Ark is a layer-two protocol for making off-chain Bitcoin transactions. Initially published on the bitcoin-dev mailing list as TBDXXX by Burak, is has since been named Ark and the protocol design has advanced significantly.
The goal and result of the Ark protocol is a payments system where people can make Bitcoin transactions at very low cost and without requiring any setup. The Ark model very closely resembles the UTXO model, which is a key differentiator with Lightning.
Ark is a scaling solution for Bitcoin that involves moving transactions off-chain. Ark executes transactions outside of the Bitcoin main chain but posts transaction data back on-chain in a compressed format. Ark servers bundle multiple off-chain transactions into large batches before submitting them to the Bitcoin blockchain. This method spreads fixed costs across multiple transactions in each batch, significantly reducing fees for end-users.
Protocol
- Ark protocol
- Introducting Ark v2 - updated Ark protocol proposal
- Ark Protocol intro - Intro to Ark protocol by Second
- Ark deep dive - Original Ark deep dive by Burak
Implementations
- ark - Ark labs daemon
- clArk - now deprecated - covenetless ark daemon from Ark Labs
- bark - A Rust implementation of the Ark protocol on bitcoin by Second
Developer resources
Documentation
- Get started with ark - Ark Labs how to for developers
- Getting started with bark - Second tech how to for developers
SDK
- ark sdk - SDK by Ark Labs
Reading
Ark V2
- Covenant-less Ark
- Unlocking Liquidity Before Shared Output Expiration
- First Ark transaction on mainnet
Ark v1 reading
- ARK video from Bitcoin Miami 2023
- ARK presentation from Bitcoin Miami 2023
- [bitcoin-dev] Ark: An Alternative Privacy-preserving Second Layer Solution
- Introducing Ark Blog Post
- Rijndael’s write up on how Ark works
- RubenSomsen’s Simplest Ark Explanation
- Ark Whiteboard Masterclass with Burak & Robin
- Bitcoin magazine: Introducing Ark
- BitGo blog: Will Burak’s Ark Solve Bitcoin Scaling?
- pippellia’s Video Ark Explained - Bitcoin Layer 2 Protocol
Blogs
- arkdev.info blog - Ark Labs blog
- Second’s blog - Second blog
Presentations and podcasts
- Steven Roose on Ark - BitDev conference at Taipei Tech Summit
- Banking on Ark - Banking on Ark talk by Marco Argentieri with slides
- SLP482 Burak – Ark: A new L2 protocol for Bitcoin - Burak on Stephan Livera Podcast
- Ark announcement at Bitcoin 2023 - Burak’s Ark announcement at Bitcoin 2023
- Bitcoin Takeover Podcast S14 E1: Burak Keceli on Ark & Bitcoin 2nd Layers
- The Kevin Rooke Show E109: Burak on Building Ark, Scaling Bitcoin, and Improving Privacy
- The ark-hashed podcast, episode 16
- Updates on Ark development - one year later
- Scaling Bitcoin to 2050 w/ Shinobi, Marco Argentieri, Simanta Gautam & Alex Bosworth
- Transforming Bitcoin: Marco Agentieri’s Vision with Ark Labs
Communites
- Telegram community - Ark protocol telegram community
- Ark Labs discord - Ark Labs discord community
Related Resources
To explore other aspects of the Bitcoin and freedom tech ecosystem, check out these additional resource directories:
- nostr.net - A complete guide to Nostr - projects, implementations, developer tools and all other resources
- liquidnetwork.wiki - A curated list of Liquid Network resources, libraries, tools and applications
- pubky.tech - Pubky, an open protocol for censorship resistant web applications
- dlc.wiki - Everything you need to know about Discreet Log Contracts
- ungovernable.tech - A collection of resources on encryption, privacy tools, and decentralized technologies
- lightning-network.tech - Essential tools, guides, and communities for Bitcoin Lightning Network node operators.
- ark-protocol.com - A directory of Ark protocol resources, libraries, tools and applications
Contributing
If you’d like to add something to this list, please submit a Pull Request on GitHub.
This directory is maintained by aljaz. Your contributions help keep this information up-to-date and valuable.