirm and we live in an instant world. But using the Lightning Network in 2023? It\u2019s brain-dead easy. A walk in the park. Seriously.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThat\u2019s a big call, Joe,\u201d <\/em>I hear you say.<\/p>\n<p>Yep, it is. And I\u2019ve got the receipts to prove it. It\u2019s so easy to use the Lightning Network that I stand in the street in locations worldwide giving out Bitcoin to people on their brand-new Lightning wallets \u2014 and I film their reactions. <\/p>\n<p>The most common remarks are \u201cI didn\u2019t know it\u2019s so easy\u201d and \u201cWow, it\u2019s so fast.\u201d The videos are on my<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@joenakamoto\/videos\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"> YouTube<\/a> channel. Here\u2019s a video shot in France for the Cointelegraph YouTube channel where I give out Bitcoin:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cointelegraph journo converts French beach-goers into Bitcoiners\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6Vuvyzwaaag?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>So, please \u2014 let\u2019s not pretend that Armstrong is overwhelmed by the complexity of sending money to my Lightning address. Moreover, funnily enough, Bitcoin advocates worldwide saw my tweet and took pleasure in sending me sats to show that my Lightning address is alive and well.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2023-04\/ab0d222e-78e8-4454-8fd0-94751c105410.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/><figcaption style=\"text-align: center\">My phone blowing up with payment notifications.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Back to the story. Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner \u2014 a Bitcoin and Lightning company \u2014 was quick to point out to Armstrong on<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CoinCornerDanny\/status\/1645037923631284225?s=20\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"> Twitter<\/a> that he might have made a mistake in confusing Bitcoin and email, as Coinbase provides a \u201csend to email\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coinbase.com\/learn\/tips-and-tutorials\/how-to-send-crypto#:~:text=Just%20open%20your%20Coinbase%20app,email%20address%2C%20and%20hit%20send.\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">function<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Related:\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/ethereum-s-shanghai-fork-is-coming-but-it-doesn-t-mean-investors-should-dump-eth\" rel=\"noopener\">Ethereum&#8217;s\u00a0Shanghai fork is coming, but it doesn\u2019t mean investors should dump ETH<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Scott told Cointelegraph in an email, \u201cObviously, we know the address [that Joe shared] is a Lightning address, but clearly not everybody does.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSo my guess is Brian knows very little about Lightning right now, in particular LNURL, Lightning addresses and other innovations being built out, which is perfectly fine, he&#8217;s distracted, it happens, now we just hope he helps himself and the industry by turning their attention to what really has substance and long term value, Bitcoin and Lightning.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s true: Coinbase offers trading for more than 250 different cryptocurrencies \u2014 that\u2019s a lot of tokens to keep one\u2019s eye on. And as Scott adds, \u201cI can appreciate how busy he will be \u2014 this industry doesn\u2019t sleep, and running a Bitcoin company myself, I know that feeling even at a smaller scale.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>To give Brian and ultimately Coinbase the benefit of the doubt, I waited a few days before writing this article. I have tweeted repeatedly at Brian (no reply) and I also reached out to the Coinbase Press Team. They told me that they would get to the bottom of it, but \u201cMy guess is that Brian is likely batching the sends at certain times.&#8221; A day has passed since this message (more doubt-benefit-giving) and they\u2019ve not sent an explanation.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/coinbase-wins-470k-restitution-in-insider-trading-case\" rel=\"noopener\">Coinbase wins $470K restitution in insider trading case<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The press team email was particularly left-field as it referred to \u201cbatching.\u201d Batching is consolidating multiple payments into a single transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain, not the layer-2 Lightning Network. Again, they\u2019re not familiar with Lightning. This adds further insult to injury: Could it be that the Lightning Network simply isn\u2019t on Coinbase\u2019s radar? <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been three days since Armstrong said he would send the money, and there have been some simply wonderful memes from the Bitcoin and wider crypto community. <\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2023-04\/3ea3c48a-6cde-40b7-a98f-f13f15b95d87.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/><figcaption style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Brian the &#8220;LN Maxi&#8221; trying to blend in. Source: @Corndalorian<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Armstrong has been active on Twitter, while his<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/coinbase-head-of-exchange-departs-and-plans-to-start-new-crypto-project-report\" rel=\"noopener\"> company is busy<\/a> launching new projects and winning<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/coinbase-wins-470k-restitution-in-insider-trading-case\" rel=\"noopener\"> insider trading cases<\/a> for the over 250-plus crypto projects Coinbase hosts.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, I\u2019m still waiting for my $100. But I\u2019m also increasingly alarmed that the billionaire, crypto OG and Coinbase CEO Armstrong struggled to spot a Lightning address.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Joe Hall<\/strong> joined Cointelegraph as a reporter in 2021. He holds an MA in French and Spanish from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in languages from Sceinces Po Lyon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"post-content__disclaimer\"><em>This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author\u2019s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/brian-armstrong-owes-me-100-in-bitcoin-here-s-why\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong owes me $100. That\u2019s because he might not know how to use the Lightning Network, the instant payment solution built on top of Bitcoin. Armstrong, who\u2019s been building in the Bitcoin (BTC) space since 2012, recently tweeted that he would pay people who provided the \u201cbest examples\u201d of people using cryptocurrency [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[37],"tags":[2243,50,2242,382],"class_list":["post-48549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bitcoin","tag-armstrong","tag-bitcoin","tag-brian","tag-promised"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/96549232-dfc9-4596-b5fb-7d2fd341a04d.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48549"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48551,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48549\/revisions\/48551"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}