bergealex4
Alex B.

Servers should be run by professional entities and there is little incentive to have too many small servers.
Indeed, every user can use Lightning to interact with one another but Ark operates best in a hub and spoke model (just as Lightning nowadays really).

2025-10-22 11:33:49 CEST

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You can find a primer here
https://docs.arkadeos.com/primer

2025-10-22 11:33:24 CEST

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Arkade is the server operated by Ark Labs.
It is a commercial venture. All of our coe is FOSS.

2025-10-21 17:58:04 CEST

The future of Bitcoin as programmable money starts today.
2 years after the introduction of the Ark protocol, Arkade launches on Bitcoin mainnet in public beta.
The era of bridges and wrapped assets is over.
Build applications on the world's most secure blockchain, at scale.
Try it today arkade.money!
https://blossom.primal.net/95ba8cbb1394ad23dc5f6b28f97a05076404abbb2487af92958067df5f5f51c5.png

2025-09-26 04:00:44 CEST

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well... do you want good, reliable, secure software
or do you prefer, reliable politicians?

2025-09-18 09:47:45 CEST

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Self custody has no concept of privacy. By your standards most people self custodying are not actually self custodying. This does not align with reality.
Unfortunately you don’t seem to understand how these systems work. We have docs if you’re interested.

2025-09-18 05:06:05 CEST

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Yes, having unilateral control of your funds is self custody.
Now with Spark there are some caveats to this but it has nothing to do with the wider privacy conversation.

2025-09-18 00:28:15 CEST

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I still see you mixing up privacy and self custody. I think it makes no sense at all.

2025-09-17 08:21:12 CEST

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I’m sorry but that’s forever going to be a minority of people so in the meantime there’s a lot of work to do in terms of mitigating privacy compromises involved by interacting with 3rd party services.

2025-09-17 07:34:22 CEST

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> and if they do, there's no plan B. no fallback.
what do you mean there’s no plan B? build your own. no one is being forced to use Spark. heck I’m working on an alternative if you like.
there will be many different options, that’s the point of an open, permissionless market

2025-09-17 07:32:47 CEST

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most Bitcoin transactions aren’t submitted via Bitcoin Core or a self-sovereign node, hopefully that’s obvious

2025-09-17 04:59:36 CEST

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> you can't collect analytics on which IP address submitted a Bitcoin transaction
in many (most?) cases that’s obviously not true
>it’s not decentralized
yes, that’s the entire point. that’s how it’s able to offer better self custodial UX
> this will be a risk if a huge number of wallets use it as a back-end
I agree it’s a disaster if all mainstream wallets just use Spark on the backend. Or Arkade. We need a multitude of service providers and options.

2025-09-17 02:31:53 CEST

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We agree the privacy aspects are problematic but “if I custody it, the it’s private” is just a flat out wrong assumption to make as onchain Bitcoin is obviously not private.

2025-09-17 00:35:34 CEST

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Spark, like Ark, is an open source protocol. Anyone can run a server if they want to, just like LSPs.

2025-09-17 00:34:39 CEST

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Ark is a client server protocol so everyone running their own server would defeat the point.
Even while using Lightning there are significant ways a third-party wallet service can fingerprint your information and collect it.
There are no perfect solutions.

2025-09-17 00:32:09 CEST

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privacy and censorship resistance are completely different than custody.
if spark refuses you service you can simply switch to a different service provider.
Lightning has similar challenges with LSPs. the idea that everyone will run everything p2p is a pipedream, though it’s great to have the option as last recourse, ofc

2025-09-17 00:26:43 CEST

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(and this is only relevant to our Arkade implementation, can’t speak for others)

2025-09-17 00:25:25 CEST

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correct me if I’m wrong but this is an issue with every single centralized services, wallet or client-server protocol.
of course there are mitigations against it that can be taken both on the server as well as client side. the protocol can be reinforced as well on the privacy side. we are definitely looking at all available options.
not sure what you mean by “run a service”

2025-09-17 00:14:29 CEST

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to be clear: forced inclusion is a larp. it requires L1 transactions which is no more useful than withdrawing onchain. if the operator can censor you then you get zero of the benefits from the L2

2025-09-17 00:04:01 CEST

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> rollups like citrea, arbitrum, and base at least have unilateral state change.
they don’t.

