I want to learn more about the Lightning Marche, where you can pay with Bitcoin!
The Lightning Marche aims to increase opportunities to use Bitcoin and promote its mass adoption.
While the Marche has steadily progressed with each event, it has also faced various challenges since its early days.
This article is a summary of my conversation with bcats, who plays an active role in the Lightning Marche.
We talked about the history of the Marche, the event itself, and bcats’s passion for Bitcoin, so be sure to read until the end!
You can listen to the conversation between Sato-san from Mepicabari, bcats, and the author (Minami) in the following podcast.
【bcatsさん＆メピカバリ佐藤さん】ライトニング決済についてゆるく雑談
This article was written in Japanese and converted to English using a translation tool.
Date of writing (Japanese version): October 2024
What kind of person is bcats?
https://btcln.shop/
What kind of things does bcats do?
I don’t work in the Bitcoin field; my main job is different.
I enjoy doing things like building websites for the Marche, anonymous delivery, and other projects as a kind of social experiment—I’m just a Bitcoiner having fun.
bcats：I started studying Bitcoin about 4-5 years ago and thought, "This will change the world." The more I studied, the more I got hooked.
When Diamond Hands started about 2-3 years ago, I wanted to set up a Lightning Network node, but I couldn’t figure it out on my own. So I got together with the Diamond Hands team, connected via Zoom, set up a node, and started participating in routing.
I wanted to collaborate and do fun things, so I built websites, bought bento from Chomeji-san’s (Cocorotus) food truck, and wrote articles for Spotlight.
I’m also the one who suggested to Mepicabari, "Why not try Bitcoin payments?" which is how it became a reality.
※Diamond Hands: A community founded in 2021 to study full node operations and Lightning routing. Now it’s a Bitcoin-specialized company leading the Japanese market and providing comprehensive support for Bitcoin and Lightning adoption.
※Cocolotus: A food truck that accepts Lightning payments.
※Spotlight: A platform for distributing digital content using Bitcoin.
The Early Days of Lightning Marche
How did the Lightning Marche get started?
Did you organize the event, bcats?
I’m not the one running it, but as things developed, I ended up creating websites, coordinating tasks, and assigning roles to everyone. I’m definitely not the organizer.
Originally, it all began with a project called "Sacred Ground Development," where Koji Higashi mentioned on the "bitcoiner Hanseikai" (YouTube video) that Bitcoin houses and community hubs were popping up all over the world. He talked about how it would be great to have such a place in Japan as well.
The very first Lightning Marche was centered around Koenji.
Koji took a walk around the town to get a feel for it.
At that time, someone suggested, "How about a flea market?" and that’s where the idea started.
I think Koji’s ultimate dream is to open a café.
It’s hard to suddenly rent a place and cover fixed costs, but everyone wanted to create a kind of sacred space.
While we were researching, we found a flea market in Koenji, and that was the first spark of the project.
I didn’t know anything about Koenji at first, so I wasn’t involved initially.
Since I was making stickers and handling anonymous deliveries, I said, "I can help with stickers.
Memories of the Koenji Lightning Flea Market
I heard there was an incident called "oshikomare" (being forced out) during the early days of the Lightning Flea Market.
Right from the start, some members of the shopping street were suspicious of the word "Bitcoin."
There were only about five or six vendors at first, selling things like Badger-kun plush dolls, cookies with the ₿ logo, coffee, and various other items.
But then too many people gathered, and it became a huge crowd.
The shopping street was narrow, so we were told several times, "Please clear the way."
We tried to be mindful, and some people even helped guide the crowd, but I think about 100 people showed up.
Everyone there usually does their own thing, but when we started chatting and having fun, the crowd didn’t clear up.
Eventually, a local person came and said, "I’ll refund your vendor fees, but leave immediately."
We were supposed to stay until 8:00 p.m., but around 6:00 p.m. we were told to leave, so we quickly packed up and dispersed.
When Koji went to speak with some of the local organizers, one of them said, "I know exactly what you’re doing, I’m familiar with this kind of stuff. Go do that in a Renoir Café."
Everyone around overheard it, and that’s the story behind the legendary "oshikomare" incident, which happened about a year ago.
That happened? That must have been tough…
Afterward, we had dinner and a reflection meeting to figure out what to do next.
Everyone was a bit down, but Bitcoiners have this resilience, and they seemed to find some joy in the situation. It’s funny, isn’t it?
Bitcoiners are tough!
It’s interesting how they seemed happy even after something like that.
Jiyugaoka Lightning Marche
https://btcln.shop/marche/images/plan.pdf
What did you do after getting kicked out of the first Koenji Lightning Flea Market?
When we were thinking, "We can’t do it in Koenji anymore, so what should we do next?" we considered Hikari Street Shopping Arcade.
It has this old Showa-era vibe, with many tenant shops lined up, though quite a few were vacant. We knew they rented spaces for 10,000 or 20,000 yen per day, so we discussed it with Koji, thinking we could host another flea market there.
We had to submit a proposal to rent the space. To avoid another "oshikomare" situation, we brought the proposal to the local shop owners and explained in advance, saying, "We’re not doing anything suspicious."
