lnd
MIT Lightning Network node daemon in Go
Payments / Payments · OSS/MIT · 8.2k
Reviewed 2026-10-18 · last push 2026-10-19 · repo checked 2026-10-19
What's Good
MIT (lightningnetwork/lnd), release v0.21.4-beta (2026-10-01), developed since 2016. Pluggable chain backends: btcd, bitcoind or the neutrino light client. Fully manages channel state, path finding and the channel graph, and ships many reusable Lightning libraries. It sits underneath a large share of Lightning wallets, exchanges and payment tools. ★~8.2k.
The Catch
Running a Lightning node means managing liquidity, channel backups and hot-wallet risk yourself; this is infrastructure, not a checkout button. Releases still carry a beta tag. For simple merchant payments a hosted processor or BTCPay-style layer on top is easier.
Verdict
The reference choice when you want to run your own Lightning node.
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