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How to Get an Inbound Channel From Megalith LSP, Step by Step

A new Lightning node can usually send but not receive: every sat in its channels sits on its own side. To receive, it needs inbound liquidity, a channel where the sats start on the other side.

Megalith LSP sells exactly that. You pay a small Lightning invoice, and Megalith LSP opens a channel from its node to yours. This guide walks through the whole order form, screen by screen.

⚡ Get a Megalith LSP Channel →

Before You Start​

You need:

  • Your own Lightning node, online, that can accept incoming channels. This guide is for node runners. If you're building an app for other people's nodes, see the developer guides for LSPS1 and LSPS2.
  • Your node's public key: 66 characters, starting with 02 or 03. With LND, it's identity_pubkey in the output of lncli getinfo (see What Is lncli?). With Core Lightning, it's id in lightning-cli getinfo. Node apps show it on their node-info screen.
  • A Lightning wallet to pay the invoice. Any wallet will do; it doesn't have to be the node that gets the channel.

In the screenshots below we order a channel for our own node, 02a98c86…bb1441.

Step by Step​

1. Choose your network​

Open megalithic.me/get_a_channel. The first question is which network your node runs on. For a normal node with real bitcoin, click Mainnet. MutinyNet is a test network with test coins, for developers.

Click 'Mainnet'
Click 'Mainnet'

2. Copy Megalith LSP's node address​

Your node has to be connected to Megalith LSP as a peer before a channel can be opened. Click Copy Clearnet Address to copy the node's address. If your node only runs over Tor, click Copy Tor Address instead.

Click 'Copy Clearnet Address' (or 'Copy Tor Address' for a Tor-only node)
Click 'Copy Clearnet Address' (or 'Copy Tor Address' for a Tor-only node)

Now connect your node to that address:

  • LND: lncli connect <the address you copied>. If it works, you get back an empty { }. Our channel-opening guide shows the same command step by step.
  • Core Lightning: lightning-cli connect <the address you copied>.
  • Node apps (ThunderHub, RTL, Zeus and others): look for Add peer or Connect to peer on the peers or channels screen, and paste the address.

Menu names change between versions. If you're already connected to Megalith LSP, you can skip this.

3. Confirm you're connected​

Back on the page, click Yes, I've Added Megalith LSP as a Peer.

Click 'Yes, I've Added Megalith LSP as a Peer'
Click 'Yes, I've Added Megalith LSP as a Peer'

4. Choose the channel size​

Drag the slider to pick the size of the channel, from 150,000 to 16,000,000 sats in steps of 50,000. This is how much you'll be able to receive through it. We recommend at least 1,000,000 sats.

The page also states the terms: channels are guaranteed to stay open for 3 months, and they stay open indefinitely as long as you send or receive at least one payment through them every 30 days.

Drag the slider to choose the channel size
Drag the slider to choose the channel size

5. Decide on a zero-confirmation channel​

A normal channel can be used once its funding transaction has confirmed on the Bitcoin blockchain. A zero-confirmation channel can be used straight away. Your node has to be set up to accept zero-conf channels, and most nodes aren't by default, so if you're not sure, leave it unticked.

Tick 'Zero-Confirmation Channel' only if your node accepts zero-conf channels
Tick 'Zero-Confirmation Channel' only if your node accepts zero-conf channels

6. Decide on a private channel​

Private Channel is ticked by default. A private channel isn't announced to the rest of the network: payers still reach you through the route hints in your invoices. If you run a public routing node and want the channel to show in the network graph, untick it.

'Private Channel' is ticked by default
'Private Channel' is ticked by default

7. Paste your node's public key​

Paste your node's public key into the box. If a character is missing or wrong, the page says Invalid node public key. and the Get Price button stays grey.

A key with a character missing: 'Invalid node public key.'
A key with a character missing: 'Invalid node public key.'

With the full key pasted, the message goes away.

Paste your node's full public key
Paste your node's full public key

8. Get the price​

Click Get Price.

Click 'Get Price'
Click 'Get Price'

9. Check the price​

The page shows a Lightning invoice as a QR code, with the price of the channel in sats under it. The price depends on what you chose above, so check it before you pay.

The invoice for the channel, with its price in sats (Oct 23, 2026)
The invoice for the channel, with its price in sats (Oct 23, 2026)

10. Pay the invoice​

Scan the QR code with your Lightning wallet, or click Copy Invoice and paste it into the wallet. The page waits up to fifteen minutes for the payment; after that, start again for a fresh invoice.

Click 'Copy Invoice', then pay it from any Lightning wallet
Click 'Copy Invoice', then pay it from any Lightning wallet

When the payment arrives, Megalith LSP opens the channel to your node. It shows as pending on your node until the funding transaction confirms (unless you chose zero-conf), then as active, with the inbound liquidity on Megalith LSP's side.

If the payment fails​

If your payment fails, it's usually because Megalith LSP tried to open the channel and your node refused it, so the payment was rejected. That generally means something unusual in your node's configuration: it isn't connected as a peer any more, it rejects channels below a minimum size, or it doesn't accept zero-conf channels. The page links to Megalith's Signal and Telegram if you need help.

What to do if the payment fails
What to do if the payment fails

After the Channel Opens​

⚡ Get a Megalith LSP Channel →

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