ElementsProject/lightning

What is it?

Key features

• 01Implements the Lightning Network protocol with a focus on spec compliance
• 02Controlled via JSON-RPC 2.0 over a Unix domain socket and the lightning-cli tool
• 03Supports opening channels, creating invoices, and paying BOLT11 invoices
• 04Extensible through a plugin system
• 05Optional encryption of the HD wallet seed

Use cases

• Running a Lightning node to send and receive Bitcoin payments
• Building payment features or services on top of a Lightning node via its JSON-RPC API
• Developing custom Lightning plugins or experimenting on regtest networks

Quick start

1. 1

   Install a pre-compiled binary from the GitHub releases page

2. 2

   Start bitcoind and wait until it is fully synced

   bitcoind -daemon
3. 3

   Start lightningd on mainnet with debug logging

   lightningd --network=bitcoin --log-level=debug
4. 4

   Generate a new on-chain address to fund your node

   lightning-cli newaddr

Things to know

• !Only works on Linux and macOS.
• !Requires a locally or remotely running bitcoind (version 25.0 or above) that is fully synced and relays transactions.
• !The license is not clearly identified in the project metadata.

In collections

Topics

FAQ

What is lightning?

A standard-compliant Lightning Network node implementation in C, run as the lightningd daemon and controlled over JSON-RPC. Core Lightning (CLN) is an implementation of the Lightning Network protocol for Bitcoin, written in C and maintained by Blockstream. It runs as a node daemon, lightningd, that opens and manages payment channels, creates and pays invoices, and connects to other lightning nodes. It works on Linux and macOS and requires a locally or remotely running bitcoind (version 25.0 or above) that is fully synced.

Is lightning free to use? What license does it have?

lightning is open source under the Other license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.

Is lightning still maintained?

Actively maintained. The last commit to lightning was on Nov 5, 2026.

What can I use lightning for?

Running a Lightning node to send and receive Bitcoin payments Building payment features or services on top of a Lightning node via its JSON-RPC API Developing custom Lightning plugins or experimenting on regtest networks

How do I install lightning?

Install a pre-compiled binary from the GitHub releases page Start bitcoind and wait until it is fully synced: bitcoind -daemon Start lightningd on mainnet with debug logging: lightningd --network=bitcoin --log-level=debug Generate a new on-chain address to fund your node: lightning-cli newaddr

Where can I get lightning?

The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ElementsProject/lightning