2 years ago
The squad astatine Sphinx is utilizing the Validating Lightning Signer architecture to abstracted the keys from the Lightning node utilizing a dedicated signing device.
The beneath is simply a nonstop excerpt of Marty's Bent Issue #1264: "Don’t underestimate quality creativity." Sign up for the newsletter here.
It's existent what they say: Bear markets are for building. Here's a shining illustration of that via the Sphinx squad showing that their Lightning node is leveraging the Validating Lightning Signer architecture, which separates the keys from the Lightning node utilizing a dedicated signing device. That is what is pictured above: the tiny instrumentality hanging retired of the partition outlet.
"Why the hellhole does this matter?" Very bully question, freak. Up until this constituent (well truly earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile Nodl came retired with their Nodlito project), moving a Lightning Network node has been a precise cumbersome process owed to the request for 100% uptime to facilitate payments. This request for uptime has pushed galore enterprise-level Lightning users to tally their nodes successful the unreality utilizing server farms that tin conscionable the uptime demands. This is simply a spot worrisome due to the fact that it leads to these Lightning nodes being somewhat of sitting ducks. Since it has been communal signifier up to this constituent to location the node and the keys that assistance users entree to their Lightning channels successful the aforesaid hardware, it would beryllium trivial for a motivated attacker to place and confiscate dedicated Lightning hardware sitting successful server farms crossed the world, efficaciously allowing the attacker to confiscate a user's bitcoin.
Enter schemes similar Nodlito and Validating Lightning Signer, which bring a caller mode of doing things to the market. Instead of lodging the keys and the node successful the aforesaid hardware, frankincense creating a cardinal constituent of failure, these projects purpose to equip users with the means to abstracted the 2 functions and springiness those users backmost afloat power of their bitcoin by ensuring they tin physically person their keys utilizing dedicated hardware that communicates with the node moving successful the cloud. Yes, the hardware moving the node astatine a peculiar server workplace tin beryllium unopen off, but the idiosyncratic volition inactive person their keys and, therefore, entree to their bitcoin.
Here's however the architecture for the Validating Lightning Signer looks:
via Validating Lightning Signer GitLab
If this benignant of Lightning node setup becomes commonplace, it could truly unfastened up the doors for much individuals to enactment successful gathering retired the web without having to interest astir moving their ain node hardware. Obviously, the astir sovereign mode to enactment successful the Lightning Network would beryllium to tally your ain node, but the uptime request to beryllium a morganatic node relation prevents a important magnitude of radical from participating fully. It seems to maine that this is simply a decent tradeoff to get much radical moving their node bundle successful the cloud. Yes, those unreality providers are centralized entities. However, if you are capable to clasp your keys, you tin run with the bid of caput that you ever person entree to your money. And with much freedom-focused unreality providers similar Nodl coming to market, the options disposable to Bitcoiners look to beryllium expanding.
Regardless, this benignant of architecture is precise encouraging to spot and it highlights thing that I deliberation galore radical who critique Bitcoin and galore die-hard Bitcoiners overlook: The creativity of the radical gathering connected Bitcoin, Lightning and immoderate different portion of the stack volition proceed to astonishment us. There is nary 1 connected the satellite who tin archer you what the stack volition look similar and precisely what it volition supply successful the future. This is wherefore I often find it silly erstwhile radical instrumentality a snapshot of the enactment crossed the stack contiguous and effort to task retired aboriginal enactment connected the network. We don't cognize what we don't know. And what we don't cognize volition proceed to propulsion the plan scenery of what tin and volition beryllium built connected Bitcoin successful the future. And that aboriginal seems to beryllium precise bright!
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