Crypto micro-tipping platform TipJar shut its doors Monday, citing a lack of users and wasteful server expenses.

The Reddit-based platform, which let users send Ether and ERC20-based micropayments to each other, announced its closure in a Reddit post. Although the tipping function is no longer in effect, the TipJar website will remain active until April 2020, after which users will no longer be able to withdraw funds. 

Twitter wit rewarded with Bitcoin micro-payments, courtesy of Lightning Network

Tippin, a newly launched browser extension that integrates a bitcoin-tipping function with Twitter, lets social media pundits profit from their vile tweets, representing a thrillingly effective application of the nascent Lightning Network. Developed by Spanish coder Sergio Abril, Tippin adds a “lightning” button next to Twitter’s “retweet” button that, when clicked, brings up an address to which people can send Bitcoin microtransactions. It sounds fun—and it’s all the rage! Though the app has...

NewsTechnology
4 min read
Ben Munster

“I had a great time creating this service, and it was fantastic seeing all the engagement when it was being used actively, but lately there has been very little activity on the bot,” wrote TipJar’s developer, u/doppio, who added he would consider making the platform “open source” now that the proprietary service is no longer running. 

U/doppio also cited “monthly server fees” as a reason for shutting the platform down. “Although they are pretty minimal, at this point it doesn't make much sense for me to continue putting money into the service when it's going unused,” the developer said.

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