Free Bitcoin on Zaps experiment — but what are Zaps?

A Bitcoin advocate based in Canada has “Zapped” 600 people a total of 300 Satoshis ($0.09 or 0.000003 BTC) each in a Bitcoin-inspired (BTC) social media experiment. 

To date, marketing executive Michael Degroot has doled out over $50 in Bitcoin to people around the globe. He has since been Zapped back more than 40 times, receiving more than $6.

Doing an experiment on @orangepillapp I’m going to be zapping & connecting with everyone who has their lightning wallet attached. ~700 people, if you aren’t on there already here’s my referral code. https://t.co/ADO92uEDqr I’ll be updating this thread while I zap people #Bitcoin

— Michael Degroot (@_mikedegroot) July 31, 2023

But what are Zaps, and how is it possible to send money around the world without an intermediary?

Degroot recently signed up to the Orange Pill App, a social media platform that connects Bitcoin users from around the world. The app works similarly to Tinder or Meetups.com: the mission is to connect Bitcoiners in real life.

The app recently integrated Zaps or Bitcoin tips, and according to founder Matteo Pellegrini, 20% of users have added Zaps to their profiles.

Zaps use the layer-2 Lightning Network which runs on top of Bitcoin. Zaps are typically small or tiny amounts of Bitcoin, measured in Satoshis, and they are sent peer-to-peer.

To Zap, users have two choices. Create a non-custodial lightning wallet using a lightning node, or open a custodial lightning wallet. When users opt for a custodial solution, a third party such as Wallet of Satoshi, Blink or CoinCorner manages the Bitcoin. They take care of routing, lightning channels, and liquidity.

Users can then create a lightning address, known as an LNURL, to receive zaps. Think of the LNURL as an email address but for money. By adding this address to profiles on platforms including Orange Pill App, Geyser Fund or Nostr, users can now receive Bitcoin from users all around the world, instantly and at almost no cost.

Crucially, there is seldom a Zapping middleman and it works well with micropayments, such as Degroot’s 300 Sats payment. Money remitters such as Paypal, Western Union or Wire Transfer charge a fee to route money around the world but are ineffective for micropayments due to high fees.

Zapping removes the need for a middleman, which also removes a money-making opportunity. Pellegrini explained: “It doesn’t cost us anything when users Zap each other and we don’t, nor…