Security concerns have forced the Bitcoin core developer to leave the Lightning network
Security researcher and developer Antoine Riard has announced his departure from the Lightning Network development team, citing security issues and threats to the Bitcoin (BTC) ecosystem.
In a discussion on the Linux Foundation's public mailing list, Riard expressed concern about a new class of cycling attacks, which put the Lightning network in a vulnerable position.
The Lightning Network is a second-layer solution built on the Bitcoin blockchain, which is intended to improve elasticity and transaction efficiency.
It enables users to open payment channels, conduct multiple transactions off-chain, and facilitate off-chain, peer-to-peer transactions with the final result on the Bitcoin blockchain.
However, the alternate cycling attack specifically targets these payment channels, using inconsistencies between individual members to steal funds from participants.
“I think this new class of cycling attacks puts Lightning in a very dangerous situation, which can only happen with permanent maintenance at the base-layer, such as adding a memory history of all observed transactions or improving some consensus,” he wrote.
“Expanded mitigations are worth something when looking at simple attacks, although I don't think they will stop advanced attackers as stated in the first full disclosure letter.”
Riard requires urgent maintenance
Riard emphasized the urgent need for permanent maintenance, such as adding a memorable transaction history or implementing consensus.
They admit that solving this problem may require changes to the Bitcoin network, which requires transparency and the support of the entire community.
This refers to the processing requirements of entire nodes or the generally decentralized security architecture of the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Developers of the Lightning Network have been grappling with a variety of challenges, including criticism of the network's complexity and impact on user experience.
In the year Despite gaining popularity since its launch in 2018, its overall value is locked at $159.5 million at the time of writing, according to Defillama, and Lightning Network adoption is modest compared to Bitcoin's massive $587 billion market capitalization.
Riard said he intends to shift his focus to Bitcoin core development, but warned of challenges to the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem.
“On the other hand, to shine and design them well, we may need to outline fully functional and critical attacks on the ~5 355 public BTC ecosystem, fully explaining why such changes are warranted.”
He added that this creates a difficult problem that highlights the complexities associated with protocol deployment in the Bitcoin space.
Meanwhile, there is a growing appetite to implement the Lightning Network to enjoy faster Bitcoin transactions.
In June, Binance announced that it was working to integrate the Bitcoin Lightning network for deposits and withdrawals after the exchange experienced problems due to the high number of pending transactions.
At the same time, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced plans to integrate a Bitcoin layer 2 solution.
