A Swiss IT Professional with the Pseudo "F418" recently revealed that he successfully implanted a lightning chip to make Bitcoin payments. He revealed that he implemented the process on Bitcoin's Lightning Network (LN), a layer-2 solution protocol.
The experiment and body modification continued to generate mixed reactions across the industry. It is more intriguing when "F418," who doubles as a Bitcoiner, said he did it for fun.
In this article, we shall identify the details of the BTC LN implant and how the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology works.
The individual "F418," who is an enthusiast of the Lightning Network on BTC, revealed that he implanted the chip to show that "it is possible and you can do stuff like that." He said the process is called "Lightning Paw."
Notably, his first implant attempt failed as it was defective. However, "F418" visited another medical professional to surgically expunge the implant. Thereafter, he went back to the lab and worked on a new one built on Bitcoin's Lightning network.
The second attempt seemed successful. It shows the implant can make Lightning Network payments without the use of a Bolt card or smart devices. He said the chip was surgically implanted in his right hand with no pain or defect. When a correspondent asked if it hurts, "F418" said,
"I don't feel anything, even when I go to the gym."
Furthermore, he considers the procedure medically safe but identifies certain risks to the surgical implant. F418 said,
The only problem with the implants is that you can not make them really safe."
He added that you can not compare the implant with the commonly used bolt card. F418 said,
It is not the same security as the bolt card— you can only do LNURL withdrawal; it is not safe."
Similarly, he identified the possibility of mistakes during the procedure. He said if you make a mistake during the process, it is not a good idea to take the chip in and out of the body. So if you do not get it right the first time, trying it the second time could cause infection or harm.
Conclusively, the implanted BTC Lightning Network chip works by putting the hand near a compatible Near Field Communication reader. Once you place the hand on or near the NFC reader, it will initiate the payment or transaction. Molly Spiers tweeted that it is another world first.
The report shows that the use of the Near Field Communication reader has surged in the crypto ecosystem. Since the first trial over lunch on the Isle of Man, the technology has been deployed in "Bitcoin country" and El Salvador.
Experts say setting up an NFC card is straightforward. However, the surgical implant, as done by F418, doesn't seem straightforward. Similarly, the F418 NFC chip implanted into the human body and the technology reading it successfully is the first of its kind.
In showing the complexity and transparency, F418 has made the entire surgical process open-source. He said the procedure is available and accessible, including health warnings on GitHub.
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