Why might someone choose to not use VLS?
This is a great question and I think this depends on their preferred LN setup and security needs/budget. A lot of plebs I’ve talked to have asked why do I need VLS if I have my Lightning node on an Umbrel or why do I need VLS if I’m keeping small amounts on my node?
Those are good questions to ask. From an individual’s perspective, given their specific circumstances, the cost to setup VLS or the time required to manage it may not be worth it. Or they may prefer to have full control over the node from one device, rather than splitting the keys from the node. This may even apply to small merchants depending on their risk tolerance and security needs/budget.
When we’re talking about larger merchants/enterprises, with more significant volumes flowing through their node, I find it hard to imagine a case where they are using the Lightning network and not using VLS or something like it.
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That makes sense. There might be cases where the security benefit does not outweigh the convenience of omitting it.
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That being said, we recommend everyone practice safe transactions, use VLS (whenever possible) 😉
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