Hello folks,

There's a lot of talk around the world about the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC's). One reason why CBDC's have become a popular talking point is the belief that they could possibly be used to replace physical cash – something on a lot of banks/government/regulators minds. The phasing out of physical cash was happening before Covid and the pandemic has only hastened it's demise.

So, with cash usage plummeting and the cost of processing physical cash mooning, there's a real concern that vulnerable individuals (e.g. disabled, those without access to certain technologies, etc) in society could be locked out of accessing local services because only electronic payment methods are accepted. Many major cities have seen an up-tick in businesses only accepting electronic payments which is causing regulators and law makers to look into the issue.

My concern here is that if the market doesn't come up with a decentralised solution which is compatible with a suitable regulatory framework then it's possible that governments and regulators choose to use a CBDC and the opportunity to create a non-government replacement to cash will be lost. I've done some research into solutions which the crypto space have proposed to replace physical cash and all I can find is fully electronic systems – basically wallets on smart phones. This doesn't necessary help vulnerable individuals nor does it maximise privacy.

So, my questions for you wonderful people are as follows:

• What do you think the requirements / features would be for a service which replaces psychical cash?
  Are there any decentralised / pseudo-anonomous services which have been developed to specifically replace psychical cash?

Many thanks,
S

Hello,

We're looking for developers! 

If you are interested in working on a Bitcoin/Lightning Network service please checkout the available jobs here:
https://angel.co/lightning-collect-1/jobs

You can apply via AngelList or by emailing ross@lightningcollect.com

We have some exciting news to share. The proof-of-concept mobile app and website are now available on the testnet for everyone to checkout!

Today's launch includes:

• the ability for anyone to begin collecting funds using our web portal
• make regular payments and donations using our Lightning Network enabled mobile app
• a demonstration website showing how easy it is to integrate Lightning Collect into existing e-commerce systems

In completing the proof of concept, we have taken a big step forward towards our goal of building a reliable, open regular payment service for Bitcoin.

Start sending and receiving regular Bitcoin payments for free - https://lightningcollect.com/start/

You can watch our Quick Start guide here: https://youtu.be/xlnfoV4xPaY

Interested in working on the project? Get in touch and let us know how you think you can help: ross @ lightningcollect . com

Thanks, the Lightning Collect team

First demo of the regular payment functionality from a user (payer) and beneficiary (collector) point of view! This is the simplest form of regular payment which can be set up and shared in just a few minutes. Perfect for content creators, charities and artists.

We'll be performing some testing in the next few weeks and we're looking for some volunteers to help out. Should take about 15-20 minutes of your time and you'll have a chance to win £50 in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter or sign up for our newsletter to be in for a chance.
Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/8f022449b08f/lightningcollect
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Pay_Lightning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAbHmSi1hg0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAbHmSi1hg0

All the best!
Ross.

Thanks for the feedback Patatas. Yeah, we're not going to be pushing the Lightning Network aspect of the service too hard when selling the product to businesses or people wanting to collect funds. While we're in development we'll probably continue to discuss it as there's a great buzz about the technology. It's more important for us to open up new use-cases by allowing companies and content creators to collect regular payments with minimal fuss.

Hi,

We've been working hard on the service and the more we look into it, the more excited I get that this could bring a lot of non-crypto companies into the Bitcoin space!

We'll be releasing our next development update shortly but I wanted to share the screenshot of our new App to wet the apatite! We're still on track to have the proof of concept product available in December and which point some volunteers will be required to help with testing. Testers will be in for the chance to win some crypto goodies as well as helping to raise money for a deserving charity. So, make sure to sign up for the newsletters at www.lightningcollect.com to have a chance of taking part.



Thanks,
Ross.

Hi,

If anyone would like to receive a collectible asset for free to celebrate the launch of the asset layer please take a look at our reddit post 🙂
https://www.reddit.com/r/Ravencoin/comments/9unn8u/year_of_the_ravencoin_collectables/

Or go straight to the claim page
https://lightningcollect.com/raven

You can track the issuance by searching for 'Year' here:
https://ravencoin.asset-explorer.net. about half have already gone!

Kind regards,
Ross

Update#4 - Proof of Concept service launched on the testnet! Check it out now www.lightningcollect.com/start

Hello!

We are kicking off a brand new Lightning Network powered payment service specialising in enabling effortless regular payments - Lightning Collect.

Regular payments are difficult using Bitcoin but they are essential for a huge number of real-world busines, charity and content creator use cases - so we're going to make them easy and available to any lightning enabled wallet. The service will support businesses, service providers, artists and content creators who want to collect funds without paying high fees associated with traditional providers like PayPal. We'll also deliver functionality for subscription based services to be built in the cryptocurrency ecosystem for the firs time, such as the popular donation website Patreon.

Alpha version is under development and we're very excited to confirm a December date for the testnet release!

Check it out here and sign up to the newsletter to join the test group and be in for a chance to win bitcoin prizes:  www.lightningcollect.com

Or, take a look at our introductory video here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwGyXmP0EAUZII9kPzia6bg

Please let us know if you have any feedback!

Hello all,

I am looking for an experienced Business Partner or Venture Capital organisation to help develop and grow a Bitcoin/Lightning Network based solution. This is our first project outside of traditional banking Payment systems so we are specifically looking for someone with Blockchain start-up experience. Any direct offers for support or any suggestions who we should speak to would be very welcome.

Please find the project details below.

The Solution
The details of the solution and service we will offer is currently subject to a non-disclosure agreement. However, at a high-level, the solution will enable businesses and individual users to interact with the Bitcoin Lightning Network in a simple, user friendly manner. For some use cases, there’s no need for users to even know they are using the underlying Bitcoin network.

