X Poll: 80% Say Lightning Network Isn’t ‘Real’ Bitcoin
A recent poll on social platform X found that over 80% of respondents do not consider the Lightning Network as “real” Bitcoin. The Lightning Network was designed to enable faster, low-fee micro-transactions off-chain, but critics argue it falls short of Bitcoin’s core principles. Paul Sztorc described Lightning as “custodial” and highlighted issues with always-online nodes, reliance on large liquidity providers and watchtowers for security. In response, Alex Gladstein defended the Lightning Network’s role in making Bitcoin function as digital cash, and developer Matt Corallo noted that a significant portion of small payments—well into double-digit percentages of BTC transactions—now occur on Lightning. The poll reignites debate over Bitcoin’s on-chain versus off-chain scaling solutions and their impact on decentralization and usability.
Neutral
While the poll highlights skepticism around the Lightning Network’s authenticity as Bitcoin, it is unlikely to drive major market moves. Similar debates in 2017 and 2020 over SegWit and layer-two solutions sparked community discord but had limited impact on BTC price trends. Traders focus more on adoption metrics, network usage and macroeconomic factors than on ideological disputes. In the short term, market volatility may remain unaffected, and long-term confidence in Bitcoin’s scaling solutions will depend on clear adoption data and improved on-chain/off-chain integration rather than survey opinions alone.