Flash Aid is a Proof-of-Concept (MVP) for a trustless, instant, and zero-fee donation platform designed for disaster relief in areas with failing banking infrastructure.
Built during the Johannesburg Lightning Bootcamp.
When disaster strikes (e.g., floods, earthquakes), traditional financial aid is slow and expensive:
- Speed: International bank wires take days to settle.
- Fees: Intermediaries take 3-10% of the donation value.
- Transparency: Donors rarely receive cryptographic proof that funds reached the specific victim or merchant.
Using the Bitcoin Lightning Network, Flash Aid enables donors to send funds directly to victims or local merchants (Spaza shops) in seconds.
- Instant Settlement: Funds are available immediately [1].
- Micropayments: Enables donations as small as $0.01 (1 satoshi) without fees eating the principal [1].
- Proof of Payment: The donor receives a cryptographic Preimage (receipt) guaranteeing the funds reached the destination [2].
This MVP utilizes a 3-Node setup running on Bitcoin Core (Regtest) and LND (Lightning Network Daemon).
| Node | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alice | The Donor | A mobile wallet user in any country. |
| Bob | The Hub (NGO) | A well-connected node (e.g., "Gift of the Givers") that routes payments. Configured with 0 fees for charity channels. |
| Charlie | The Recipient | A local merchant or camp coordinator in the disaster zone generating invoices for supplies (e.g., Water, Bread). |
- Bitcoin Core (
bitcoind): Running in Regtest mode. - LND (
lnd): Lightning Network Daemon (v0.18.5+). - Python 3: For the custom explorer and script interactions.
- Docker/WSL: Development environment.