2025-08-14 04:58:43 CEST

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There is no public mainnet instance at the moment. We are hoping to make this all available very soon.
We built a reference wallet but also working with partners for integration.

2025-07-16 16:40:34 CEST

Say goodbye to expiry headaches in Ark-based protocols!
Today we're introducing our new Delegation system as well as the Arkade Intent framework.
A major UX boost for our Arkade implementation.
Details in link
https://blog.arklabs.xyz/adios-expiry-rethinking-liveness-and-liquidity-in-arkade/

2025-06-02 19:51:07 CEST

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Some expanded thoughts on our vision for programmable money and the importance of capital markets as a bridge to Bitcoin's mainstream monetary role.
#naddr1qv…xug9

2025-05-28 20:07:01 CEST

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What are you building?

2025-05-28 18:36:39 CEST

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Yes! Thursday, 1PM open source stage

2025-05-28 17:57:59 CEST

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www.arkadeos.com

2025-05-28 17:57:33 CEST

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None whatsoever!

2025-05-28 16:04:22 CEST

After a year inside the Ark protocol, the rabbit hole got way deeper.
What started with basic Bitcoin payments and batching has evolved into something much bigger: a complete execution layer.
Today we're announcing the next chapter: Arkade
Our journey began implementing Ark's core primitives: VTXOs, presigned transaction trees, and batch settlements.
Months of production code revealed to us these weren't just payment optimizations, they were the building blocks for something far more ambitious.
That realization changed everything.
We're unveiling Arkade: a virtual execution layer that transforms these primitives into programmable money while preserving Ark's security guarantees.
This announcement is also an opportunity for us to share our implementation journey.
Everything we've built developing Arkade is now open source.
Follow our evolution through code, research, and real implementation work:
🔧 Arkade Compiler (experimental Ivy meets CashScript) h/t @danrobinson
Arkade Language lets you write Bitcoin-native smart contracts in a high-level syntax, compiling to Arkade Script for fast, secure, offchain execution.
github.com/arkade-os/compiler
📱 Arkade Mobile Wallet (PassKey auth, no app store required)
A progressive web app with modern authentication and VTXO management built-in.
Arkade in your pocket
This is how Bitcoin wallets should work in 2025.
github.com/arkade-os/wallet
⚙️ Custom Script Interpreter
Conceptual implementation showing how enhanced scripting fits natively in our existing Ark infrastructure.
Features 30+ new opcodes including OP_CAT, introspection, and arithmetics, all VTXOs compatible
github.com/arkade-os/arkd/pull/577
Developers can dive in immediately with SDKs for Rust, Go, and TypeScript, making Arkade accessible across the entire Bitcoin dev ecosystem.
Follow along as we build Bitcoin's virtualization layer and we gear up for mainnet launch.
https://arkadeos.com/vision
https://blossom.primal.net/95ca21d392eaecd2e189d01dbd3842626d367d6d94459a76eaa2c826f6d40807.png

2025-05-16 18:04:36 CEST

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Operators run a business, it would be ill advised for them to run away with user funds even if users leave their outputs to expire. Of course there are plenty of mitigations for this but it's not a dealbreaker.

2025-05-14 09:49:42 CEST

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No. The contract involves the operator funding an output onchain for you. You are responsible for rolling your claim over to another batch. If you fail to do so, the operator will sweep the output at termination of the contract as originally specified. The operator keeps no account of its users unlike custodial services.

2025-05-14 01:23:01 CEST

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If you don’t extend your contract with the operator technically it’s not your money anymore, it’s theirs.
They may decide to give it back to you but they are not a custodian.

