It is definitely possible to run a Lightning node without running your own Bitcoin node, but all that means is you are using someone else's Bitcoin node for all on-chain data, and broadcasting channel opens and closes.
All self-custody mobile Lightning wallets are some form of this setup. Phoenix, Zeus' Olympus, and Mutiny before it shut down all are Lightning nodes that reach out to a remote Bitcoin node for on-chain needs.
It is far better to run your own Bitcoin node, if you can.
So, when nostr:nprofile1qqsrf5h4ya83jk8u6t9jgc76h6kalz3plp9vusjpm2ygqgalqhxgp9gpz4mhxue69uhk2er9dchxummnw3ezumrpdejqzyrhwden5te0dehhxarj9ekxzmnyqyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvfskueq555fk2 asks you to open a "channel", it's basically a bridge between the lightning node and a remote #Bitcoin node?
🤔
#asknostr
nostr:nevent1qqsxg28s3rqc406xfczuweus7s39ur44qm9v9dqus293gjvp72g9ymgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhsyg9hyaxj3clfswlhyrd5kjsj5v04clhjvgeq6pwztmysfzdvn93gevpsgqqqqqqsdj4kpp
Yeah, you're essentially docking two dicks together.
Between your lightning node and another lightning node.
You're basically paying your tab in advance till it runs out.
And those lightning nodes both connect to a #bitcoin node?
Yes. Lightning channels open and close in one on-chain bitcoin node transaction.
So in one channel you can have many transactions on lightning while it all appears as one transaction on the bitcoin blockchaib when the channel is closed.
I pay my friends tab at the bar, he pays mine we pay someone esles a group them get us back, last call close shop, all one bill settled.
nostr:nprofile1qyt8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yetvd96x2uewdaexwtcpzemhxue69uhhwmm59ehx7um5wgh8qctjw3uj7qgkwaehxw309amk7apwwdhhvcnfwshxsmmnwshsz9thwden5te0wahhgtn8d9exjmn09ehhyee0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnvdesh2tnwv46z7qgkwaehxw309amk7apwwd5kzmtnw3ezucm0d5hszxthwden5te0wahhgtnnw4jx7cmpwfkx7uewvdhk6tcprdmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumm5dpjhyum5w4nxvtnx095j7qgnwaehxw309amk7apww468smewdahx2tcpremhxue69uhkvet9v3ejumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtmsdac82mrpwgqzp49d8dhw4lcnlcxv4jrdy22qf9uc4chrjauk4kjmuvvktyh9dc48kwyhg9 did a great job explaining it.
How Lightning works is a very interesting subject to dive into. Lightning ALWAYS requires the ability to talk to the Bitcoin network via a node, because your Lightning channel is just an on-chain UTXO owned jointly by you and your channel partner in which you both have agreed who will get what amount of sats when you close the channel.
You both need to have a Lightning node to communicate with each other to update the agreed amount of sats you will each receive when you conduct transactions on Lightning, and you each need to have a Bitcoin node that you can broadcast that channel-close transaction, whether that Bitcoin node belongs to you or to someone else.
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