This mini guide is mostly for those running a private LN node like Zeus, Blixt, Lightning Pub and they usually need to use a swap service like Boltz when their channels are emptied.
As I explained how to manage private LN liquidity in this previous guide: #679242 - I strongly recommend to read it.
But now some people are you concerned that their mobile node will not be able to function properly because Boltz services are down.
Remember my old scheme that I always suggest to follow?
I hope that now make more sense than never, that "cache / buffer" zone I always recommend to have
If you are using a mobile private node and only depend on one you will get in liquidity trouble.
So what is my proposal?
Is simple. You do not have to depend 100% of all those Boltz API swaps, but you will need to be a good manager of your "cache/buffer" wallets.
And here comes Loop, Electrum and Phoenix/phoenixd to help you manage all your other LN channels.
So if you also have a desktop node with public channels, you can use LOOP for instant swaps. From that node you can then move the new liquidity into your other "daily driver" mobile wallets.
If you do not have a desktop LN node, then you can use Electrum on desktop that have integrated P2P swaps and works perfectly fine with competitive fees. You just need to open a LN channel (trampoline or regular) then send the amount of sats from that channel to your mobile node as you need. Then refill it with your Electrum local onchain balance and repeat the move over and over when is needed.
If you do not have a desktop, then you can use Phoenix mobile wallet that have integrated swaps and move the necessary liquidity to your other wallets,
Another option is to find a friend or use Robosats swaps, with which you can do a p2p swap: you send them onchain and they send you on LN.
So please don't cry online about this situation, the world will not end without Boltz.
More detailed guides of this procedure here:
Simpler option: if you have on-chain Bitcoin, deposit it into your lightning node and open new channels with it. You can even open private channels alongside your public channels: both will get used simultaneously (at least in LND).
Faffing about with swaps is optional.
Yes but this is about to refill existing channels.
Reminder: through a single LN channel you can pass through infinite amount of sats, in and out.
Is also about how users are correctly sizing their channels.
The purpose of lightning is to make payments. Channels are merely a means to an end.
You can choose to refill channels. Or you can choose to just open new ones. Both are valid options and it's worth remembering that.
aye aye
It is often the case too that 2 channels (with distinct peers) is better than 1 bigger one
@Darthcoin does not even use sats here on Stacker News.
@DarthCoin is an NSA agent.
I was disturbed by the lack of details in this beginner guide. But it is somehow great because it forces folks to study and research for solutions. However, it's a known fact people generally lack the motivation to invest time in a better future. So I did it; here you go, just for you, a few step-by-step posts to guide you through the technicalities and details of each method suggested above:
phoenixddeleted by author
I wrote about all these in 2022 😂😂😂 but folks were busy following Saylor & co.
https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/lightning-submarine-swaps-en.html
lol, never to late for a refresh! I see you mention Coinos there, not sure how recent the change was, but it feels like they were lately using Boltz. I had no occasion to swap out coins lately. Does it still work, or did it just stop working like any other boltz-swap wallet?
CoinOS I think is using their own swap system (for regular coinos users) but also use a testing copy of Boltz API https://swap.coinos.io
Interesting, I'll check if the internal swap still working. FixedFloat is something I fully forgot about, as I categorised it as an exchange, it went off radar. But still offering Swap-ins
Not Swap-outs
fixed float always had liquidity issues.
this coinos swap page is running with low liquidity, is just a testing ground, so do not expect to work all the time.
small correction: LOOP is from LL not Acinq.
True, not sure why I put it there! Let me fix asap