2025-04-23 14:49:53 CEST

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We created the first prototype wallet for Ark, called Arkade. It is not currenty public but it has helped us uncover a lot of interesting design challenges around Ark.
Happy to share our insights with anyone who might want to take up this project 😃

2025-04-23 08:33:53 CEST

New Ark Simple explainer & FAQ
https://docs.arklabs.xyz/
Bitcoin's blockchain offers strong security guarantees at the tradeoff of limited transaction throughput, high fees, and settlement delays, restricting its practical use for various applications requiring greater scalability, lower costs, or faster settlement.
Ark addresses these limitations primarily through a novel batching technique, aggregating numerous individual Bitcoin transactions into a single onchain Bitcoin commitment—called a Batch Output. This significantly reduces transaction costs per user and greatly enhances scalability.
The protocol mirrors Bitcoin’s familiar UTXO structure using Virtual Transaction Outputs (VTXOs). These offchain abstractions preserve a familiar output ownership model while embedding many claims into a single Batch Output. VTXOs ensure that users retain unilateral control over their funds and enable efficient offchain coordination before final settlement on Bitcoin.
Link for details!
👾

2025-04-18 16:26:18 CEST

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Yes

2025-04-18 15:04:20 CEST

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Currently we don't have plan to commercialize the Arkade wallet but we might make it available as a testing ground again in the future.
We expect other teams will start getting interested and look into how they can integrate in their own wallet stack.

2025-04-18 15:03:11 CEST

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Ark funds are a contract betweent you and the server. He puts up the liquidity to fund batches to provide this service he needs to be able to cycle liquidity. At expiry the batch is swept by the server.
He might decide it's a good business decision to not run away with it if you're a good user. That's up to him.

2025-04-18 14:42:51 CEST

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Batch outputs expire requiring the client to sign in order to move coins into a new batch.
Batch durations are up to the operator, and ultimately the user.
If server goes offline, users may have to hit the chain in worst case scenario.

2025-04-18 14:32:57 CEST

Last weekend at @blockspacepod’s OP_NEXT, we demoed Arkade — a prototype wallet built on the Ark protocol, live on Bitcoin mainnet.
While just a proof-of-concept, it pointed to something bigger:
A new class of Bitcoin applications is possible today, without consensus changes.
Much of OP_NEXT focused on what soft forks might unlock. That’s important work — and we support it.
But our focus has been different:
Delivering utility with the Bitcoin we already have.
The Arkade Wallet isn’t just a teaser.
It’s a working step toward reframing what’s possible on Bitcoin — here and now.
Many so-called L2s are still theoretical.
Ark is real. It’s on mainnet. And it’s moving.
Ark isn’t a Lightning replacement.
It opens up an entirely different design space:
Modular apps, flexible coordination, programmable flows.
Arkade is more than a wallet — it’s the first look at a Bitcoin-native platform.
We’re building toward a future where Bitcoin isn’t just a store of value.
It’s the foundation for programmable money and sovereign capital markets.
The tools are open. Let’s build.
🔗 github.com/ArkLabsHQ/wallet-sdk
👾 https://m.primal.net/QUsN.gif

2025-03-16 07:32:47 CET

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It’s not.
Ark is just a protocol. Anyone is free to implement it with the features they see fit.
If anyone wants to accelerate progress of a coinjoin feature they are free to contribute a pull request.

2025-03-16 07:00:22 CET

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I wouldn’t rely too much on early details or announcements regarding Ark. Though the core principles remain, most of the implementation details were kind of half baked.
The idea of coinjoining every batch is not supported by current implementations.

2025-03-16 06:27:34 CET

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Why website specifically?
Privacy is not central to the Ark protocol but something that can be added depending on the implementation.
You do get privacy benefits from passive observers by default though.

2025-03-16 05:41:46 CET

Ark will 10x the Lightning self custodial user experience.
The days of channels and liquidity management are behind us.
Just swap.
(no soft fork needed)
👾

2025-02-26 14:59:44 CET

Progress report on our core Ark implementation!
With major releases and announcements on the horizon, this update enhances performance & reliability to strengthen our foundation.
👉 Optimized VTXO tree signing
👉 Connector trees
👉 SDK API updates
https://arkdev.info/blog/ark-release-v0.5/

2025-02-21 15:29:18 CET

We built a Coinflip PoC using multiparty contracts on Ark!
Bonus points: it uses Nostr on the backend.
Ark's client-server architecture, built around presigned transactions, provides an interesting framework for coordinating complex multi-party interactions.
A key insight from our Coinflip implementation: Ark operators validate spending conditions off-chain, such that in the optimistic case, complex validation logic doesn't hit the blockchain at all.
Once the game concludes, players settle their balance without intermediary trust.
It's available here: Coinflip is available here: http://coinflip.casino
Check it out! 👾 https://m.primal.net/PFcL.png

2025-02-20 19:08:35 CET

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This is not LN on Ark this is just a normal spillman style payment channel.
I fail to see how this is more liquidity than LN. It’s infinitely better for LSPs who don’t have to tie up liquidity in channels with random users. Now that is expensive (Phoenix)

2025-02-20 17:51:15 CET

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That’s fine either way. I’ll work with people to build a Lightning enabled wallet that blows native ones out of the water then we can check back on the “liquidity issues”.

