Ark Labs
@ArkLabsHQ
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There's been tremendous technical progress around Ark, but general understanding still lags behind. While we’ve been quietly building, our own mental model continued to evolve and expand. Today, we're sharing a fresh perspective on how Ark extends Bitcoin's capabilities. 🧵
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Today we’re launching Ark Labs, a new company dedicated to building solutions for the Ark protocol, a new #bitcoin layer two that makes bitcoin payments at scale simpler and with no sacrifices to self-custody.
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1/ Ark's superpower lies in its ability to leverage native Bitcoin script 🦸🏻♂️. Scaling UTXO-based contracts has the potential to enable a new generation of financial applications 🏦. Today, we're happy to share our work on Virtual Channels, bringing instant settlement to Ark ⬇️
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1/ Big news! We’ve secured a $2.5M pre-seed led by Tim Draper and Draper Ventures, with key backing from Fulgur Ventures, Axiom Capital and Bitcoin angel investor, Stephen Cole, fueling our mission to make Bitcoin the future of global commerce! 🌎.
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Some asked what we've been cooking 🧑🍳. We're pleased to report we recently completed a prototype integration of @lightning's Taproot Assets into the Ark protocol, unlocking tokenized VTXOs (tVTXOs)!. New opportunities for efficient and secure token operations on Bitcoin! 👇
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1/ Bitcoin's ecosystem is evolving 🚀. New applications and protocols are emerging to expand what's possible on Bitcoin, yet they all share a critical constraint: expensive interaction with the base layer. What if on-chain costs could decrease with increased network usage? 👇
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🔥 Hot off our $2.5M pre-seed raise, we’re offering an exclusive sneak peek at Ark Node—our flagship wallet daemon designed for fast, low-cost Bitcoin transactions over Lightning via an easy-to-use dashboard! 💸⚡️
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👋 Today we're releasing the Ark wallet SDK, a TypeScript-powered toolkit that simplifies building Bitcoin wallets with seamless support for both onchain and off-chain transactions. While it's still early, we couldn't wait for developers to start tapping into the Ark protocol! 🧵
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A Lightning Whitepill Thread ⚡️👼. Here’s why Lightning’s not only here to stay but about to get a whole lot more popular with the arrival of Ark. 🧵.
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1/ Trust-minimized protocols such as lotteries using script have captivated users and researchers since Bitcoin's early days. Today, we're unveiling our Coinflip PoC, an exploration of multiparty contracts on Ark. We think this could be the spark for something bigger. 👾
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Lightning without the storms? You bet! As announced yesterday by @tierotiero at @BitcoinConfEUR, @Boltzhq is integrating Ark, marking a new era of faster, cheaper, and more user-friendly rebalancing on Lightning! 🔥. No more navigating fee storms— seamless swaps are on the way
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Proud to announce our collaboration with @tu_wien on a formal specification of the Ark protocol!. This Litepaper formalizes Ark’s technical foundation and provides additional clarity for researchers & developers interested in contributing to its implementations.
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Ark Labs launches today, a new company dedicated to building #bitcoin layer-two solutions based on the new Ark protocol.
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1/ April is shaping up to be a massive month for shipping at @ArkLabsHQ! Kicking things off, we're thrilled to unveil our new, highly requested Rust crates for Ark. A brand new set of tools bringing Ark's transaction batching power to the Rust Bitcoin ecosystem 👇
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A new form of life was spotted entering the Ark 👀. Can you guess which?. 👾
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Seeing the growing interest in payment protocols compatible with the Lightning Network, we wanted to share insights from our work on Arkade, a PoC wallet for the Ark protocol. A few people were able to try our PWA implementation in the last month. While far from optimized, we
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Last weekend @blockspacepod’s OP_NEXT, we demoed Arkade — a prototype wallet built on the Ark protocol, live on mainnet. While only a proof-of-concept, it highlighted something more important:. A new class of Bitcoin applications is possible today, without consensus changes. 🧵👇
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New Bitcoin scaling solutions can be hard to grasp. That's why, over the next few months, we’ll be breaking down some of the more technical aspects of the Ark protocol here on X as part of a new series called Ark Fundamentals. But before we dive in, we want to hear from you!. Got.
