RGB protocol Brings More Digital Assets to the Lightning Network

The innovative minds working hard to keep Bitcoin competitive just changed the game once again with the introduction of the RGB protocol. The new protocol improves the Lightning Network’s capabilities and expands its services to other digital assets. The developers have already released the RGB-lighting update which enables anyone to issue and transfer digital assets on the Bitcoin blockchain. Here’s why this release matters.

How the RGB Protocol Works

The RGB Protocol leverages the Lightning Network’s unique off-chain structure to provide asset issuance capabilities to the network. The process begins when someone creates an off-chain contract to issue a new asset. The new asset is created and allocated to the Bitcoin UTXO.

Once the asset has made it this far, it can be added to the Lighting Network directly. This step requires the system to send the asset to a multi-sig UTXO using client-side validation transfers. This technical structure enables these assets to be sent in the same manner as Bitcoin through the Lighting Network’s private payment channels.

The main difference is that every RGB asset requires a Lighting Network graph. For assets that don’t have a lot of liquidity, this requirement could be a hindrance. However, it does make the upgrade ideal for popular projects such as stablecoins.

Source: Website – RGB Protocol

Security Concerns

The RGB Protocol update includes some new security protections to prevent hacks and misuse. The system uses the Lightning Network channel update to verify data. The funding multi-sig can be cross-referenced to the commitment transaction to verify correctness and authenticity.

If there are any discrepancies, the system will automatically penalize the party responsibly. The RGP Protocol punishment transaction drains the culprit of their funding. The style of punishment makes it very costly for nodes to act maliciously. Notably, it has proven to be effective to date.

Using RGB Protocol for Issuing Semi-Centralized Assets

Another cool upgrade that protocol users can leverage is the ability to create semi-centralized tokens. This style of asset is commonly used for in-game tokens. It’s ideal because it enables some censorship for developers. The main difference between this token and a normal blockchain asset is that these tokens connect to a limited number of main nodes.

Liquidity Bridges

Interoperability remains a popular topic in the market. The RGB protocol provides Bitcoin with the ability to operate as an asset exchange. The network introduces special exchange nodes to accomplish this task. These nodes can accomplish tasks such as trading low-liquidity tokens for popular projects. The main downside of this style of the network is that each swap adds a little more to the final fee.

Dapps

The Lighting Network has gained another way to host Dapps. The RGB Protocol includes a full stack which makes it ideal for operating Dapps. There are a variety of helpful tools and building blocks to get developers on their way to creating programs for Bitcoin users and more.

RGB Protocol Expands LN Uses

The RGB Protocol is a major upgrade that has the potential to drive Lightning Network adoption to new heights. The developers introduced a host of new features that bring Bitcoin more in line with today’s high-performance networks. As such, you can expect to see other Lightning Network implementations integrate the RGB Protocol in the coming weeks.

The post RGB protocol Brings More Digital Assets to the Lightning Network appeared first on BitcoinLightning.com.

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