A plain-language explanation of the Lightning Network, a protocol for scaling and speeding up blockchains. While it was designed to solve some of the technical limitations of the Bitcoin blockchain, it can be implemented on top of any blockchain. BY ELIZABETH STARK / September 15, 2016 Imagine if every computer had to store every e-mail, to receive any. That's how blockchains work. Lightning Network allows computers to make blockchain transactions, only storing the data they care about—their own money. Lightning Network is a protocol for scaling and speeding up blockchains. It was designed to solve some of the technical limitations of the Bitcoin blockchain, but could be implemented on top of any blockchain.