Stockholm-based startup Bitrefill now offers a way to mitigate bitcoin’s expensive learning curve for new users.
Revealed exclusively to CoinDesk, Bitrefill’s new Thor service allows people to give lightning channels to someone else with no setup on the recipient's side. Lightning was created to allow cheaper, off-chain bitcoin payments.
Bitrefill’s John Carvalho told CoinDesk:
“Thor allows people to connect to the lightning network whether they have bitcoin or not. All you have to do is download one of the supported wallet apps, install it, and then either you or a friend can come to Bitrefill and purchase a channel opening.”Typically, this is how lightning works: Someone has to set up a channel between two parties and deposit enough bitcoin to hold it open. Users can only send as much money as the channel’s capacity supports.