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Lightning is an essential component of the #bitcoin scaling solution, but for retail users, the burdens of node, channel, and liquidity management are pushing them toward custodial wallets. Bitcoin needs new scaling options that make it easier to self-custody.
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Using virtual swaps, we can close Lightning's "liquidity loop" by providing participants with an interface to batch their channel management operations off-chain. We anticipate many infrastructure providers will find interesting ways to leverage the efficiency of Ark swaps and
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The #LightningNetwork is awesome, but it can’t do all the heavy lifting required to scale bitcoin on its own. The Ark protocol offers users a new way to send and receive #bitcoin that’s just as fast and low-cost, but doesn’t require channel and liquidity management.
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The latest Ark release brings new features and improvements, including covenant-less Ark implementation, offline payments, client SDKs, MutinyNet support, and substantial enhancements to our codebase and documentation.
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How Ark works. You can redeem your #bitcoin on Ark at any time on-chain, ensuring you remain in control. Ark makes no compromises on self-custody.
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If you're following Bitcoin scaling discussions, you've likely heard of "Shared UTXOs". Although Ark falls in this category, assumptions tied to other approaches have caused confusion about the protocol. Let's explore how Ark's unique architecture sets it apart from others 🧵👇.
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Ark v0.3 is out, taking us one step closer to the launch of Ark Node!. ✈️ Two-step protocol for easier onboarding.🌲 Round participants now collectively sign and verify the VTXO tree.🕹️ New APIs for more flexible VTXO script policies. For more details, visit the Ark engineering.
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It's about time everyone starts getting a little more familiar with these concepts. Tomorrow, we drop a simple but cool idea on how to optimize Ark trees and improve server liquidity. Ark Christmas is coming🎄
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ICYMI: scure's btc-signer latest release now supports MuSig2 👀. A key step toward secure, production-ready Ark deployment. MuSig2 brings practical covenant emulation to Bitcoin. Scalability & security 📈. A privilege to collaborate with @paulmillr on this important update 👇
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4/ Thanks to Tapscript, we can extend bare VTXO script beyond a single signer ✍️. By defining additional spending paths, we can encapsulate multi-party contracts within VTXOs, enabling the creation of Virtual Channels. Details and code snippets below👇.
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UTXO is the best architecture to scale financial contracts. Hands down.
𝐔𝐓𝐗𝐎 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬. Account-based blockchains like Ethereum typically rely on Layer 2s to scale. L2s come in different shapes and sizes, generally leading to security trade-offs like.
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Virtual Channels are just the beginning!. By extending Bitcoin's script capabilities through Ark, we’re opening the door to a broader financial infrastructure secured by Bitcoin's consensus rules. Start building with us today! 🛠️.
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Progress report on our core Ark implementation!. With major releases and announcements on the horizon, this update enhances performance & reliability to strengthen our foundation. 👉 Optimized VTXO tree signing.👉 Connector trees.👉 SDK API updates.
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Handling VTXO expiration is a challenge for Ark servers. For users, some level of assurance must be provided that their funds will remain accessible even if they fail to roll them over. Here's one idea we've been cooking up: Ark Notes 🎟️.
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So, the next time someone tries to blackpill you on Lightning, just keep in mind: there’s plenty to be excited about. Development is hitting new highs, adoption keeps growing, and with Ark on the way, Lightning is about to get a serious UX boost. Our CEO @tierotiero will share.
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You've might have heard about Ark's liquidity "problem" 💰. As we progress into our implementation, we continue to find ways to tackle this challenge. Today, we present a simple method to optimize allocation of funds into Ark trees 🌳. h/t @reardencode .