2025-02-20 17:48:25 CET

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You clearly haven’t given this much thought.
I can open a single channel towards an LSP and make unlimited number of payments, in Ark, without any liquidity requirement aside from the initial deposit.

2025-02-20 06:45:42 CET

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A self-custodial Ark wallet allows users to interface with Lightning payments via swaps in a perfectly non-custodial manner, without exposing them to the friction of channel or liquidity management, or overcharging them to abstract those.
It is the best self-custodial Lightning experience you can possibly create, bar none.
Every Ark builder is interested in complementing Lightning and leveraging the synergies between both technologies. It's a shame you can't recognize the potential here.

2025-02-19 18:50:53 CET

Ark is NOT competing with Lightning.
You do NOT have to try to pull it down with your grade school understanding of it just because you feel insecure about the piss poor state of the solutions you are working on.
There is a VERY distasteful “not invented here” attitude from some Lightning developers circles who seem more than happy to point out Ark faults.
Clean your own room first.

2025-02-18 04:57:29 CET

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If a server that allows you to batch transactions with others is an L2 then yes you can call it that.

2025-02-18 04:40:40 CET

Ark transactions are no different than Bitcoin transactions.
Once broadcasted they remain unconfirmed until at minimum the next Bitcoin block.
Unlike Bitcoin, Ark lets users chain unconfirmed transactions and choose when to settle them in a future block, into an Ark batch.

2025-02-17 09:32:31 CET

Batched bitcoin transactions.
No expensive ZK professor tech scripts.
No gated liquidity, no fragmented network effect.
Just presigned transactions, collateralized.
Soon.

2025-02-08 11:52:46 CET

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It's getting close but not yet.
Full time work on the protocol only began last year.

2025-02-08 11:51:29 CET

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Actual work on an Ark implementation began a year ago at most.
It's been more or less 6 months since teams are working full time on the protocol.
It takes some time but you should expect Ark integration on mainnet within 3-4 months.

2025-02-08 11:49:32 CET

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No. RGB is a metaprotocol.
Ark batches transactions onchain.

2025-02-08 11:48:47 CET

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Rolling over your VTXOs (participating in a transaction batch) is a bit of an involved process and needs to be abstracted away from users as much as possible but that's an implementation and app level concern that is not a deal breaker.

2025-02-08 11:13:34 CET

Ark is sufficient as a scaling solution for the foreseeable future.
We have a lot to learn from the implications it will have on self custodial applications and the entire Lightning ecosystem.
If you're interested in additional opcodes to Bitcoin for security concerns then that's a different conversation but we have plenty of time to put together a compelling vision that can put consensus in motion.

2025-02-03 04:01:31 CET

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While timeout tree is technically accurate it does nothing to actually explain the purpose of the protocol so I can't say I'm a fan of this description.
As far as I'm concerned, I've had the most success describing Ark as a batching protocol.
It's a familiar concept that resonates with people and doesn't appear overly complex.
https://m.primal.net/ONmE.png

2025-02-02 03:01:45 CET

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Well on average humans yelling "do something" has historically lead to misery, famine and death.

2025-02-02 02:28:47 CET

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How do you agree on the security target?
How is this any different than agreeing on the “right” inflation rate?

2025-02-02 02:01:36 CET

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You might say this is semantics but it’s been a useful distinction because every conversation around Ark I’ve had from people who thought of it as a payment pool led to the misconception that:
- There is a single global state UTXO
- Participating users must sign off on state updates

2025-02-02 01:56:55 CET

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You don’t need the majority of users to generate sufficient economic demand onchain.
Realistically only a small percentage suffice.

