Back in 2012, Graham Krizek stumbled upon Bitcoin, sparking a journey that led him to make significant contributions to Bitcoin Core and create his own applications on the platform. In this early stage, he identified a major roadblock for Bitcoin developers.
"The challenge I observed was the constant reinvention of the wheel," Krizek shared with Bitcoin Magazine. "Every developer was starting from scratch repeatedly, lacking a cloud-based environment to easily deploy Bitcoin infrastructure for development purposes."
At that point, however, Graham was deeply engrossed in his career as a software engineer, working with various startups and major firms like Salesforce, while chipping away at Bitcoin projects during his free hours.
Things took a turn when he came across the Lightning Network. The potential he saw there convinced him that the network had to be simplified for mainstream adoption.
"I realized Lightning was going to be the next big leap for Bitcoin adoption," says Krizek. "Yet, just like with Bitcoin, developers were stuck with the repetitive and intense process of building from the ground up, only this time facing even more complexity with Lightning."
His revelation was clear: "A cloud provider is needed where developers can just push a button to have a Lightning node running. This convenience would accelerate application development and innovation."
This vision led Krizek to action, crafting a solution to address these challenges. As he shared the early versions with peers, the demand exploded, consuming more of his focus.
"The usage reached a point where it was make or break," Krizek said. "Either shut it down due to maintenance demands or transform it into a real business."
By the end of 2020, Voltage was born.
Voltage: Simplifying Lightning
Voltage simplifies the complexities of the Lightning Network by enabling users to easily set up a Lightning node and create channels with minimal effort. While Voltage hosts the node, all critical data—like the public key, peers, channels, balances, and transactions—remains private, routed confidentially through Tor.
Running on Google Cloud and other providers, Voltage doesn’t just offer hosting but also aids in liquidity management and customer support, all in a bid to make Lightning easily accessible for businesses, including those in traditional finance.
"Our mission at Voltage is to make Bitcoin and Lightning accessible to every business on Earth," Krizek emphasized. "Lightning is powerful but daunting. We simplify its integration for businesses, even those outside the crypto domain."
Adoption of Lightning
Recently, companies such as Coinbase and Latin America’s fintech giant Nubank have integrated Lightning into their operations.
Krizek sees this trend growing, particularly among financial companies. "Finance firms will be key, utilizing sub-second settlements and zero fees to enhance global payments," he noted.
Looking forward to 2025, Krizek anticipates companies beyond the crypto-verse to adopt Lightning, partly due to efforts by players like Voltage to make the transition smoother.
"We’ve seen tremendous improvements over the last year, and there’s more on the way," said Krizek, acknowledging hurdles like the risk tied to Bitcoin’s volatility.
A promising alternative? Transferring Tether (USDT) over Lightning, a safer option Krizek believes will soon be available.
Tether (USDT) on Lightning
Krizek is optimistic about the potential of USDT on Lightning, foreseeing a surge in network growth. "Our customers are eager for this, recognizing the incredible value stablecoins bring, especially with rising fees on networks like Tron," he explained.
Despite potential security risks to the Bitcoin ecosystem, Krizek remains unconcerned. "The peer-to-peer nature of Lightning gives users control. If someone doesn’t want to engage with USDT transfers, they can simply opt out," he noted.
A Favorable Regulatory Climate
With David Sacks—a U.S. Crypto Czar—investing in Voltage through Craft Ventures, there seems to be a deepening understanding of Bitcoin’s role as a medium of exchange at regulatory levels.
Krizek isn’t entirely convinced this signals a full embrace by the U.S. government but sees progress. "The strategic reserve conversation paints Bitcoin positively as a store of value. Once that’s settled, we can explore Bitcoin’s broader payment potential," he said.
Reflecting on his early days in Bitcoin, Krizek recalls a time when the government either ignored or opposed Bitcoin. "The past four years were tough for us. But with the new administration, the tone has shifted, and we’re heading in the right direction," he shared, expressing optimism for the year ahead.