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5/ For real-time game coordination, we leveraged Nostr as our communication layer. Players drive the game state via Nostr events, while Ark handles the validation and ultimate settlement. A simple but powerful combo - decentralized messaging meets trust-minimized execution 🤝.
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3/ Ark allows us to revisit this concept, unburdened by Bitcoin's limited block space. Cost-effective deployment of payment channels becomes possible!. For users, Virtual Channels offer notable advantages over Lightning:. No backups ✅.No liveness requirements ✅.No routing ✅.
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Using Ark to reallocate liquidity efficiently across the Lightning Network is an important step towards improving the overall reliability of the system. This complementary relationship between Ark and Lightning reflects Lightning's evolution into an interoperability layer and
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Don't miss our latest blogpost for all highlights from this month's @BitcoinConfEUR, including @Boltzhq's game-changing Ark integration and @tierotiero’s vision for scaling Bitcoin to billions—all while preserving everything that makes Bitcoin, Bitcoin!
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2/ Few might remember that payment channels predate the Lightning Network ⚡️. Early implementations, like the unidirectional channels in bitcoinj, never caught on for a variety of reasons. One obvious downside comes from the high on-chain costs associated with channel setups 💰
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1/ There are a lot of #bitcoin covenants proposals out there, and you might be thinking why they matter. Here are some ways that Ark could improve if/when the features enabled by covenants are made available:.
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Thanks to native support for Bitcoin script operations, Ark allows servers to virtualize many of the same contracts used by existing Bitcoin products and services. One we're excited about are Virtual HTLCs (vHTLCs). Combined with off-chain execution, we think they open the door
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8/ This is just the beginning. As more protocols emerge, efficient liquidity becomes increasingly critical. Ark provides this crucial infrastructure, creating a network effect that benefits the entire Bitcoin ecosystem. Want to learn how Ark can make your Bitcoin operations more.
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From pioneering Italy’s 🇮🇹 first Bitcoin ATMs to scaling Bitcoin for the masses—catch @tierotiero’s interview last week at @BitcoinConfEUR with @roxomTV. Chatting about self-custody and how Ark Labs is driving the future of global Bitcoin adoption 🌍 🚀.
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6/ Coinflip is available here: These early experiments hint at interesting possibilities for multiparty contracts on Bitcoin 👀. If you're interested in exploring this potential, let's connect. h/t to our friend @super_testnet for the inspiration.
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A common misconception is that we need to wait for covenants on #bitcoin before you could deploy Ark. That’s not the case!. Ark is already possible now. There’s no need to wait to bring the benefits of cheap, fast, simple payments to users.
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Want early access? Sign up now for a chance to be among the first 100 chosen to join our closed beta, kicking off in September. 🧑🔬Spots are limited, so be quick! ⏰.
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👀👀👀.
Introducing Lendasat, a non-custodial, instant #Bitcoin loan service powered by DLC on ARK. Coming soon.
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4/ A key insight from our Coinflip implementation: Ark operators validate spending conditions off-chain, such that in the optimistic case, complex validation logic doesn't hit the blockchain at all. Once the game concludes, players settle their balance without intermediary trust
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Ark Node isn't just another wallet. It's a powerful tool designed to unlock the full potential of the Lightning Network, featuring:. ✅ Trustless Swaps.✅ Seamless Node Integration.✅ Cheap BTC Transfers.
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7/ The implications are massive. By making on-chain operations cost-effective:. 🚀 Capital flows freely between layers.🚀 New applications become viable.🚀 Users gain true optionality.🚀 Innovation accelerates.
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Enter Ark. Similar to Liquid, Ark is an off-chain scalability solution, but unlike federated sidechains, Ark offers similar trust-minimized guarantees as Lightning. Transfers of virtual UTXOs (vTXOs) are batched by servers then periodically settled into a single on-chain.