2025-02-02 01:55:22 CET

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A payment pool binds its users within a single UTXO that is optionally rolled over into another one periodically.
Ark users are not “pooled” together. They have no relationship with one another and need no interaction except with the operator. Users coordinate with operator to batch transactions into multiple concurrent UTXOs.

2025-02-01 15:50:35 CET

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The world will adapt to Bitcoin.
Not much else is needed.
Adjusting economic inputs regardless of the motivation is an exercise in centralization.

2025-02-01 15:08:44 CET

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It’s quite incredible that this type of discourse is being held by Bitcoiners.
“What if consumers do no spend enough, we might have to twist the knobs of the economy to fix it”
Layer 2s are anchored in Bitcoin. They directly lead to more economically dense transactions, if adopted.
Trying to intervene with the market is a surefire way to screw ourselves

2025-02-01 14:29:30 CET

Once our industry wakes up to the fact that Ark is not a payment pool, we'll be in a much better position to evaluate future scaling conversations.
Taproot transaction batching changes everything.
All priors need to be reevaluated.
Clean slate.

2025-02-01 14:11:08 CET

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Now that we can batch transactions thanks to Taproot and connectors, every prior needs to be reexamined.
The return on investment for developing solutions that leverage this new paradigm is far greater than hand-wringing over the block size.

2025-02-01 13:52:02 CET

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We can rebalance Lightning channels offchain.
The Lightning whitepaper is dated and not relevant anymore.
Bullish ingenuity. Bearish magic numbers and central planning.

2025-01-29 15:52:44 CET

Let's play some games 👾
https://m.primal.net/OGGU.png

2025-01-29 03:07:34 CET

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VTXOs on the left, UTXOs on the right
https://m.primal.net/OFQc.jpg

2025-01-29 03:02:48 CET

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Correct, it’s not groundbreaking by any means but it’s a neat way to work around custodial balances/liabilities

2025-01-29 02:36:40 CET

Since somebody asked…
We currently use Nostr in our PoC Ark wallet to enable users to recover expired VTXO funds.
https://m.primal.net/OFOh.jpg

2025-01-29 02:33:54 CET

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Our testnet proof of concept wallet Arkade will be made public very soon.
Not sure what Nostr integration you have in mind but we do use Nostr in some capacity. More on that to follow.
Ark is a technique to batch offchain transactions into a single onchain output using taproot. Nested into that output are what we call virtual UTXOs which can be transferred offchain using an Ark server as the trustless intermediary.
It’s simpler than Lightning and can be used for a variety of use cases beyond payment but also does not have other properties of Lightning like instant finality.
Unlike ecash, Ark is noncustodial. Though it doesn’t boast as good privacy.

2025-01-29 02:28:03 CET

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Hey! Yes, Boltz integration being completed as we speak. More on that soon.
>configure swap server
Absolutely

2025-01-26 03:12:14 CET

By the way this is an interesting option for Nostr apps to integrate bitcoin payments/wallet functionality.
Different risk profile than ecash, less private out the box.
#note1r8z…85dw

2025-01-25 08:56:44 CET

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It already works on mainnet. Don’t need additional opcodes

2025-01-25 04:37:45 CET

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Nop, target is mainchain. Mutinynet for now

2025-01-25 03:28:48 CET

Hey Nostr,
been a while heh. we’ll try to fix that… eventually.
Meanwhile, we just released our Ark wallet SDK!
It’s still at a very early stage but you can now interact with an Ark server, on signet.
Details 👇
https://blog.arklabs.to/introducing-the-ark-wallet-sdk-d1c77ce61cfc

2024-11-28 09:33:55 CET

If you truly want to accelerate covenant traction then the single best thing you can probably do is to contribute to development, tooling, and adoption of Ark.
It's the one thing every single one of you have control over.

2024-11-28 08:57:26 CET

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The UTXO you are trying to swap for doesn't yet exist.
How would that work?

2024-11-26 19:10:00 CET

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Thanks for the honest feedback. We're definitely working towards making the documentation more developer friendly.

