Bitcoin Q&A: Node Compatibility, Lightning, and Incentives
Channel: aantonop
Date: 2019-02-06

What is the difference between reachable (listening) vs. non-reachable (non-listening) nodes? Will there be incentive schemes to run nodes? Are nodes that use older versions of the Bitcoin Core software backwards-compatible? What are the differences between Bitcoin and Lightning nodes and wallets?

Chapters
0:00 Is there a way we can see the number of Bitcoin nodes or downloads, worldwide or per country? 
0:48 What is the difference between reachable and non-reachable nodes?
3:41 Why did the number of Bitcoin nodes drop after March 2018?
5:51 Since the Bitcoin network highly depends on fully validating nodes, was there or will there ever be an option that will implement incentives for people to run full nodes, for Bitcoin or any other altcoin?
7:58 Are nodes backwards-compatible? If I have Bitcoin Core 0.14.x, and the latest version is 0.17.x, can I still function or am I forced to upgrade?
10:41 What are the important differences to know about using Lightning wallets, compared to a regular Bitcoin wallet? Are there differences?
15:33 What is the difference between a Lightning node and a wallet?

These questions are from the MOOC 10.5 session and the December monthly subscriber session, which took place on October 5th and December 15th 2018 respectively. If you want early-access to talks and a chance to participate in the monthly live Q&As with Andreas, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/aantonop

RELATED:
Bitcoin, Lightning, and Streaming Money - https://youtu.be/gF_ZQ_eijPs
The Internet of Money: Five Years Later - https://youtu.be/6xIq0FdmsIA
The Lightning Network - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPQwGV1aLnTurL4wU_y3jOhBi9rrpsYyi
Wallets, nodes, and monetary sovereignty - https://youtu.be/8Hb3tUn8s4E
Honest nodes and consensus - https://youtu.be/KAhY2ymI-tg
Why running a node is important - https://youtu.be/oX0Yrv-6jVs
Nonces, mining, and quantum computing - https://youtu.be/d4xXJh677J0
Is quantum computing a threat? - https://youtu.be/wlzJyp3Qm7s
Spam transactions and Child Pays For Parent - https://youtu.be/t3c0E4fkSNs
Orphan blocks and stuck transactions - https://youtu.be/MsdW0CTYwyY
Miners, pools, and consensus - https://youtu.be/JHz7LM4ncLw
Software distribution security - https://youtu.be/_V0vqy046YM
Protocol development security - https://youtu.be/4fsL5XWsTJ4
Geopolitics and state-sponsored attacks - https://youtu.be/htxPRTJLK-k
Sanctions and censorship resistance - https://youtu.be/DeXe5eGRl7E
Governance and social attack immunity - https://youtu.be/PjOHatoX6Fk
How to get people to care about security - https://youtu.be/Ji1lS9NMz1E

Andreas M. Antonopoulos is a technologist and serial entrepreneur who has become one of the most well-known and respected figures in bitcoin.

Follow on Twitter: @aantonop https://twitter.com/aantonop
Website: https://antonopoulos.com/

He is the author of two books: “Mastering Bitcoin,” published by O’Reilly Media and considered the best technical guide to bitcoin; “The Internet of Money,” a book about why bitcoin matters.

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MASTERING BITCOIN, 2nd Edition: https://amzn.to/2xcdsY9

Translations of MASTERING BITCOIN: https://bitcoinbook.info/translations-of-mastering-bitcoin/

THE INTERNET OF MONEY, v1: https://amzn.to/2ykmXFs

THE INTERNET OF MONEY, v2: https://amzn.to/2IIG5BJ

Translations of THE INTERNET OF MONEY:
Spanish, 'Internet del Dinero' (v1) - https://amzn.to/2yoaTTq
French, 'L'internet de l'argent' (v1) - https://www.amazon.fr/Linternet-largent-Andreas-M-Antonopoulos/dp/2856083390
Russian, 'Интернет денег' (v1) - https://www.olbuss.ru/catalog/ekonomika-i-biznes/korporativnye-finansy-bankovskoe-delo/internet-deneg
Vietnamese, 'Internet Của Tiền Tệ' (v1) - https://alphabooks.vn/khi-tien-len-mang

MASTERING ETHEREUM (Q4): https://amzn.to/2xdxmlK

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