If you don't know what this means exactly: it means that I was able to use a FOSS app to send a p2p payment from my own node to a telco, onion-routed through an open payments network that is based on an entirely FOSS monetary system underneath. No touching the blockchain, almost zero fees (0.003 USD). No banks, no state, no bullshit.
@raucao how?
@raucao Now if only we can make this easier to use, and make it attractive to merchants.
@Ertain The easiest way is to use something custodial like https://www.opennode.com which is still much cheaper than cards for the merchant (and free for under $10K monthly IIRC). This way the customer can send from their node, and the merchant doesn't have to worry about running a node, but is still able to withdraw their funds in BTC.
@raucao Does this still have to involve Bitcoins?
@Ertain Technically, you can build such a network on something different. However, there is nothing nearly as decentralized and without either a monetary or political elite being able to control the base money at the moment. You can literally run this on a RasPi including the bitcoin node itself, and be able to verify all txs in the base layer.
@raucao what the heck