Kenya now has a Bitcoin Lightning Network node
The node is the fourth Lightning node launched by the group, with the goal of enabling faster Bitcoin payments in Africa.
![Kenya now has a Bitcoin Lightning Network node](/content/images/size/w1200/2023/08/Kenya-free-routing.jpeg)
Africa Free Routing, a group of Bitcoiners, has launched its third new node on the Bitcoin layer-2 solution, Lightning Network. The latest node went live in Nairobi, Kenya just before the end of July.
The details
- The new node, KenyaFreeRouting, is the fourth Lightning node established by the group and the third in Africa.
- In a social media post, the group stated that the node was launched to provide a means for Kenyans to make fast Bitcoin payments.
- Data from Mempool shows that KenyaFreeRouting is the only active Lightning node in Kenya.
Breaking News Kenya! We are now live in Nairobi🎉
— Africa Free Routing ⚡ (@FreeRoutingAf) August 1, 2023
Introducing KenyaFreeRouting, a free routing node giving lightning-fast Bitcoin payments to all Kenyans!
Please share and connect to our node today https://t.co/ksRcm5HfFc pic.twitter.com/m9ZSu2a0xV
Be smart
- The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a layer two peer-to-peer payments solution built on the blockchain. It is a sidechain used to settle transactions outside of the main Bitcoin chain at a faster rate and lower fees.
- Payments over the Bitcoin Lightning Network are typically more efficient when the nodes exist near the payer and the payee, hence the importance of setting up nodes locally.
Zoom out
- AfricaFreeRouting launched its first African-based Lightning Network node— NigeriaFreeRouting— in Lagos, Nigeria earlier this year. At the time of the launch, it was the only live setup in Nigeria.
- Speaking on the importance of setting up a Lightning node locally, the node’s operator, Megasley, said:
“If a Nigerian bitcoiner and a Nigerian retailer are both connected to a [Lightning] node in Nigeria, it will give them the best lightning experience.”
- The South African retail giant Pick n Pay recently partnered with CryptoConvert to accept lightning-powered Bitcoin payments across all its stores. The solution allows South African shoppers to pay for retail grocery items through their Lightning wallets linked to CryptoConvert’s mobile application.