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Should I Run a Lightning Node?

It's easy to use the Lightning Network for payments -- just use any Lightning wallet on your phone. But: you can also run your own Lightning node. You should think carefully before you make that jump.

Should I Actually Do This?

Running a Lightning Node is a bit more complicated than just sending payments. Here are some prerequisites.

A Lightning Node Is A Constantly-Running Application

A Lightning node is a constantly running server application that needs stable internet, uptime, and careful operations to work well.

A Lightning Node Is A Hot Wallet

A Lightning Node is a hot wallet, which means it is a wallet that is online and connected to the internet. This makes it more vulnerable to theft.

What Is The Purpose Of Your Node?

Decide whether your node is mainly for sending, receiving, or routing payments, because that choice affects hardware, liquidity, and risk.