Over the past few years the crypto-sphere has matured quickly. Bitcoin/cryptocurrency went from being an obscure idea only taken seriously in the dubious corners of the internet to being discussed regularly on CNBC and other mainstream media outlets. Bitcoin itself has become a legitimate financial asset around the globe currently being valued over 100bill, while the total cryptocurrency sector’s market cap reached a peak of $750billion just 6 months ago. The CME group, the world’s largest futures exchange, succeeded in launching a bitcoin futures market, signifying one of the most successful futures implementations in history. Yes, bad actors and rampant fraud still exist—this WAS an unregulated space and if you came here to make a quick buck you’re most likely going to lose your shirt. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm and real life applications of this tech have never been more legitimate. Right now, the most brilliant minds in the tech-world are working on making bitcoin and cryptocurrencies accessible to the masses.

Of course, we still have a long way to go in proving this technology to be viable for serious widespread adoption. For instance, the current size of the bitcoin blockchain does not allow for quick (under 1 minute, preferably under 1 second) transactions to occur consistently, if at all. Meanwhile Visa (direct competition) can process 40,000 transactions per second, consistently, without issue. How can bitcoin compete? Answer, (buzzword alert!) Lightning Network (LN). What is Lightning Network? The simplest explanation I can give describing LN would be; it is an added feature that is built on top (Second Layer) of the existing foundational blockchain codebase, that allows for ultra fast transactions in peer-to-peer fashion, without compromising the integrity of the blockchain. Lightning Network gives bitcoin the potential to directly challenge fiat supremacy by being able to transact with anybody on the planet quickly and seamlessly. This will have a huge Impact helping bitcoin’s blockchain meet global demand. It’s a big deal.

Want to hear something that’s going to blow your mind?

Currently, there are only three coins (out of thousands) utilizing the Lightning Network. Those coins are, Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Actinium. I’m sure you’ve heard of the first two, which is why I’m here to talk about the newest arrival to the Lightning Network, Actinium (ACM). This coin was launched fairly with no pre-mine, no ICO, and no shady dev rewards. Every Actinium coin that exists today was created the old-fashioned way—it was mined into existence by the individuals who sacrifice(d) hash-power to secure the network. The main developer (Harris Brakmic) is active in their message boards, he shows his actual face instead of hiding behind an avatar (like me), and is an absolute beast when it comes to writing code—just check his GitHub (https://github.com/brakmic). When it comes to quality work, cutting-edge technology, and a team that leads by example every step of the way, look no further than Actinium.

This needs to be said; THIS TECHNOLOGY IS STILL EXTREMELY YOUNG!!! Blockchain technology was officially created less than a decade ago! The Lightning Network is still in beta and has been subject to attacks. The entire cryptocurrency sector is in its infancy and it is important that we do not lose sight of the fact that the real name of the game is patience and diligence. If we want to succeed at building the future then we’ve got to be prepared to do the hard work.

Speaking of hard work; would you like to know who puts in the hard work? Join the message boards of your favorite coins, ask the teams/communities questions, mine some coins, stake some coins, setup a masternode, ask how you can contribute and be serious when you do—you’ll find out who the truly hard workers are quick enough. Feel free to begin here, (https://actinium.org) it’s Actinium’s official website.

The more I learn and the more I get involved in the crypto-sphere the more I’m drawn to projects that have a combination of supportive, knowledgable, and hard working teams as well as equally committed community members. There’s something satisfying about contributing to projects that have a genuine desire to help one another while demonstrating commitment through leading by example. Actinium is a project and a community of which I am excited to be a part and watch grow. I am a proud Actinian!

