Wow. Ok. So we ran some numbers to estimate @getumbrel’s usage and compare it with Lightning Network's growth, and the results just blew us away!
9 out of 10 Lightning nodes launched over last year run on Umbrel — which is about half of the entire Lightning Network today 🤯
1/
9 out of 10 Lightning nodes launched over last year run on Umbrel — which is about half of the entire Lightning Network today 🤯
1/
There are ~13K Umbrel servers and ~28K Lightning Network nodes as of today.
Umbrel users account for almost half of all Lightning nodes, and things get more interesting when you compare new Lightning nodes and Umbrel servers over the last year — they're nearly the same line!
2/
Umbrel users account for almost half of all Lightning nodes, and things get more interesting when you compare new Lightning nodes and Umbrel servers over the last year — they're nearly the same line!
2/
You might be wondering how there were more Umbrel servers launched than the total Lightning nodes during March to June 2021.
It's simply due to the migration of users who were already running a Lightning Network node (using another OS/implementation) to Umbrel.
3/
It's simply due to the migration of users who were already running a Lightning Network node (using another OS/implementation) to Umbrel.
3/
So how did we estimate the number of Umbrel servers out there?
Umbrel offers an anonymous end-to-end encrypted Lightning channel backup service, which has helped several users recover their funds even when they never manually backed up their Lightning channels.
4/
Umbrel offers an anonymous end-to-end encrypted Lightning channel backup service, which has helped several users recover their funds even when they never manually backed up their Lightning channels.
4/
Backups are encrypted on device with user's seed phrase and uploaded at irregular intervals to our backup server via Tor with their size randomized, ensuring that we don't learn:
- Contents of the backup
- User's IP address
- Real size of backup
- Channel activity
- Any PII
5/
- Contents of the backup
- User's IP address
- Real size of backup
- Channel activity
- Any PII
5/
Here's @lukechilds's magic cryptography that makes it possible: github.com/getumbrel/umbr…
So the only thing we learn is the number of unique backup IDs that exist on our backup server at any time — and that's how we were able to estimate the number of Umbrel servers out there!
6/
So the only thing we learn is the number of unique backup IDs that exist on our backup server at any time — and that's how we were able to estimate the number of Umbrel servers out there!
6/
Stats aside, what really gets us excited the most is the underlying grassroots movement.
The world's most open, fair, and decentralized monetary network isn't powered by AWS, but by "average people" running Bitcoin and Lightning nodes in their homes.
7/
The world's most open, fair, and decentralized monetary network isn't powered by AWS, but by "average people" running Bitcoin and Lightning nodes in their homes.
7/
https://twitter.com/getumbrel/status/1397261950002728960
.@MaxAWebster just published his incredibly well-researched piece on the Lightning Network reaching its escape velocity, plebnet community, devs, and "The Umbrel Effect". If this doesn't make you bullish on Lightning, nothing will.
8/
hivemind.vc/why-lightning-…
8/
hivemind.vc/why-lightning-…
And the free market is already doing its thing by giving birth to amazing communities like @kycjelly. People are voting with their feet, getting rid of all intermediaries by participating directly at the protocol layer, not just the application layer.
9/
9/
https://twitter.com/ErinEMalone/status/1448387833236914181
In other words, plebs truly run this show.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