The service will target businesses, content creators and charities who may wish to send or receive funds from anywhere in the world via the Lightning Network.
The solution will leverage the existing Bitcoin ecosystem by allowing existing Wallet and Exchanges to integrate our open-source functionally into their existing platforms for free.

Alpha Software
The Alpha version of the solution is being worked on by an experienced software development house with a target completion date of December/18. The Alpha version is fully funded by d20 Consulting Limited and falls within the UK Government’s Research and Development scheme.

Initially the solution will use the Bitcoin Testnet and we plan on releasing it as an Open Alpha release to the public in early 2019. We fully expect to exceed everyone’s expectations and make a significant, positive impact on the development and adoption of the Lightning Network.

Initial Timeline
•   Alpha Software Developed – Dec/18
•   Public Alpha on Bitcoin Testnet – Q1/19
•   Beta Software Developed – Q2/19
•   Beta Software on Bitcoin Mainnet – Q3/19
•   Production Software Developed – Q4

I acknowledge that the Lightning Network itself is still in development with no fixed release timeline. With this in mind the dates above are only indicative. We are fully committed to the Bitcoin and Lightning Networks and would love to provide development time from our development teams to work our chosen Lightning implementation.

Business Partner/Venture Capital Requirements
The details of the solution and service are well defined, funding for the Alpha version is secure and we have selected a partner software development house. The main gap in our knowledge is establishing and managing a new start up company.

Some of the key skills/experience we are looking for from a BP or VC is:
•   Experience with FinTech start ups
•   Knowledgeable about the Blockchain start-up environment
•   Experienced in recruiting or managing in-house software development resources
•   Has existing contacts in the wider Blockchain ecosystem (exchanges, wallets, service providers, developers, etc)
•   Located in the United Kingdom or United States (preferable but not mandatory)
•   Track record of securing further rounds of funding

About The Team
Ross Clelland is a senior project manager and subject matter expert with 11 years of UK and International Payments experience. Through d20 Consulting LTD, Ross has worked on several major changes to the UK’s payment and Banking systems including:
•   Introduction of Faster Payments into Royal Bank of Scotland
•   Development and deployment of TSB Bank Plc’s Payment Operations
•   Major Data Migration programmes within Lloyds Banking Group
•   Managing the deployment of a new Corporate Banking Platform for a major UK Bank

Get in Touch
If you believe that you would be a good partner for our project or you can put us in contact with someone who is, please send us an introductory email with your background and experience or comment below. The email address to use is ross @ trustedcoins . co . uk

If you would like to keep informed of any developments please consider following me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/d20clelland

Testnet wallet is now available on our website: http://trustedcoins.co.uk/usc/

If you want some testnet coins then please leave a note of your address here or send me a DM.

Full steam ahead towards a main network launched in March!

Hello all,

I'm starting a crypto related project and I was looking for some advice on where the best places are to promote/advertise the project and engage with miners/developers/users.

We've got a ANN post here on Bitcoin Talk, a website and a Telegram channel but is there any other websites or mediums you'd recommend for a new project to use when trying to raise awareness?

Thanks!
Ross.

Small update: Testnet and website will be launched tomorrow (28th Feb). Anyone who has some spare hash power will be welcome to point it towards the network

Quick update so to show off our Linux and Windows builds which are now running on the testnet.
http://trustedcoins.co.uk/usc-testnet-initiation.jpg

Your github looks very polished and you provide a lot of good technical details. When can we expect something regarding the POS system?

One of the funniest posts of the year so far

Hello, I received mine today and I can confirm you can run another node.

Really, bitseed devices are just small Ubuntu servers with butcoin-specific scripts installed. But, without much effort you can do anything you want on them. Once LND release their next version of Lightning I'm going to install it alongside btc core.

Best advice you will get! Doing a clean make every time will kill you with boredom.

By the way, if you're a developer and are interested in working on a project at some point feel free to drop me a message.

Hello all,

Just a quite note to say that we're successfully running the testnet of USC using Ubuntu Daemon, Ubunutu GUI and a Windows GUI client which are all happily talking with one another. For those that are interested, we'll post a few pictures on Telegram.

The website is now being worked on and once it's done we'll release the test net binaries and source code for any brave volunteers to checkout!

Some responsibility needs to be placed on people who are buying crypto to ensure that they know what they are purchasing. Likewise, anyone selling crypto needs to be honest about what's being sold or they can be charged with fraud.

With regards to the name, we're in the speculative phase of Blockchain technology and because it's Open Source then there's very, very little which can be done about what people call their products. So, until the wheat is separated from the chaff then we'll need to put up with the possible confusion:
Bitcoin Atom
Bitcoin Cash
Bitcoin Diamond
Bitcoin Fast
Bitcoin God
Biticoin Lightning
Biticoin Lottery
Biticoin Plus
Biticoin Quick
Biticoin Red
Biticoin Scrypt
Biticoin Silver
Biticoin White
Biticoin2x
Biticoin Dark
BiticoinUltra
BiticoinX
BiticoinZ

Hey, I was actually looking into this a few months ago and the option I landed on was to simply set up an account at a given exchange in the charities name and use them to convert to fiat. So, you would provide your visitors with the address which the exchange generates for you.

If you're in the States (and probably elsewhere) then make sure to get something from visitors which explicitly state what the fiat value is of their crypto donation. This will help with any tax filings you need to make.

https://www.bitgo.com/ may be an alternative but I didn't need their more advanced features.