Zero-conf channels

Zero-conf channels, also called turbo channels, are new single-funded channels where the funder gives some or all of their initial funds to the acceptor. Those funds are not secure until the channel open transaction receives a sufficient number of confirmations, so there’s no risk to the acceptor spending some of those funds back through the funder using the standard LN protocol.

For example, Alice has several BTC in an account at Bob’s custodial exchange. Alice asks Bob to open a new channel paying her 1.0 BTC. Because Bob trusts himself not to double-spend the channel he just opened, he can allow Alice to send 0.1 BTC through his node to third-party Carol even before the channel open transaction has received a single confirmation.

Zero-conf channels were in use via various ad hoc mechanisms prior to a standardized mechanisim for them being added to the LN protocol in 2022.

Primary code and documentation

• BOLTs #910 specifying zero-conf channels

Optech newsletter and website mentions

2022

• 2022 year-in-review: zero-conf channels
• LND 0.15.1-beta adds support for zero-conf channels
• Core Lightning 0.12 adds support for zero-conf channels
• LND #6816 adds documentation about how to use zero-conf channels
• LDK #1401 adds support for zero-conf channel opens
• BOLTs #910 adds an option_zeroconf feature bit
• LDK #1311 adds support for SCID alias field useful for zero-conf channels

2021

• 2021 year-in-review: zero-conf channel opens
• Rust-Lightning #1078 adds channel_type negotiation useful for zero-conf channels

• Discussion about standardizing zero-conf channel opens

  
  

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