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Publication
Neutral payments
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91.04 KB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Over the last years, the methods for paying for goods and services have transformed drastically.
For a long time, online commerce relied on trusted third-party intermediaries to facilitate trans actions. However, these systems carried inherent vulnerabilities, leaving users exposed to delays
and additional costs while introducing risks. Early attempts to establish decentralized digital cur rencies were unsuccessful until the introduction of Bitcoin in 2008. Bitcoin revolutionized digital
payments by offering a decentralized system that relies on cryptographic proof rather than trust.
Its peer-to-peer nature allows individuals to transact directly with each other without the need
for intermediaries. This dissertation explores the assembling of a Bitcoin payments infrastructure
through the integration of Bitcoin, the Lightning Network and LNURL, allowing users to process
payments without relying on third-party intermediaries. However, building and maintaining such
an infrastructure requires a significant level of technical knowledge and time, presenting obstacles
to adoption of the technology. This document seeks to lower these barriers by laying down the
background and providing a detailed demonstration on how these protocols work together, offer ing insights into building and maintaining this infrastructure. The case study at the center of this
research, a browser based video game, shows how gamifying Bitcoin and the Lightning Network
can help users better understand complex concepts while also offering an engaging experience.
The project has demonstrated its value as both an educational and entertainment tool. Looking
forward, the future of the project includes expanding its features to help grow the user base and
enhance its appeal while carefully planning to ensure that the system continues to uphold Bitcoin’s
core principles of neutrality.
Description
Tese de Mestrado, Informática, 2024, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências
Keywords
Pagamentos Jogos Bitcoin Lightning LNURL Teses de mestrado - 2024