Unlocking Bitcoin’s Lightning Speed: Tectum’s Revolutionary Overlay Network

Crypto Overload
Coinmonks
Published in
3 min readJan 15, 2024

--

Source: https://tectum.io/

When Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008, it introduced groundbreaking concepts like distributed ledgers, consensus mechanisms, and programmable money absent of centralized control.

However, Bitcoin’s architecture imposed limits on speed and scalability. With 1MB block sizes, it can only process 7 transactions per second (TPS) — nowhere near the 24,000 TPS handled by Visa.

Slow 10-minute confirmation times also inhibit Bitcoin’s utility. Merchants often wait 30–60 minutes for multiple confirmations before accepting payments.

Many projects attempt scaling Bitcoin through secondary layers like Lightning Network. But Lightning forces users to lock up Bitcoin in channels while requiring complex node management.

Enter Tectum — an ambitious project leveraging technical innovations to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential. Its core offering, SoftNotes, are digital banknotes facilitating lightning-fast Bitcoin transactions.

How Tectum’s SoftNotes Work

SoftNotes hold Bitcoin locked inside Tectum wallet addresses. Ownership of the wallet, and hence the Bitcoin within, gets updated instantly when transferring SoftNotes.

This ownership transfer occurs off-chain. Only Tectum records it, making transactions untraceable while avoiding Bitcoin’s slow confirmations.

For example, Alice wants to buy a laptop online using Bitcoin. The merchant requires at least 1 confirmation before shipping, meaning Alice would wait over 10 minutes.

With SoftNotes, Alice can pay instantly from her Tectum wallet. The merchant receives immediate payment notification while Alice’s Bitcoin ownership gets updated in seconds.

SoftNotes enable Bitcoin use for online shopping, retail, P2P payments, remittances, and integration into banking and enterprise systems.

Image by Gerd Altmann

Tectum’s Innovative Blockchain Architecture

Underpinning SoftNotes is a custom blockchain optimized for speed. Tectum’s 1 transaction per block structure removes size limitations.

An innovative protocol propagates newly generated blocks as reconstruction formulas instead of complete block data. This allows Tectum to achieve over 1 million TPS with near instant confirmation times.

Tectum’s proof-of-utility consensus chooses block generators based on real-time node performance, minimizing network latency. A decentralized database splits, encrypts and distributes data across nodes.

By resolving the blockchain trilemma, Tectum operates faster than any payment network while preserving decentralization.

Acquiring Bitcoin-Backed SoftNotes

Users can load SoftNotes with Bitcoin in two ways:

  1. Transferring existing Bitcoin into Tectum wallet addresses they control. SoftNotes linked to those wallets enable instant Tectum transactions.
  2. Acquiring pre-filled SoftNotes containing fresh Bitcoin liquidity minted by Tectum. This process takes 24–48 hours.

Once loaded, users can freely spend, send, and receive the Bitcoin stored in their SoftNotes.

Tectum also incorporates two native tokens — TEC and TET. TEC accrues value by rewarding transaction fees, while TET governs the network like gas in Ethereum.

Image by Pete Linforth

Driving Cryptocurrency Adoption Through Innovation

By granting Bitcoin the convenience and speed of modern payments, while enhancing privacy and lowering fees, innovations like SoftNotes could propel blockchain closer to mainstream adoption.

Tectum’s vision extends beyond payments, integrating decentralized solutions for data storage and exchange. Validators guarantee computational integrity, enabling diverse decentralized applications from AI to IoT.

With cryptocurrency adoption accelerating, Tectum’s contribution unlocking Bitcoin’s full potential promises to be tremendously impactful. Its technical excellence, commitment to decentralization and proactive community make Tectum one of the most exciting blockchain projects entering to keep an eye on in 2024.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the above article are solely for informational and educational purposes. They should not be construed as professional financial advice. Investing in cryptocurrencies involves substantial risk of loss and readers should always conduct their own research before taking any actions related to financial matters.

Tectum tokens are listed on MEXC, a centralized crypto exchange that offers various digital assets for trading. Users should exercise appropriate caution while accessing any trading platform or ecosystem related to cryptocurrencies.

--

--