Concerns About the Lightning Network The most apparent problem with the Lightning Network—which is meant to be decentralized—is that it could lead to a replication of the hub-and-spoke model that characterizes today’s financial systems. In the current model, banks and financial institutions are the primary intermediaries through which all transactions occur. Businesses that invest in Lightning Network nodes may become similar hubs or centralized nodes in the network by having more open connections with others. Other concerns are fraud, fees, hacks, and price volatility.