Bitcoin Startup Unveils 'Thunder Bird' Lightning Code for IoT Devices

Japanese startup Nayuta is releasing an in-progress lightning implementation with a compelling new focus: the internet of things.

As revealed exclusively to CoinDesk, Nayuta is publishing the first lightning implementation geared specifically toward IoT, or networks of connected devices that feed data to one another.

The idea behind Nayuta's release is that it connects to bitcoin's live network, allowing transactions of real BTC. To date, Nayuta's release represents the fourth lightning implementation to officially launch on bitcoin's mainnet so far, following software pushes from startups Acinq, Blockstream, and Lightning Labs.

Called Ptarmigan, the Japanese word for "Thunder bird," the name plays off the fact that the promising bitcoin technology it builds upon is named "Lightning."

In the case of lightning, such micropayments could be conducted using bitcoin.

"The lightning network has the following promising characteristics: small transaction amounts, or"micropayments" borderless and cross-domain payments real-time payments large transaction per second potential.

Nayuta partnered with a major electric Japanese company last year to put lightning payments to the test for recharging electric cars.

"IoT is one of the important Lightning Network application area, but no one knows what the killer-app is. In such situation, an increasing number of developers and prototyping trials are very important."

"SPV," which stands for simplified payment verification, is a small lightning node on the network that requires an end-user to download less data.

A Raspberry Pi Zero is possibly the cheapest computer to date, costing a mere $5. To show how it works, Nayuta has released a short demo video, showing how they sent a lightning transaction over their new lightning shield, causing a strip of lights to shine.