Ark: Scaling Bitcoin Payments with Steven Roose | SLP645 1s596t

Stephan chats with Steven Roose, CEO of SecondBTC, about Ark, a new Layer 2 solution for Bitcoin that aims to simplify self-custodial payments. They discuss the challenges of onboarding new s to Bitcoin, the unique features of Ark compared to other solutions like Liquid and Cashu, and the importance of maintaining control over funds.  The conversation also touches on the recent Signet launch, scalability concerns, and practical use cases for Ark in facilitating Bitcoin transactions. Steven also explores future plans for the Mainnet launch, the possibility of competing ARC servers, and the implications of CTV and CheckSig from Stack on efficiency gains in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Takeaways 🔸Ark aims to simplify self-custodial Bitcoin payments. 🔸The onboarding experience is crucial for new s. 🔸Ark allows s to receive payments without managing channels. 🔸Self-custodial solutions are essential for control over funds. 🔸The server in Ark does not take custody of funds. 🔸Rounds in Ark help refresh VTXOs and manage payments. 🔸Mobile experience is a key focus for Ark's development. 🔸Signet launch aims to engage early adopters and developers. 🔸Scalability will depend on participation in rounds. 🔸Self-custody is important for both payments and savings in Bitcoin. There's not a lot of use on-chain currently. 🔸Ark focuses on retail payments, while Ark Labs targets app development. 🔸Liquidity constraints are minimized by behavior in refreshing VTXOs. 🔸Fees will be charged at both server and app levels. 🔸The experience with Ark is better than existing solutions. 🔸Covenants could significantly enhance Ark's functionality. 🔸The importance of liquidity management in server operations. 🔸Ark aims to onboard s who would otherwise use custodial wallets. 🔸The potential for competing Ark servers is currently low. 🔸Ark is actively being developed and tested on Signet. Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:12) - What is Ark? (03:21) - What is the Ark approach to self-custody? (05:52) - Reducing the onboarding hurdle for s with Ark (07:32) - How does Ark compare with Liquid & eCash? (11:37) - How does a interact with an Ark server? (12:41) - How do Ark rounds work? (17:07) - Who benefits from Ark? (25:05) - Ark mobile experience and app management challenges (27:20) - Ark’s signet launch (28:45) - What are the limits for Ark? (33:25) - Practical use cases for Ark in Bitcoin transactions;