We got approval, reached out, and secured sponsorship from Satoshi Coin, Mr. Uchida of Burry Market Research, and Fulgur Ventures. They covered the vendor fees.
We decided that everyone would sell things they made themselves at the market.
I see, so you took the lessons from the first "oshikomare" experience and worked to avoid a similar situation.
Yes, the first event in Jiyugaoka went fine, but the second one… This isn’t widely known, but we actually received a complaint saying, "You guys are too noisy." We were almost on the verge of being kicked out again.
However, right after the complaint, it just so happened that the Marche got featured in Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun. We sent those articles to the tenant management, saying, "We’re conducting this as a social experiment."
Of course, part of our goal was to revitalize the entire shopping street. We encouraged Bitcoiners to shop at the surrounding stores, and we did the same ourselves. So, we were mindful of that.
It's tough when complaints come from a few people…
Most of the people and local shop owners were supportive, saying things like, "It’s lively, and that’s nice."
When we first planned the event, we considered renting a conference room or a gym instead of doing it in a shopping street. That way, there wouldn’t be any risk of getting kicked out.
But if we did that, it would just be an internal gathering. We wanted more people, like those walking through the shopping street, to notice and wonder, "What’s this?" We felt that was important for spreading Bitcoin.
So, we had this hope—maybe a bit of a fantasy—that the idea would catch on with the local shop owners, and they might eventually say, "Why don’t we try Bitcoin payments too?" But that part is still quite challenging.
That’s incredible!
It’s true that renting out a gym could create a Bitcoiners-only Marche, but by holding it in a shopping street, you’re actively trying to promote Bitcoin payments to a broader audience!
The goal is to spread Bitcoin and make it a world where everyone can use it naturally. It’s a social experiment in that sense.
About the Shibuya Lightning Marche
How was the Shibuya Lightning Marche at BitcoinTokyo2024?
I think it was a huge success. First of all, I’d like to express my gratitude to the organizers who made it such a wonderful event.
Everyone got creative and made original items to sell. I personally sold framed copies of the Bitcoin whitepaper.
What stood out the most was gaining recognition from the international community.
This Marche originally started with the idea of doing something similar to the Saturday Marche initiative in Canada.
After discussing it with Koji, we decided to name it independently and spread it internationally, which led to the name "Lightning Marche."
This time, many teams from around the world gathered, and Wallet of Satoshi even sponsored the event.
Seeing everyone use Lightning payments was amazing, and I think the activity of the Marche has now spread overseas, which was probably the best part.
Tweet from Wallet of Satoshi
Exciting to see products priced in sats at the Lightning Market during @BTCTokyo2024! A glimpse into the future of payments. Come check it out! ⚡ pic.twitter.com/tp98FNc7kf
— Wallet of Satoshi (@walletofsatoshi) September 22, 2024
Also, I want to mention Nagahama-san from Okinawa, who sells alcohol.
Back when I wrote an article for Spotlight about creating a site for anonymous Lightning payments, Nagahama-san saw it and created his own site.
It seems he had been accepting Lightning payments even before that, but he was manually issuing invoices via email, so the process might have been slower and with fewer orders.
After reading my tutorial on how to create a site, Nagahama-san told me he was able to build his own, and I immediately placed an order using his site.
This time, I finally got to meet him in person and bought some delicious alcohol.
It’s great to be able to enjoy drinks through Lightning payments.
Yes, everyone was enjoying drinks!
真っ昼間から唐揚げで一杯引っ掛けてます。#bitcointokyo2024 #ライトニングマルシェ pic.twitter.com/1XrXqXyo8O
— tanakei (@keitnk_jl1cy6r2) September 22, 2024
On the flip side, I’d like to hear about things you’d like to improve for the next Lightning Marche.
Where should we hold the next one?
Jiyugaoka is always an option, but recently Teruko-san announced that she’s opening Bitcoin Hub Tokyo.
I think there’s talk about Yotsuya as a possible location, and I hope that can become a hub.
But it’s not something I’ll decide alone—it’ll be another fun process where everyone talks and says, "Let’s do this." That’s one of the best parts.
Everyone can do what they want, and each person has their own skills and strengths.
I think it would be great if we could come together and make it happen.
Recommended Articles：Lightning Marche in Japan | Grassroots Activities of the Bitcoin Community
Recommended Articles：What is Bitcoin Tokyo 2024? An Overview of Japan's First Bitcoin-Focused Conference
For People Who Don’t Know Much About Bitcoin
bcats, you’re actively involved in promoting Bitcoin, but if there’s something you’d like to tell people who don’t know much about it, I’d love to hear it.
In my case, my wife is quite understanding about Bitcoin and even helps with the Marche. But when she talks about Bitcoin, even a little, to her close friends, they say it’s "suspicious."
That sounds really tough.
When I explain it, there are a few people who understand, but I still feel like there’s a lot of need for education.
Reading The Bitcoin Standard would be the best way to understand, but it’s long and a bit difficult, so asking someone to "read the whole thing" can be tough.
