A lightning bitcoin payment channel is, at the very least, a strong substitute for bitcoin.
Discussion
It is Bitcoin-like but it isn’t Bitcoin Proper until finalized on The Blockchain.
Until a lightning channel is closed, it is effectively paper Bitcoin, and only holds theoretical value in lieu of a Bitcoin.
Sure if you want to classify it like that.
All value is theoretical. There is a reason that paper money trades like money. It's all just stuff people value as means to ends.
I appreciate these discussions, and I especially like your technicality in approaching this topic. Thanks!
Thank you, Mr. Bacon, I appreciate your stances on things, you're very reasonable, and nuanced that even if you don't agree with someone you're understanding enough to see their point of view, and understand where they're coming from, or what they mean.
Very few people have that talent unfortunately.
Thank you! That's a very meaningful complement!! ^^
So basically yeah you're right it's sort of a credit system in the way you're leaning, but if it can be called credit, it is the strongest form of credit ever invented. It being a series of distributed ledgers within a distributed ledger with private enforcement all around and no authority, all in the same currency unit with no rehypothecation, it may as well be called real bitcoin, the way I see it.