Ark is a layer-two protocol for making off-chain Bitcoin transactions. Initially published on the bitcoin-dev mailing list as TBDXXX by Burak, is has since been named Ark and the protocol design has advanced significantly.
The goal and result of the Ark protocol is a payments system where people can make Bitcoin transactions at very low cost and without requiring any setup. The Ark model very closely resembles the UTXO model, which is a key differentiator with Lightning.
Ark is a scaling solution for Bitcoin that involves moving transactions off-chain. Ark executes transactions outside of the Bitcoin main chain but posts transaction data back on-chain in a compressed format. Ark servers bundle multiple off-chain transactions into large batches before submitting them to the Bitcoin blockchain. This method spreads fixed costs across multiple transactions in each batch, significantly reducing fees for end-users.
Protocol
- Ark protocol
- Introducting Ark v2 - updated Ark protocol proposal
- Ark Protocol intro - Intro to Ark protocol by Second
- Ark deep dive - Original Ark deep dive by Burak
Implementations
Deprecated implementations
Reading
- Covenant-less Ark
- Unlocking Liquidity Before Shared Output Expiration
- First Ark transaction on mainnet
Blogs
Presentations and podcasts
- Steven Roose on Ark - BitDev conference at Taipei Tech Summit
- Banking on Ark - Banking on Ark talk by Marco Argentieri with slides
- SLP482 Burak – Ark: A new L2 protocol for Bitcoin - Burak on Stephan Livera Podcast
- Ark announcement at Bitcoin 2023 - Burak's Ark announcement at Bitcoin 2023
- Bitcoin Takeover Podcast S14 E1: Burak Keceli on Ark & Bitcoin 2nd Layers
- The Kevin Rooke Show E109: Burak on Building Ark, Scaling Bitcoin, and Improving Privacy
- The ark-hashed podcast, episode 16
- Updates on Ark development - one year later
- Scaling Bitcoin to 2050 w/ Shinobi, Marco Argentieri, Simanta Gautam & Alex Bosworth
- Transforming Bitcoin: Marco Agentieri’s Vision with Ark Labs