What changed
Interledger: connectors, not a new chain.
The paper packets a payment across systems that do not share a ledger. The connector who fronts the value is the trust assumption.
Original thesis
Do not wait for one ledger to win. Pass a payment through connectors, with a condition so that either the whole path settles or the funds return.
What changed
The protocol influenced later payment work. It did not replace card networks, bank wires, or stablecoin transfers. A connector is still a balance-sheet decision.
What remains useful
Use the paper when a design claims to move value across ledgers without merging them. Ask who is the connector, and what they hold in between.