2024-11-26 18:49:38 CET

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there is no spec

2024-11-26 18:29:14 CET

Ark's superpower lies in its ability to leverage native Bitcoin script 🦸🏻‍♂️
Scaling UTXO-based contracts has the potential to enable a new generation of financial applications.
Today, we're happy to share our work on Virtual Channels, bringing instant settlement to Ark .
Few might remember that payment channels predate the Lightning Network ⚡️
Early implementations, like the unidirectional channels in bitcoinj, never caught on for a variety of reasons
One obvious downside comes from the high on-chain costs associated with channel setups.
Ark allows us to revisit this concept, unburdened by Bitcoin's limited block space.
Cost-effective deployment of payment channels becomes possible!
For users, Virtual Channels offer notable advantages over Lightning:
No backups ✅
No liveness requirements ✅
No routing ✅
Thanks to Tapscript, we can extend bare VTXO script beyond a single signer
By defining additional spending paths, we can encapsulate multi-party contracts within VTXOs, enabling the creation of Virtual Channels
Details and code snippets below👇
https://arkdev.info/blog/bitcoin-virtual-channels/
Virtual Channels are just the beginning!
By extending Bitcoin's script capabilities through Ark, we’re opening the door to a broader financial infrastructure secured by Bitcoin's consensus rules.

2024-10-19 22:41:16 CEST

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just saw some footage. looks pumping. have fun bro

2024-10-16 16:21:55 CEST

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😘

2024-10-16 14:04:44 CEST

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Everyone having a computer is justified.
Ever user being a node in a network defeats the entire purpose.
It's like asking every internet user to run their own ISP.

2024-10-16 13:10:52 CEST

Ark offers a simple, secure way to optimize onchain costs for pretty much every Bitcoin use cases.
More complex and fancy ways to create channel factories or coinpools might exist but no one is building them nor are they likely too because the complexity invites inertia always.
The longer you look at Ark the more you realize that simple approaches win and we can simply iterate off this as we find product market fit.
Anyone that is interested to learn more or contribute please reach out I’m happy to take a minute to help people familiarize themselves with the protocol.

2024-10-16 13:06:57 CEST

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I don’t think it’s productive or desirable for the average person to run a Lightning node.
In fact I’m convinced it’s economically unsustainable.

2024-10-15 14:20:43 CEST

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Bitcoin is the longest *valid* chain as determined by economic consensus.
What miners decide to do is irrelevant 😉

2024-10-15 12:23:21 CEST

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No they didn't. VC-backed companies are not the economically significant actors within the Bitcoin community.
Actual skin in the game Bitcoin holders wanted nothing to do with the fork, as evidenced, for example, by Finex's futures market at the time.

2024-10-15 11:49:56 CEST

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Most of the world does not need to run a Lightning node.
In fact, that would probably be detrimental to Lightning altogether.

2024-10-15 11:48:58 CEST

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UASF worked because economically significant actors rallied behind it.
The larp of every user running a node just for the sake of defending the network is just that... a larp

2024-10-15 11:45:57 CEST

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>Main reason to run a node is to keep the network decentralized.
No... the main reason to run a node is to validate your own transactions privately.
Plebs of little to no economic relevance have practically no impact on the outcome of forks or Bitcoin's "decentralization".
Run a node for your own benefit, or don't, but let's not pretend doing so is an altruistic act.

2024-10-12 16:05:06 CEST

I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it to Berlin but I promise I’ll make it up to the ecash squad very soon.

2024-10-11 18:11:07 CEST

We just announced yesterday in Amsterdam that @`Boltz - Non-Custodial Bitcoin Bridge` swaps are coming to Ark, day 1!
Thanks to native support for Bitcoin script operations, Ark allows servers to virtualize many of the same contracts used by existing Bitcoin products and services.
One we're excited about are Virtual HTLCs (vHTLCs). Combined with off-chain execution, we think they open the door to many new, and old, use cases that weren't possible before, or could not scale.
Those properties can extend to other script extensions of Bitcoin and potentially scale smart contract settlements!
Using virtual swaps, we can close Lightning's "liquidity loop" by providing participants with an interface to batch their channel management operations off-chain.
Many infrastructure providers will find interesting ways to leverage the efficiency of Ark swaps and we encourage anyone interested to reach out @npub1hf5…dp8n
https://m.primal.net/LSdV.jpg