[](https://docs.rs/lightning/)
[](https://github.com/rust-secure-code/safety-dance/)
-Rust-Lightning is a Bitcoin Lightning library written in Rust. The main crate,
-`lightning`, does not handle networking, persistence, or any other I/O. Thus,
-it is runtime-agnostic, but users must implement basic networking logic, chain
-interactions, and disk storage. More information is available in the `About`
-section.
+[LDK](https://lightningdevkit.org)/`rust-lightning` is a highly performant and flexible
+implementation of the Lightning Network protocol.
-The `lightning-net-tokio` crate implements Lightning networking using the
-[Tokio](https://github.com/tokio-rs/tokio) async runtime.
-
-The `lightning-persister` crate implements persistence for channel data that
-is crucial to avoiding loss of channel funds. Sample modules for persistence of
-other Rust-Lightning data is coming soon.
+The primary crate, `lightning`, is runtime-agnostic. Data persistence, chain interactions,
+and networking can be provided by LDK's [sample modules](#crates), or you may provide your
+own custom implementations.
+More information is available in the [`About`](#about) section.
Status
------
+The project implements all of the [BOLT specifications](https://github.com/lightning/bolts),
+and has been in production use since 2021. As with any Lightning implementation, care and attention
+to detail is important for safe deployment.
-The project implements all of the BOLT specifications in the 1.0 spec. The
-implementation has pretty good test coverage that is expected to continue to
-improve. It is also anticipated that as developers begin using the API, the
-lessons from that will result in changes to the API, so any developer using this
-API at this stage should be prepared to embrace that. The current state is
-sufficient for a developer or project to experiment with it. Recent increased
-contribution rate to the project is expected to lead to a high quality, stable,
-production-worthy implementation in 2021.
+Communications for `rust-lightning` and Lightning Development Kit happen through
+our LDK [Discord](https://discord.gg/5AcknnMfBw) channels.
-Communications for Rust-Lightning and Lightning Development Kit happens through
-[LDK slack](http://lightningdevkit.org/).
+Crates
+-----------
+1. [lightning](./lightning)
+ The core of the LDK library, implements the Lightning protocol, channel state machine,
+ and on-chain logic. Supports `no-std` and exposes only relatively low-level interfaces.
+2. [lightning-background-processor](./lightning-background-processor)
+ Utilities to perform required background tasks for Rust Lightning.
+3. [lightning-block-sync](./lightning-block-sync)
+ Utilities to fetch the chain data from a block source and feed them into Rust Lightning.
+4. [lightning-invoice](./lightning-invoice)
+ Data structures to parse and serialize
+ [BOLT #11](https://github.com/lightning/bolts/blob/master/11-payment-encoding.md)
+ Lightning invoices.
+5. [lightning-net-tokio](./lightning-net-tokio)
+ Implementation of the `rust-lightning` network stack using the
+ [Tokio](https://github.com/tokio-rs/tokio) `async` runtime. For `rust-lightning`
+ clients which wish to make direct connections to Lightning P2P nodes, this is
+ a simple alternative to implementing the required network stack, especially
+ for those already using Tokio.
+6. [lightning-persister](./lightning-persister)
+ Implements utilities to manage `rust-lightning` channel data persistence and retrieval.
+ Persisting channel data is crucial to avoiding loss of channel funds.
+7. [lightning-rapid-gossip-sync](./lightning-rapid-gossip-sync)
+ Client for rapid gossip graph syncing, aimed primarily at mobile clients.
About
-----------
-LDK/Rust-Lightning is a generic library which allows you to build a lightning
-node without needing to worry about getting all of the lightning state machine,
+LDK/`rust-lightning` is a generic library that allows you to build a Lightning
+node without needing to worry about getting all of the Lightning state machine,
routing, and on-chain punishment code (and other chain interactions) exactly
-correct. Note that Rust-Lightning isn't, in itself, a node. There are various
-working/in progress demos which could be used as a node today, but if you "just"
-want a generic lightning node, you're almost certainly better off with
-`c-lightning`/`lnd` - if, on the other hand, you want to integrate lightning
-with custom features such as your own chain sync, your own key management, your
-own data storage/backup logic, etc., LDK is likely your only option. Some
-Rust-Lightning utilities such as those in `chan_utils` are also suitable for use
-in non-LN Bitcoin applications such as DLCs and bulletin boards.
-
-We are currently working on a demo node which fetches blockchain data and
-on-chain funds via Bitcoin Core RPC/REST. The individual pieces of that demo
-are/will be composable, so you can pick the off-the-shelf parts you want and
-replace the rest.