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2/ Bitcoin's high transaction costs lock away billions, fragmenting liquidity and driving users toward precarious centralized platforms and risky bridge protocols. Ark changes this by becoming Bitcoin's unified liquidity layer, finally enabling capital to flow freely across the.
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Our proof-of-concept is open source. Yes, we have code!. Check it out: It includes a CLI for constructing colored Ark batches, tapd integration, and dockerized environments for Regtest and Signet. Try commands like mint, board, round, and unilateral exit!.
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@Tether_to Taproot Assets naturally fit into Ark's transaction batching architecture. tVTXOs embed asset commitments using Taproot's internal key and TapTree structure, functioning identically to regular VTXOs while carrying the additional asset proof data needed for token operations.
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👀 To highlight the SDK's potential, we recently submitted a PR to the popular @ElizaOS_ai AI agent framework showing how autonomous systems could start speaking Bitcoin using the Ark protocol. Simple, efficient, and built on Bitcoin's core strengths. Here's why this matters.
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5/ Ark solves this through revolutionary batching technology, making self-custodial Bitcoin operations economically viable at scale. Consider Lightning: our upcoming Ark Node demonstrates how costly channel management can become practical even in a high fee environment.
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2/ Bitcoin script can achieve complex smart contract flows - but there's no free lunch. The lack of expressive contract features often requires dealing with multiple sets of transactions to handle all possible execution paths. Example from a 2013 paper 👇.
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Our implementation, Colored Trees, developed by @boringprimate, allows VTXOs to represent both BTC and tokens while maintaining unilateral exit rights. The system recursively computes Asset Commitments and assembles Transfer Proofs at each transaction for deterministic outcomes.
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Watch our technical walkthrough!. This demonstration covers the full lifecycle from asset issuance to offchain token management to unilateral exit. You'll witness interactions between Onboarding Users, Exiting Users, the Ark Operator, and the Bitcoin network.
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3/ Our recent investigations got us thinking about how Ark might accommodate those use cases. Ark's client-server architecture, built around presigned transactions, provides an interesting framework for coordinating complex multi-party interactions.
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3/ At the moment, swaps have become the preferred way to move between layers - whether it's Lightning Network, Liquid, or new protocols. They offer better UX for end users and avoid the complexity of bridges and pegging mechanisms.
Today, we are launching Rootstock Chain Swaps, completing the fundamentals of our @rootstock_io integration 🫡. In addition to #Lightning, users can now swap the following pairs in an easy, non-custodial manner:.RBTC <> BTC.RBTC <> L-BTC. This dramatically lowers the entry.
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3/ This new capital lets us fast-track development and bring in top talent, especially world-class developers, to push the Ark protocol forward and enhance its Lightning interoperability. Bitcoin super coders—we need you!! ⚡️.
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Don't expect Arkade to show up on the App Store anytime soon but it's been interesting to work on the wallet and help unveil the different tradeoffs and caveats involved with Ark payments. Novel concepts like the out-of-round trust model and VTXO duration are important
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4/ Unfortunately, swaps can't escape Bitcoin's on-chain costs either. These fees accumulate quickly when moving between protocols, making it impractical for users and unsustainable for service providers.
We are experiencing intermittent issues when users receive lightning payments due to the extremely high and volatile network fees. We are working to solve this as soon as possible.
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Agreed.
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4/ We’re buzzing to deepen this collaboration and unlock new opportunities with virtual channels, escrows and other smart contracts. Expect more updates as we explore Ark’s potential to level up Bitcoin development 👾. Get started with the crates now:
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Our chefs have been cooking 🧑🍳. Announcing the release of Ark v0.4!. - New address encoding 🔐.- Ark Notes implementation 📝. and a new feature preparing us for the launch of the upcoming Ark Node : Market Hours ⏰. Check it out below 👇.
