diff --git a/node_operations.asciidoc b/node_operations.asciidoc index 2cf0e18..7cab3cb 100644 --- a/node_operations.asciidoc +++ b/node_operations.asciidoc @@ -571,6 +571,24 @@ For the purpose of reducing the balance of our Lightning hot wallet, we would us ==== Getting inbound liquidity +In the current design of the Lightning Network, it is more typical for users to obtain outbound liquidity _before_ obtaining inbound liquidity. +They will do so by opening a channel with another node, and more often they'll be able to spend Bitcoin before they can receive it. +There are three typical ways of getting inbound liquidity: + +* Open a channel with outbound liquidity, and then spend some of that Bitcoin +* Request that someone else opens a channel with you, into which they load outbound liquidity from their side +* Pay a third party service to open a channel with you. For example, ACINQ offers this feature in Eclair Mobile Wallet and Bitrefill offers an inbound liquidity service called Thor + +This can sometimes create bottlenecks for earners on the Lightning Network. +For example, merchants who sell goods for Lightning BTC could have a busy day and exhaust their inbound capacity, and then find themselves unable to receive more payments. +Furthermore this is unintuitive from a UX perspective. +Users typically expect to receive funds *before* they spend them, and not the other way around. + +In the future these challenges can be partially mitigated by the implementation of dual-funded channels, which are funded from both sides and offer both inbound and outbound capacity. +This could also be mitigated by autopilot, which could request and pay for inbound capacity as needed. +Ultimately, however, Lightning power users will have to strategize about channel management to ensure that sufficient inbound capacity is available to meet their inbound liquidity needs. + + ==== On-chain fees for channel management ==== Inactive channels and nodes