NB: Disclaimer "This is not financial advice. Please consult your financial advisor to associate the risks involved"

The Lightning Network is a second-layer payment protocol that operates on top of a blockchain, with the goal of enabling faster and cheaper payments between participating nodes. It was developed as a solution to the scalability challenges facing many blockchain networks, which can become congested and slow when there is a high volume of transactions.

The Lightning Network works by creating a network of payment channels between participating nodes, allowing them to transact directly with each other without the need to broadcast each transaction to the entire network. This allows for faster and cheaper transactions, as the nodes can transact directly with each other rather than going through the slower and more expensive process of broadcasting each transaction to the entire network.

Since its launch in 2018, the Lightning Network has grown significantly and is now supported by a number of major cryptocurrency networks, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. It is used by a wide range of applications, including decentralized exchanges, payment processors, and gaming platforms.

Overall, the Lightning Network is an important development in the cryptocurrency industry and has helped to address many of the scalability challenges facing blockchain networks. However, it is still a relatively new technology and there are ongoing challenges and limitations that need to be addressed in order for it to reach its full potential.