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Our demo wasn't about teasing a product. It was a step toward reframing what’s possible on Bitcoin, today. With many purported Bitcoin L2s still theoretical or incomplete, we intended to offer something more grounded. Ark is real. It’s moving. And it’s coming to mainnet.
Been trying out what might be among the world's first ARK transactions on Bitcoin mainnet. Here I send some sats from the @ArkLabsHQ wallet to my Phoenix wallet (using a LN swap).
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@Boltzhq 6/ Take BitVM, Bitcoin's latest breakthrough. Direct bridges using this technology appear destined to be too complex for everyday use. Users will inevitably turn to swaps as the primary means of access—bringing us back to the same liquidity challenges 💸.
@JeremyRubin It's not ideal indeed, but practical and probably the best we can do without a consensus change. Also it's not really user level stuff because these bridges will get used only by large liquidity providers. End users will rather use cross-chain swaps via Lightning.
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Ark isn’t just about offchain payments. It’s about unlocking programmable money — natively on Bitcoin. New capital markets are emerging and we're building toward a world where Bitcoin isn’t just a store of value. It’s the platform for a new economy. Time to level up. 👾.
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Lately, a new generation of mobile Lightning wallets is attempting to offload these operations onto more cost-effective, off-chain alternatives like @Liquid_BTC's sidechain. Recent integration by leading Lightning infrastructure provider @Breez_Tech indicates that this trend is.
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Payments on Arkade start with a user sharing a BIP21 Payment URI. 📲. The URI contains the Bitcoin address along with a ?ark= parameter, which includes an Ark address. BOLT 11/12 payment instructions will also be added once our Lightning integration is complete. Existing
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A lot’s also been happening at the protocol level to address long-standing UX and privacy issues. Support for much-anticipated specification upgrade BOLT12, for example, is growing, with recent integrations seen by the likes of @PhoenixWallet and @Strike. Among other features,.
New major release! Phoenix Android/iOS/Server now supports BOLT12:. - reusable, non-expiring payment requests.- contact list (Android for now, iOS soon).- attach messages to payments. More info: #Bitcoin #LightningNetwork.
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Ark Notes are a cryptographically signed delivery mechanism for users to claim their funds back after expiry. Ark servers could refuse to honor the redemption of a note but users can indisputably prove any such fraud. Simply roll your note into a new VTXO round whenever you
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Roadshow continues and the team is firing on all cylinders 🔥@ArkLabsHQCEO @tierotiero is in Lugano for the annual @LuganoPlanB conference. Marco was building covenants on @Liquid_BTC before they became a hot topic. Checkout his take on the conversation if you're in town!
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💡 By preserving Bitcoin's UTXO model & bearer nature, AI agents can handle keys & sign txs just like any standard Bitcoin wallet. Pure self-sovereignty, without running a node. Agents own their keys, control their funds - just as Bitcoin intended.
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4/ Look out too for new products and services on the horizon aimed at furthering adoption, including our flagship product, Ark Node (more on that shortly!).
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For unilateral exits, tVTXOs contain Transfer Proofs that verify an asset's path through the tree. These are activated with blockchain metadata (headers, hash, height, tx index), binding to onchain state. Here's a real exit on signet!.
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Yes, Lightning has faced challenges: routing issues, liquidity problems, and the complexity of running a node. But improvements like BOLT12 and complementary solutions like Ark are solving these. By leveraging each solution's unique strengths, the interoperability of Lightning.
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Read our full technical blog post for implementation details and architecture diagrams. Of course, this approach extends far beyond a technical demonstration. Imagine atomic, instant swaps between tokens and BTC—all on Bitcoin. USDT ↔ BTC virtual swaps,.
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The Arkade Wallet is also an opportunity to reset expectations. Ark isn’t a Lightning replacement — it opens up different possibilities: modular apps, flexible coordination, and greater utility. Arkade is the first glimpse at a broader vision: not just a wallet, but a platform.
