When you stop and think about it, it is kind of crazy that we don't have a global network for moving money instantly and cheaply. The internet is more than 30 years old now and it seems to me that this should be a solved problem by now. But it isn't, at least not yet.
My next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is David Marcus, the CEO and Co-Founder of Lightspark. If David's name sounds familiar that is because he was the leader of the now-defunct Libra/Diem project at Facebook a few years ago. He is passionate about creating a real-time global network for money movement which is why he founded Lightspark.
In this podcast you will learn:
- His fascinating background in tech.
- The thought process that went into the Libra/Diem project at Facebook.
- Why he decided to start Lightspark.
- An explanation of the Lightning Network that sits on top of Bitcoin.
- Why they chose to build their technology for the Lightning Network.
- What Lightspark actually does and who they are working with.
- Who is using their technology today.
- The potential throughput for number of transactions per second.
- How he thinks about solving micro-payments.
- The regulatory challenges that might come with reaching scale.
- Why we should think of what Lightspark is doing as an alternative payments rail.
- Why this is a technology play and nothing really to do with crypto.
- The potential use cases that can be developed.
- How he thinks about programmable money.
- Why it is important that payments systems behave just like the internet (open, real-time and interoperable).
- The different goegraphies where they have clients today.
- How their business model works.
- Why the combination of real-time payments and Lightning is so powerful for the last mile.
- What a future with real-time global payments could mean for commerce.
Connect with David on LinkedIn
Connect with Lightspark on LinkedIn
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