The new network announced today by Blockchain.info called Thunder (Thunder at this link) might be huge. People throw around the term "game changer" at whim. This may well be one. Amid all the scalability sturm und drang, Thunder may render the talk of differing bitcoin software versions to be nothing more than a lot of sound and fury.
Bitcoin has proven and continues to prove to newcomers that it is a game changer. But, if there ever was a thorn in Bitcoin’s Achilles’ heel, it was twofold. First, can it continue to grow? And, secondly, alongside the growth question, can it render transactions in a timely manner?
The idea of buying a cup of coffee via bitcoin is frequently used. But, a cup of coffee is often consumed there in the coffee shop, allowing the vendor the ten to fifteen minutes to validate the transaction. A better real-life scenario might be to consider a bustling bar on a Friday night. A patron who elbows to the bar to order a Shirley Temple and the bartender who serves him or her has little time to wait for confirmations. Additionally, in a packed house, a bartender cannot practically wait or keep track of customers for minutes on end. Quicker-than-credit-card speed is a game changer.
Thunder may or may not be the ultimate game changer, but this path certainly seems ripe with sweet fruit.
Originally published on http://satoshitimes.wikidot.com
May 16, 2016
LINK: http://satoshitimes.wikidot.com/blog:19
Although dated, this is being posted here on the Hive blockchain so that it's archived.