Square Crypto unveils its first product: a developer kit for the Lightning network

Square Crypto, the crypto initiative begun by payment company Square, announced its first product on Tuesday: a "Lightning Development Kit" (LDK) to help developers integrate Lightning with their bitcoin wallet applications.

The new product includes an API, language bindings, demo apps, and other items that would "make integrating Lightning easy, safe, and configurable," per a company blog post.

Square Crypto said it considered several projects and finally decided to go with a project focused on Lightning Network-wallet integration based on developer demand.

"We spoke with dozens of wallet developers. What we heard was a desire for flexibility when integrating Lightning. Wallets and applications require different key store and backup mechanisms, security approaches, UX tradeoffs, and more. That means the solution is building for more wallets, not fewer," the post stated.

In December, Square Crypto said it is offering grants to a part-time Lightning Network developer to support his work.

It has also hired three team members in September, two of whom have experience in development tied to Lightning.