Author: Stan Kladko 2017-12-13 09:37:42
Published on: 2017-12-13T09:37:42+00:00
When connecting to the Lightning Network, it is up to the user to select the nodes to peer with. Some implementations offer an "auto-pilot" feature that selects peers automatically based on certain heuristics. It is also possible to learn of other nodes that may be good to connect with through node gossip. When opening channels, they are initially single-funded and there is no way to force someone else to match the funds. However, if you become a hub and earn routing fees, then it is in your interest to channel with relatively new and low-connectivity nodes. If you have a new node with few channels, others aspiring to become hubs will want to lock spare funds to channel to your node in case you become a prolific user of the network in the future. If you are connected to some nodes but no one is connected to you, all of your deposit is used by you only, which can potentially negatively affect availability of your deposit for your own transactions. Therefore, it is suggested to connect but accept no incoming connections. In terms of discovering nodes, there is no UI to see nodes currently running on the network, but nodes will connect to yours and send channel funding messages. It is unclear if there is a UI to accept or reject these connections.In regards to earning routing fees, it is not clear how much you can earn or if routing fees are the same for all hubs. Additionally, if you see many hubs when connecting to the network, it is not clear how to select which hub to connect to or if there is any performance/reputation information available for any hub.
Updated on: 2023-05-24T16:58:45.380786+00:00