Lightning⚡ is best known as a network for fast bitcoin payments. But what if the same infrastructure could also carry private messages?
That’s the idea behind onion messages🧅. They rely on onion encryption, a technique where data is wrapped in multiple layers of encryption, like layers of an onion. As the message travels through the network, each node removes just one layer, learning only where the message came from and where it should go next. No single node ever sees the full route or the original sender and final recipient.
In this article, @abdoolcodes explores how onion messages work, how they differ from traditional payment routing, and how they’re being implemented in LND. The piece also looks at why this small protocol change could turn Lightning into more than just a payment network.
If you’re curious about how Lightning might evolve into a private communication layer, read the full blog to learn more: https://blog.btrust.tech/onion-messages-lightnings-private-messaging-layer/
We recently announced our Q4 2025 Btrust Developer Grant recipients at this year’s #BtrustDeveloperDay 🚀
We’re celebrating six exceptional Bitcoin open‑source developers from across Africa who are driving forward decentralization, privacy, and scalability in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
This cohort includes four starter grant recipients and two long‑term open‑source cohort members.
Read the full announcement and meet the recipients on our blog: https://blog.btrust.tech/announcing-q4-2025-btrust-developer-grant-recipients/
The Btrust Starter Grant empowers software engineers to contribute to open-source Bitcoin development full-time, offering mentorship, community support, and the freedom to focus on impactful, long-term projects.
The Btrust Long-Term Grant sustains established open-source contributors with year-long support, mentoring, and funding to help them expand their impact across vital Bitcoin projects.
Five of the six recipients are graduates of the Btrust Builders program, which offers structured learning pathways covering Bitcoin fundamentals, open-source contribution practices, and mentorship from seasoned Bitcoin developers.
Applications are now open for the 2026 BOSS (Bitcoin Open-Source Software) Challenge, a structured, hands-on program for developers taking their first steps into Bitcoin open-source development, created by Chaincode Labs.
Learn about the BOSS Challenge: https://blog.btrust.tech/btrust-builders-chaincode-labs-partner-again-for-the-2026-boss-challenge/
Apply for the 2026 cohort: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/chaincodelabs/jobs/4067627009
Btrust developer grant applications are open year-round, with new recipients announced quarterly.
Learn more about our grant programs and apply through our website: https://www.btrust.tech/grants/developer
We’re excited to have @abdoolcodes , software engineer and Btrust grantee, speaking at the #BtrustDeveloperDay.
Abdullahi contributes to LND, one of the open‑source implementations of the Lightning Network, where his work focuses on implementing the onion message protocol, optimizing the network graph, and developing rigorous tests to enhance system stability.
At the Developer Day, Abdullahi will join @i_extheo and Sulaiman Aminu Barkindo for a hands-on workshop.
The workshop will guide participants through the process of setting up a Lightning node, configuring it for reliability, and maintaining privacy and stability through best practices.
Attendees will also learn how to automate key tasks to optimize performance and streamline operations, gaining practical insights into how professional developers manage Lightning nodes at scale.
Learn more and RSVP using the link on our bio.
