Summary: In this episode of Early Days, Car sits down with Kilian, Co-founder and CEO of Boltz, to explore the inception and evolution of the platform—designed to enable non-custodial swaps across Bitcoin layers. Kilian shares insights into the early challenges of the Lightning Network, the integration of Liquid for more efficient transactions, and the ongoing pursuit of privacy in Lightning payments. We explore: Why professional operation of routing nodes is key to network reliability. How privacy in Lightning transactions is progressing, with advancements like Bolt12. Liquid’s shifting role as a valuable option during high-fee periods. Why Kilian sees the Lightning Network as connective tissue across Bitcoin layers. Chapters: 03:38 How Boltz Evolved 06:16 Liquid’s Role in Lightning 09:25 User Experience and Wallet Integration 12:31 The Boltz Founders Journey 15:30 Technical Challenges and Node Management 18:27 Legal Considerations: Structuring a Non-Custodial Business 21:39 The Future of Lightning Network and Privacy Concerns 41:52 How Private is Lightning? 45:16 Bolt12 in Focus 48:55 Compliance Challenges in an Open Bitcoin Ecosystem 52:10 Rethinking Liquid 59:28 Lightning Network and Channel Management Special thanks to our sponsor, VENTAC – trusted legal resources built for founders. From contracts to trademarks and fundraising docs, VENTAC makes it easy and affordable to get the support you need to build. Save 10% with code: PlebLab https://myventac.com Follow Car: ⁠Primal⁠ ⁠Stacker News⁠ Apply to ⁠PlebLab⁠ Learn more about ⁠PlebLab⁠ Follow PlebLab: ⁠Primal⁠ ⁠X⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Meetup⁠ ⁠Newsletter Learn more: Follow Kilian on X Learn more Boltz