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README.md: Update with reference to BOLT RFCs.
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Signed-off-by: Rusty Russell <[email protected]>
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rustyrussell committed Mar 15, 2016
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Expand Up @@ -5,28 +5,18 @@ bitcoin lightning (see:
[http://lightning.network](http://lightning.network) which proposed
the original "lightning network").

The first step was to develop a wire protocol for nodes to talk to
each other. The wire protocol is documented in
[lightning.proto](lightning.proto) (a
[protobuf](https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/) definition
file). There are command line utilities to create and process various
packets in [test-cli](test-cli/HOWTO-USE.md).

The second step is to create a daemon which uses that protocol to
communicate with others to set up channels and make simple payments.
This also involves monitoring the blockchain for transactions. This
is where development is currently occurring.
This implementation is being developed in parallel with the protocol
definition, which you can find [https://github.com/rustyrussell/lightning](on my fork of the protocol description repository).

So far, we are working on the [https://github.com/rustyrussell/lightning/blob/master/communications/low/01-encryption.md](inter-node encryption) and [https://github.com/rustyrussell/lightning/blob/master/communications/low/02-wire-protocol.md](transaction negotiation) phases.

Later steps will enhance the protocol to network individual daemons,
advertize their IP addresses, publish routes and fees, and use that
advertise their IP addresses, publish routes and fees, and use that
information to pay specific nodes. These details are currently being
hashed out on the [mailing list](https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/lightning-dev) and the IRC channel [#lightning-dev](https://botbot.me/freenode/lightning-dev/) on Freenode.

The protocol requires features not currently in bitcoin, so by default
it runs on top of the sidechain [Elements
Alpha](https://github.com/ElementsProject/elements). It can be tested
with bitcoin (on testnet) with OP_NOP substitution, at the top level
Makefile.
The protocol requires features not currently in bitcoin, but can be tested
with bitcoin (on testnet) with OP_NOP substitution.

Final note: This is very much a testbed and work in progress; expect
All The Things to change, all the time.
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