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6/ Want to be part of the future? Whether you’re a merchant, potential ASP, wallet developer or want to play an even more direct role as part of the Ark Labs team, our DMs are open and we’d love to hear from you!.
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🔍 If you’re curious about Ark’s potential for building next-gen AI systems, check out our pull request for Eliza. We hope it sparks fresh ideas on automating BTC transactions and leveraging familiar Bitcoin tools in the world of intelligent agents.
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For those wanting to dive deeper, we've published a brand new FAQ alongside a simple explainer that explores these concepts in greater detail. Check out our documentation: We look forward to sharing more as we continue building. 👾.
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OPNext was full of excitement around what soft forks might one day unlock for Bitcoin. We’re encouraged by that research too — it’s important work. But our focus has been different:. Delivering utility with what Bitcoin already offers today.
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⚡️ While native Bitcoin transactions don't scale for AI agent interactions, Ark enables this use case without trust compromises. Same UTXO architecture, same Bitcoin primitives - but now with the throughput these applications need.
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@TimDraper @drapervc @FulgurVentures @allenf32 @sthenc 2/ Ark Labs is transforming the way the world uses money through our work on the Ark protocol. Ark is an open-source layer 2 designed to work with Lightning to enable fast, low-cost and seamless payments on Bitcoin—without compromising on decentralization or self-custody.
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Building this prototype helped surface different UX and developer considerations. Ark introduces new primitives and new design challenges. We're excited to collaborate with anyone interested in exploring new offchain applications using our Wallet SDK. 🔗
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🔧 Using the Ark SDK, developers can eventually leverage the entire Bitcoin tooling ecosystem. No nodes to run, no services to maintain - everything is compatible with existing infrastructure & standards. No new tokens, consensus mechanisms or complex state - it just works.
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7/📝 Ready to start building? Our announcement post walks you through the Ark Wallet SDK with full documentation, installation steps, and working code examples. Start building the future of Bitcoin applications today:
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For where we going, we don’t need bankers!. ARK brings back commerce to #Bitcoin, beyond simple payments, and further improve it enabling non-custodial micro-loans. Kudos @lendasat great idea!.
1) It's never a good time to sell your #Bitcoin. What if we instantly pay for your invoices, and you pay back later?. Introducing LENDASAT, the non-custodial, instant #Bitcoin loan powered by DLC on ARK. Let's explore how it works 👇A THREAD 🧵
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🔀 OFFCHAIN EXECUTION. Ark provides an offchain layer where users transfer value through Ark Transactions. An Operator coordinates these transactions, enabling high-frequency payments and complex multi-party scenarios that would be impractical on Bitcoin's blockchain.
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Ecosystem lead @bergealex4 is @tabconf in Atlanta, the best technical conference in Bitcoin. He'll be joined by @neha from @mitDCI , @WillemSchroe of @BotanixLabs and @ekrembal_ of @citrea_xyz for a spicy discussion on the evolution of Bitcoin scaling solutions. Come say hi!
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5/ Big thanks to all our investors for believing in us! Special thanks to @TimDraper, whose early backing of great Bitcoin companies like @OpenNode and @bitrefill not to mention the likes of @SpaceX, inspires us as we work to build the next era of Bitcoin-powered commerce.
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2/ These crates are evolving, and as we move forward, we aim to maintain feature parity with our JavaScript and Go client SDKs. We’re excited to share this with Rust builders—jump in and collaborate!.
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Finally, much like UTXOs, VTXOs can have arbitrary spending conditions attached, making Ark much more than just a payment pool. Ark can be used to "virtualize" practically any Bitcoin contract, greatly expanding its utility and potential applications. 👇.
1/ Ark's superpower lies in its ability to leverage native Bitcoin script 🦸🏻♂️. Scaling UTXO-based contracts has the potential to enable a new generation of financial applications 🏦. Today, we're happy to share our work on Virtual Channels, bringing instant settlement to Ark ⬇️
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