Published on: 2023-02-17T11:19:01+00:00
In a discussion on the lightning-dev mailing list, the topic of improving payment success rates on the Lightning Network was raised. Joost Jager proposed adding a new bit to the `channel_update` field `channel_flags`, allowing senders to signal that a channel is highly available. The idea behind this proposal is to encourage routing nodes to operate flawlessly by imposing penalties if they return failures. This proposal aims to ensure competitiveness with centralized payment systems that can process payments quickly.However, Matt Corallo disagreed with the need for such a signal. He argued that nodes should measure the network and choose reliable paths for their transactions, even in an unreliable network. Corallo believes that high reliability nodes would create centralization pressure and that the Lightning Network is already reliable and fast enough without any changes.Christian Decker added to the discussion by categorizing reputation systems into three types: first-hand experience, inferred experience, and hearsay. He pointed out that relying solely on these systems would not be sufficient due to rare repeat interactions and outdated local knowledge. Decker suggested asking altruistic nodes for scoring data to build a better model of liquidity instead of relying on hearsay. He also warned against creating two classes of nodes by enshrining differences of availability in the protocol.The Lightning Network, a second layer protocol for Bitcoin, aims to improve scalability and transaction speed. It utilizes smart contracts to create payment channels between parties for off-chain transactions. The Linux Foundation supports the development and integration of Lightning Network technology, providing a platform for collaboration and innovation in the Bitcoin ecosystem.Overall, the email thread discussion emphasizes the importance of neutral protocol development and design in the Lightning Network. It explores different approaches to fetching scoring data for different types of nodes, the challenges in maintaining outbound liquidity, the potential implementation of a highly available flag, the trade-off between network reliability and entry barriers, and the need for reputation systems to accurately assess node performance. The Lightning Network continues to evolve with the support of the Linux Foundation.
Updated on: 2023-08-01T01:01:16.772445+00:00