95 - Are Spark and Ark Real Bitcoin L2s? Justin Explains
From Round the Fire with Momo by Momo Tahmasbi
November 11, 2025 · 1h 18m · Episode 95
About this episode
Justin discusses the nature of Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions and critiques projects like Spark and Ark.
In this interview, Justin (Shocknet) shares his view that projects like Spark and Ark are presenting themselves as Bitcoin “Layer 2” solutions while still relying on trusted, centralized models. He argues this reflects an evolution of the old shitcoin mentality within Bitcoin. We explore his perspective and what he believes defines a truly Bitcoin-native Layer 2.---00:00 – Intro01:17 – Justin’s Journey: How He Got Into Bitcoin and Building on It05:13 – Spark and Ark: LARPing as Real Bitcoin Layer 2s?16:01 – Lightning Network Pain Points26:12 – Scaling Bitcoin by Making Trust Local: ShockWallet and Lightning.Pub28:38 – The Role of Nostr in ShockWallet32:56 – The Case Against Using Lightning Over Tor35:40 – What Makes Running a Lightweight Lightning Node Possible38:13 – Nostr’s Precursor: Gun, Created by Justin42:58 – The Role of Nostr in Bitcoin Development45:46 – The Downsides of BOLT1247:54 – Lightning.Video: Better Than OnlyFans?55:21 – Setting Up Your Lightning Node with Lightning.Pub and ShockWallet01:01:34 – Does an Internet Cutoff Pose Risks to Lightning Channels?01:04:37 – Do We Need Another Bitcoin Soft Fork for Better Layer 2 Development?01:10:03 – Is Cashu Really…
People in this episode
Host: Momo Tahmasbi
Guest: Justin
Topics covered
- Bitcoin
- Layer 2 solutions
- Shocknet
- Nostr
- Lightning Network
- Decentralization
Keywords
- Bitcoin
- Layer 2
- Shocknet
- Nostr
- Lightning Network
- Spark
- Ark
- decentralization
- trust
- scaling
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Shocknet, ShockWallet, Lightning.Pub, Nostr, Lightning.Video
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