Alyssa Hertig

A contributing tech reporter at CoinDesk, Alyssa Hertig is a programmer and journalist specializing in Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. Over the years, her work has also appeared in VICE, Mic and Reason. She's currently writing a book exploring the ins and outs of Bitcoin governance. Alyssa owns some BTC.

Alyssa Hertig

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Tecnología

Bitcoin's Lightning Network Is Growing 'Increasingly Centralized,' Researchers Find

Bitcoin's lightning network is growing "increasingly centralized," making it more susceptible to attacks, asserts a new paper by security researchers.

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Tecnología

Bitcoin Coders Confront an Old Quandary: How to Upgrade an Entire Network

An old debate is resurfacing in the bitcoin developer community, underscoring one of the critical challenges confronting decentralized systems.

MOVING PARTS: How does a whole network smoothly upgrade in a way that's backward-compatible, allowing those with older versions of the software to continue participating? (Image via Library of Congress/Rawpixel)

Tecnología

Here's How to Inspect Bitcoin's Next (Likely) Major Upgrade Yourself

With bitcoin’s next likely major upgrade in the works, students of the cryptocurrency can inspect the code themselves, helped by core developers.

Mysterious transactions and reconciliation head-scratchers happen in traditional finance, too, but crypto could be uniquely prone to a situation of this sort. (Wikimedia Commons)

Tecnología

Top Bitcoin Developers Face Off in a Lightning-Powered Boxing Match

The esports smackdown was meant to highlight the power of bitcoin's lightning network – since the cutting-edge payments system is fast, cheap and lets users send tiny payments, even a fraction of a cent.

LIGHTNING STRIKE: The two devs duked it out in a digital boxing match. (Photo courtesy of Michael Folkson)

Tecnología

Appealing to Normies: Advancing Bitcoin Starts With Better UX

At London's Advancing Bitcoin conference, developers discussed user-experience fixes for the world's leading crypto.

Blockstream's UX director, Selene Jin, speaks at 2020's  Advancing Bitcoin conference in London. (Photo by Alyssa Hertig for CoinDesk)

Tecnología

Crypto Researcher Hasu Flags Attack That Could Bring 'Purge'-Style Mayhem to Bitcoin

Like the dystopia of the "Purge" movies, a newly uncovered potential attack on bitcoin would permit users to rob each other for a short period of time.

Like the dystopian regime of the "Purge" movies, a newly uncovered potential attack on bitcoin would permit users to steal from each other for a short period of time. (Image: Shutterstock)

Tecnología

Bitcoin's Privacy and Scaling Tech Upgrade 'Taproot' Just Took a Big Step Forward

A privacy and scalability upgrade that could turn out to be one of bitcoin's largest to date has passed a couple of milestones that were little noticed outside technical circles.

NO LEADERS: The proposed upgrade to bitcoin's code "is obviously conditional on getting community support," says developer Pieter Wuille. (Scaling Bitcoin)

Tecnología

Bitcoin's Lighting 'Torch' Reignites, Blazes Through 38 Countries in 3 Days

It's moving around the world much faster the second time around, already reaching 91 people.

Torch image via Shutterstock

Tecnología

Blockstream Co-Founder Joins Bitcoin-Only Startup Rupiver Financial

Jonathan Wilkins, a co-founder of Blockstream, is joining up-and-coming bitcoin brokerage River Financial as Chief Security Officer.

GOT YOUR BACK: River Financial focuses on "what is best for users in the long term instead of pushing altcoins and encouraging more active trading in order to increase fees," says new CSO Jonathan Wilkins. Image courtesy of River Financial

Tecnología

Grasping Lightning: Mapping the Key Players in Bitcoin's Next Phase

All kinds of groups are developing for lightning, the likely future of bitcoin payments. Here's a guide to notable players and projects.

Lightning