Welcome to the LNnodeInsight documentation
Last update: 2023-02-25
1 Getting started
This is the living reference book for the LNnodeInsight tool set built for Bitcoin Lightning Network (LN) node operators. It can also serve as a framework to better understand the common challenges to operating a LN node in an open, decentralized, peer-to-peer market, such as:
- What are some trends among LN nodes that can help us understand how capital is deployed?
- Where do I allocate capital so it can be effective?
- How much capital do I allocate?
- How do I price that capital initially?
- How can I value deployed capital over time?
1.1 What’s in the documentation?
There isn’t ever a single, clear answer to common challenges in running a node because the LN itself is a market that adapts to changing conditions (like mempool congestion, new players, new services) and evolves over time (like adopting a new spec, moving from HTLCs to PTLCs). No single node has access to all the inner workings of every other node–by design, because moving information off-chain is an inherent property of the LN to scale Bitcoin as a payments system. So now each node, operated by an individual or entity with their own strategies and behaviors, has a specific yet incomplete view of the network. Trying to decipher what’s going on isn’t easy.
Figuring out how to deploy capital and maintain a routing node essentially means enabling borderless, instant settlement, peer-to-peer payments on a global scale. We all want that, don’t we?
The manuals section goes over all of the tools available at LNnodeInsight to help routing node operators to make sense of the LN.
The workflows section runs through a couple scenarios a routing node operator would encounter to demonstrate how multiple tools can work together to inform a decision. It would be a good idea to quickly look through the manuals to better understand the different pieces that make up a workflow.
The how-to section contains non-exhaustive information on how to do common tasks
The API section goes over… the API!
The glossary includes definitions for jargon commonly used in the LN routing world.
A page dedicated to other useful resources