⚡️Lightning adoption is booming

When we first started ideating and building Mash ~1.5 years ago, one of the big problems that we wanted to help solve was that people didn’t have easy to use Bitcoin Lightning Network wallets.

Since then, the number of options, adoption and growth rate has been unbelievable. And large organizations are starting to integrate it for their current users – including CashApp, who recently launched full native support to 47M of their users.

Your feedback was clear!

The awesome Svetski of The Bitcoin Times has been one of our early partners. We've been experimenting with easy to integrate web-components so that people could easily contribute to download high-quality digital versions of the Bitcoin Times without providing an email address, or optionally donate to say thanks.

Payment was initially only possible with Mash’s seamlessly integrated lightning wallet (no download required for users). While you could create an account, load the wallet with other lightning wallets, and then contribute. The latest feedback from Svetski and his users was clear.

We get it. Creating an account is a big commitment that you should not be forced to do. Rather, you should be excited to do it and get benefits right then and there.

So we got to work – aligned with our vision of Mash being built with lightning, interoperability, and openness as the foundation.

👻 Announcing Ghost Checkout

We’ve extended our content monetization widgets, boosts and donations experiences to allow users contribute without having to create an account on Mash. You have the additional option to scan and contribute with another lightning wallet for a donation, to purchase something and more.

You can use any lightning powered wallet including CashApp, Strike, Wallet of Satoshi, Breeze or even another lightning experience like the balance in your Stacker News account.

🎬 Try it out, let us know what you think.

There are a few ways to try things out on the Bitcoin Times – and you get to support The Bitcoin Times at the same time. We're keen to hear all your feedback if you do.

1. Click on the donate button at the top of the page, select an amount and then select "pay with another lightning wallet". Scan with another lightning wallet, confirm your contribution... and that's it!
2. Head to one of the editions pages, perhaps Ed 3. The Legend of Prometheus. Select "Unlock your high-res PDF for sats". Follow the steps to use another lightning wallet and enjoy a seriously awesome read.

Ghost checkout has been pushed live on any site with Mash. So head to your favourite Mash experiences, and give it a try.

💞 Donate right from the Mash Button

We've also extended the Mash button so that you can donate easily without being logged in. Ghost checkout enabled of course.

There are multiple options immediately available, including a regular lightning invoice, LN-URL QR code that you can and choose the amount in the other wallet, and a lightning address that all creators & builders get.

It’s about the interoperability.

One of the core pillars that make bitcoin & lightning network unique, useful and hardened for the future is that people can use and control their money, with their choice of software and wallets that work together. They all can, and should be interoperable. No closed-walled gardens.

Mash is committed to this. Interoperability. Open payments. Personal Control. It’s part of our ethos and philosophy. We’re built this way.

It’s why our tech was architected from the ground up to accommodate it – even though it was a much bigger build-out. Your money should be yours and you should be able to use the tools & wallets that you want.

⚡️ Why keep the integrated Mash wallet?

Are there any awesome benefits with the integrated Mash Wallet? You bet.

Free experiences, one-click boosts and payments (no QR code scanning required), a fluid mobile experience, and auto-contributions so that you can support experiences without interruption. And your money on Mash is available to use across the web and all integrated sites.

What’s next? A lot.

We’re exploring ways to provide even more lightning native and decentralized functionality. More unique ways to participate and contribute with thought leaders and builders like Svetski – and a lot more fun and entertaining donation experiences (which many call value4value – and a big shoutout to the podfather Adam Curry, the legend behind this movement).

Jared on behalf of the Mash team, and our hardest working, and speedy teammate – Flash