Recently, Teruko-san said she’s going to create a manga about Bitcoin, and I’ve thought for a long time that manga is the way to go.
For example, the sauna boom among older men originally started with manga.
I’ve always thought that manga is the best way to achieve mass adoption, so I’m really looking forward to the idea of using manga. I also hope I can contribute in some way.
bcats and Bitcoin
By the way, I noticed you recently participated in a Bitcoin event in Bali and seemed very active.
That was really just a coincidence.
Koji once said, "A Bitcoiner isn’t defined by how long you’ve known about Bitcoin, how much or how little you own, or even if you don’t own any at all. A Bitcoiner is someone who believes Bitcoin will change the world and takes actions they believe in."
That definition really resonated with me.
I truly believe that Bitcoin will change the world.
That’s why I’m always thinking about what I can do, and I’m doing what I can.
Koji’s definition of a Bitcoiner is mentioned in Diamond Hands Magazine in the article titled "ビットコイナーって結局何なの？新しいライフスタイルの象徴？？"
https://diamondhandscommunity.substack.com/p/095
The other day, Teruko-san tweeted, "Bitcoin saving is a solo anti-war movement."
It’s written in The Bitcoin Standard as well: wars end when the money, the war funds, run out.
With fiat currency, governments can continually raise funds for war, which prevents wars from ending. It describes fiat as the root cause of endless wars, and I agree with that.
I think the problem lies with fiat currencies.
戦費が底をつけば戦争は終わる。インフレ税を財源に国民の富を奪い尽くすまで戦費調達できる法定通貨制が終わりのない戦争の元凶。戦争に加担したくなければ、法定通貨をビットコインに替えればいい。ビットコイン貯金は1人でできる反戦運動。 https://t.co/TcGuUAwEmV
— Teruko (@TerukoNeriki) September 27, 2024
I started learning about Bitcoin around 2018-2019.
The first time I became concerned was when Abenomics started.
I believe that was around 2012. When Abenomics began, I thought, "This is doomed."
I felt that holding onto Japanese yen was absolutely the wrong thing to do. I essentially ditched the yen, and now I hardly have any yen savings.
At that time, I knew about Bitcoin, but I hadn’t connected the dots yet and wasn’t studying it.
When I spent about a year abroad in 2018, I started learning more about Bitcoin, and I realized, "This is what I’ve needed."
Without Bitcoin, I would feel anxious in many ways, but because of Bitcoin, I have peace of mind—it’s a source of comfort for me.
I believe that’s the kind of future we’re heading towards, which is why Koji’s definition of a Bitcoiner really resonated with me.
I keep thinking about what I can do to contribute. But honestly, I’m doing it because it’s fun.
That’s an amazing perspective.
For example, have you found Bitcoin to be convenient when traveling abroad?
I’ve experienced significant trouble sending money while overseas.
I spent a year in the UK, and one of the worst situations was being asked to pay a year’s rent upfront because I wasn’t considered creditworthy.
I didn’t hold any Japanese yen and had savings in pounds, so I was able to pay, but even then, I had to deal with fees.
Sending money was incredibly difficult, and whenever I spent a little money there, I’d immediately get calls from Japan. It was extremely frustrating.
The stress of not being able to freely move my own money really built up.
That’s when I started learning about Bitcoin.
I appreciate both Bitcoin’s functionality as a payment method and its role as a Store of Value. I also resonate with the idea of financial inclusion, providing financial services to those without bank accounts.
Inflation driven by the government, like Abenomics, was a form of opposition for me. Bitcoin was truly something I needed.
The Bitcoin community, starting with Koji, is good at calling out things that are wrong, isn’t it?
When DeFi and Web3 were trending for a while, I thought I’d study them just to understand.
But even without much studying, I quickly realized that they were just tools for making money—scams, really. Koji’s refusal to go along with those trends made me trust him even more.
When DH (Diamond Hands) first started, I was nervous at first, but we all stayed up late connecting Lightning channels and holding study sessions. It was a lot of fun.
Everyone has strong convictions, and they all have a vision for Bitcoin’s future, which is why it’s so enjoyable.
In Conclusion
I’m really glad I got to hear your thoughts on Bitcoin, bcats!
You don’t openly share much on social media, but knowing you’re so passionate about promoting Bitcoin is amazing!
If we define Bitcoiners as people who believe Bitcoin will change the world and act according to their beliefs, then you’re a perfect example, taking action based on what you can do.
Some people might think that promoting Bitcoin is something we should just leave to Bitcoin influencers, but that’s not true.
Listening to you, I realize that it’s about every Bitcoin enthusiast taking action in their own way.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us, bcats!
bcats's Twitter (X) Account
https://x.com/bcats8
bcats's Blog (Spotlight)
https://spotlight.soy/6REJwIUW9H0HFh0g
Writer：Sigeru Minami
Creator of "Bitcoin-zukan.com."
Active as a handmade craftsman of Bitcoin goods.
Recommended Articles：What is Bitcoin?
Recommended Articles：[Mepicabari] A Bitcoin Payment-Friendly Acupuncture Clinic! Interview with the Director