I'm trying to save myself the trouble of having to search, compile, organize, etc.. all the knowledge I know exists on how to operate a routing node on the Lightning network.
Being a software engineer I don't mind if it's technical, I just want an easier path learning the more intermediate to advanced (at least to me), topics like:
- Routing fees
- Implications of running clear net versus behind TOR
- Node centrality
- Providing liquidity by selling channels
- How are people professionalizing Lightning node operation
- Are people running nodes as regular cloud servers? If so, are they using some software to abstract away the complexity or handling with the low level of Bitcoin and Lightning?
The list above are a few topics I've been wondering as I continue my adventure operating a node, so in the spirit of v4v I'm offering this bounty for people who might know these things or at least where to learn about them.
The winning answer will be the one covering as much as possible, assuming the content is up-to-date, in depth, and well structured. I'm also willing to sweeten the pie if I get really impressed by the answer.
Ask me anything about what I'm looking for. I'll keep this open until Friday, and then award the best answer.
For the friends on Nostr reading this, please join us on Stacker.news.
I am absolutely adoring the Megalith intro to Lightning. It's super informative and easy to get an intuition about thanks to the accompanying tutorial and also the Rizful cloud node. A lot of plain talk about routing nodes, in particular.
Also, these docs are the most engagingly-written that I have ever read in the btc space. Seriously. Whoever created these has a gift, I'm going to write them a fan letter if I can figure out where to send it. Maybe @rizful_com knows?
How about https://megalithic.me/contact?
That was my fallback; I wondered if there was some specific author lurking around here.
DarthCoin has good stuff. Here is an article but there are many more on his substack:
https://darthcoin.substack.com/p/managing-lightning-node-liquidity?utm_source=publication-search
substack is not updated anymore. All guides are migrated and updated on github page https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/managing-lightning-node-liquidity-en.html
But that one is just a small part. There are more use case scenarios that I described here: https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/nodes-en.html
Running a public routing node is a serious job!
Thank you Darth, your content is lit 🔥
Use this resource!!!
If substuck guides aren't up-to-date, maybe better delete the content and post a link to redirect to your new guides in gh.
no
Cool, thanks Wumbo! If you end up having the best answer, shall we go 5k sats each and award Darth for his work?
Not sure if my guides are the most complete. Are just my personal experience and testing during several years. You should look into Rene Pickhardt work too. In my guides I linked his amazing work too.
I think that there are many ways to run routing node and each user could focus on specific goals. We will see in the future like 3-4 main important liquidity rings as I explained here: #486306
Now... depends on which "ring" you want to be.
One more: https://docs.lightning.engineering/lightning-network-tools/lnd/optimal-configuration-of-a-routing-node
As Darth guides explain, before start a routing node it's important to determine the expectation and focus in the user case you want.
Some questions and words:
This content is amazing @nikotsla, I have awarded the bounty to DarhCoin for original content and also meeting what I was looking for but in any case I've zapped you some sats to thank you for sharing.
Thanks, happy to help.
https://river.com/learn/files/river-lightning-report-2023.pdf
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-51280-4_16
https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.16496