Lightning Nodes
Node Guides
Inbound Liquidity
3min
To receive on the Lightning Network, you will need inbound liquidity. If you have an Enterprise level node or higher, Voltage will ensure you have inbound liquidity with the primary Voltage routing node as needed, but you will likely need to source liquidity from other nodes to increase your reach on the network, and minimize payment failures.
Some of the most common ways to acquire inbound(feel free to use a combination of the following methods or find what works best for you):
- Lightning Loop. Utilizing Loop, you can convert your outbound liquidity into inbound, by spending through your channels to the Loop service. The Loop service will then atomically send an on-chain transaction, minus a fee, to your node's on chain wallet for the amount that you are swapping. The funds can then be used to open more channels, or used however you see fit. You can access Loop directly through Terminal Web. Check out our Start Terminal Web guide if you need instructions on how to access. You can also use Boltz.exchange which functions similar to Loop but is a separate service.
- Amboss Magma/Hydro. Amboss Magma is a liquidity market place that you can use to sorce inbound from other nodes. This is also known as liquidity leasing, where you pay another node on the network to open a channel to you, thus giving your node inbound liquidity. You can also use their Hydro service, to automate channel opens so your node is never short of inbound liquidity. To use Amboss, you must sign in using your node. We have explained how to do this in our Sign a Message guide.
- Lightning Network+. Lightning Network+ is a liquidity sharing platform, where nodes on the network can enter into liquidity sharing agreements. These agreements do not require you to pay any fees. For example, you can enter an agreement with two other node runners where A opens a channel to B, B opens a channel to C, and C opens a channel to A. It is a very easy and cheap way to get inbound liquidity. The downside is that most agreements require your node to already have some channels before entering into a liquidity swap. This service also requires you to Sign a Message to access.
- Use a LSP. An LSP is a Liquidity Service Provider and there are a few out there. Some common ones are the Olympus LSP, LNBIG, and Thor.
- Spending out of your node. By spending out of your node, your outbound turns into inbound. This can be a common way to get inbound. You can also spend from your node into a lightning-enabled exchange such as River or Strike, which will move the liquidity from outbound to inbound on your node. Some popular gift card buying services are The Bitcoin Company and Bitrefill.
For more information on these methods, you can check out a short video on the topic on our Voltage youtube channel:
Updated 24 Sep 2024
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