Energy Kitchen has begun to allow its customers to order coffee, food and beverages and pay in bitcoin via the Lightning Network using QR codes, they then can collect the products at the counter.
This is the simplest, most immediate, but potentially most socially relevant application you can have, capable of converting bitcoin into a true payment system without the need for expensive connections with credit or debit cards.
The system is only compatible with wallets that support LN and has been developed thanks to an agreement between Oliver Grugger’s Energy Kitchen and the local developers of Puzzle ITC.
Soon the way to place orders with LN will also be published in an explanatory video, while a graphic introduction is already present at the point of sale.
The LN application at the retail level presents itself as the most eager opportunity for expansion for this fast bitcoin payment network.
During the summer there have been significant developments in the network, with an increase in the ability to support payments. To date, 19 September, the network has 996 thousand nodes, 12067 channels and has the capacity to support payments up to 111 BTCs, for a total of about 600 thousand dollars.
The figures are certainly not very high yet, but they make it possible to channel payments that are beginning to become significant, especially for small retail businesses.