-
-In general, Rust-Lightning does not provide (but LDK has implementations of):
+correct. Note that LDK isn't, in itself, a node. For an out-of-the-box Lightning
+node based on LDK, see [Sensei](https://l2.technology/sensei). However, if you
+want to integrate Lightning with custom features such as your own chain sync,
+key management, data storage/backup logic, etc., LDK is likely your best option.
+Some `rust-lightning` utilities such as those in
+[`chan_utils`](./lightning/src/ln/chan_utils.rs) are also suitable for use in
+non-LN Bitcoin applications such as Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) and bulletin boards.
+
+A sample node which fetches blockchain data and manages on-chain funds via the
+Bitcoin Core RPC/REST interface is available
+[here](https://github.com/lightningdevkit/ldk-sample/). The individual pieces of
+that demo are composable, so you can pick the off-the-shelf parts you want
+and replace the rest.
+
+In general, `rust-lightning` does not provide (but LDK has implementations of):
* on-disk storage - you can store the channel state any way you want - whether
Google Drive/iCloud, a local disk, any key-value store/database/a remote
server, or any combination of them - we provide a clean API that provides
informed of, which is compatible with Electrum server requests/neutrino
filtering/etc.
* UTXO management - RL/LDK owns on-chain funds as long as they are claimable as
- a part of a lightning output which can be contested - once a channel is closed
+ part of a Lightning output which can be contested - once a channel is closed
and all on-chain outputs are spendable only by the user, we provide users
notifications that a UTXO is "theirs" again and it is up to them to spend it
as they wish. Additionally, channel funding is accomplished with a generic API
which notifies users of the output which needs to appear on-chain, which they
can then create a transaction for. Once a transaction is created, we handle
the rest. This is a large part of our API's goals - making it easier to
- integrate lightning into existing on-chain wallets which have their own
+ integrate Lightning into existing on-chain wallets which have their own
on-chain logic - without needing to move funds in and out of a separate
- lightning wallet with on-chain transactions and a separate private key system.
-* networking - to enable a user to run a full lightning node on an embedded
+ Lightning wallet with on-chain transactions and a separate private key system.
+* networking - to enable a user to run a full Lightning node on an embedded
machine, we don't specify exactly how to connect to another node at all! We
provide a default implementation which uses TCP sockets, but, e.g., if you
- wanted to run your full lightning node on a hardware wallet, you could, by
- piping the lightning network messages over USB/serial and then sending them in
+ wanted to run your full Lightning node on a hardware wallet, you could, by
+ piping the Lightning network messages over USB/serial and then sending them in
a TCP socket from another machine.
* private keys - again we have "default implementations", but users can chose to
provide private keys to RL/LDK in any way they wish following a simple API. We
Design Goal
-----------
-
-The goal is to provide a full-featured but also incredibly flexible lightning
+The goal is to provide a full-featured but also incredibly flexible Lightning
implementation, allowing the user to decide how they wish to use it. With that
in mind, everything should be exposed via simple, composable APIs. More
-information about Rust-Lightning's flexibility is provided in the `About`
+information about `rust-lightning`'s flexibility is provided in the `About`
section above.
For security reasons, do not add new dependencies. Really do not add new
non-optional/non-test/non-library dependencies. Really really do not add
dependencies with dependencies. Do convince Andrew to cut down dependency usage
-in rust-bitcoin.
+in `rust-bitcoin`.
Rust-Lightning vs. LDK (Lightning Development Kit)
-------------
-Rust-Lightning refers to the core `lightning` crate within this repo, whereas
-LDK encompasses Rust-Lightning and all of its sample modules and crates (e.g.
+`rust-lightning` refers to the core `lightning` crate within this repo, whereas
+LDK encompasses `rust-lightning` and all of its sample modules and crates (e.g.
the `lightning-persister` crate), language bindings, sample node
-implementation(s), and other tools built around using Rust-Lightning for
-lightning integration or building a lightning node.
+implementation(s), and other tools built around using `rust-lightning` for
+Lightning integration or building a Lightning node.
Tagline
-------
Project Architecture
---------------------
-For a Rust-Lightning high-level API introduction, see [ARCH.md](ARCH.md).
+For a `rust-lightning` high-level API introduction, see [ARCH.md](ARCH.md).
License is either Apache-2.0 or MIT, at the option of the user (ie dual-license
Apache-2.0 and MIT).
projects / rust-lightning / blobdiff