Open Lightning Channels

This guide will take you through opening lightning channels from your BTCPay Server using Zeus mobile wallet or Ride The Lightning web interface.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

• Completed the ripsline installer on your Virtual Private Server (Virtual Private Node)
• Set up admin login and your first store on BTCPay
• Configured your Lightning Node from BTCPay dashboard
• Bitcoin blockchain fully synced (green indicator in BTCPay)

Method 1: Open Channel via Zeus Mobile

Zeus provides a mobile-friendly way to manage Lightning channels on the go.

Prerequisites for Zeus Method

• Zeus wallet connected to your BTCPay Node
• On-chain BTC available in Zeus wallet

Step 1: Deposit On-Chain BTC to Zeus

You need on-chain Bitcoin in Zeus to fund a Lightning channel.

1. Open Zeus app on your mobile device
2. On Zeus home screen, tap On-chain
3. Tap Receive
4. Copy or scan the bc1q... address shown
5. Send on-chain BTC to this address from your external wallet
6. Wait for at least 1 confirmation (about 10 minutes)
7. Verify funds appear in Zeus under "On-chain" balance

Zeus home tab

Step 2: Add Channel Peer

Before opening a channel, you need to connect to a Lightning peer.

1. In Zeus, tap the Channels/Peers tab (bottom navigation)
2. Select the Peers tab at the top
3. Tap the + button (top right corner)
4. Choose one of these options:
   • Option A: Use the default "Olympus by ZEUS" peer
   • Option B: Add a custom peer by pasting their public key
5. If adding custom peer, find peers at https://1ml.com/
6. Copy the peer's public key and paste it into Zeus
7. Tap Add Peer

Zeus Channels/Peers tab

Step 3: Open Channel

1. In Zeus, go to Channels/Peers tab
2. Select the Channels tab at the top
3. Tap the + button (top right corner)
4. Select On-chain funded
5. Configure your channel:
   • Channel partner: Select the peer you added in Step 2
   • Channel amount: Enter amount in satoshis (e.g., 1000000 = 0.01 BTC)
   • Sats per vByte: Set fee rate (check mempool.space for current rates)
6. Review the details
7. Tap OPEN CHANNEL
8. Wait for on-chain confirmation (10-60 minutes depending on fee rate)
9. Channel will show as "Pending" until confirmed, then become "Active"

Zeus Channels/Peers tab

Method 2: Open Channel via BTCPay Server (Ride The Lightning)

Ride The Lightning (RTL) is a web interface for managing Lightning channels directly from BTCPay Server.

Prerequisites for RTL Method

• Green dot next to "Lightning" in BTCPay left-hand navigation panel
• Access to BTCPay Server admin dashboard

Step 1: Access Ride The Lightning

1. Log into your BTCPay Server
2. In the left-hand navigation panel, click Lightning
3. Under "Services" section, click Ride The Lightning
4. RTL dashboard will open in a new tab

select "Ride The Lightning" (under "Services")

Step 2: Deposit On-Chain BTC to Fund Lightning Channel

You need to deposit Bitcoin on-chain before opening a Lightning channel.

1. In RTL, click On-chain in the left navigation panel
2. Click the On-chain Transactions tab
3. Click Receive
4. Under "Address Type" select Bech32
5. Click Generate Address
6. Copy the generated address (starts with bc1q...)
7. Send Bitcoin to this address from your external wallet
8. Wait for at least 1 confirmation

Generate Bech32 on-chain receiving address

Step 3: Add Lightning Peer

Connect to a Lightning peer before opening a channel with them.

1. In RTL, click Lightning in left navigation panel
2. Click Peers/Channels
3. Under "Connections" section, select the Peers tab
4. Click Add Peer
5. Find a peer at https://1ml.com/
6. Copy the peer's Public Key
7. Paste the Public Key into the RTL form
8. Click Add Peer
9. In the pop-up, click Do It Later (bottom right)

Add peer in RTL

Step 4: Open Channel

1. In RTL, click Lightning → Peers/Channels
2. Under "Connections", select the Channels tab
3. Click Open Channel
4. In the "Open Channel" pop-up:
   • Click Peer Alias dropdown
   • Select the peer you added in Step 3
   • Enter the channel amount in satoshis
   • Set your transaction fee (check mempool.space for current rates)
5. Review the details carefully
6. Click Open Channel
7. Wait for blockchain confirmation (typically 10-60 minutes)

Open channel in RTL

After Opening a Channel

Channel States

• Pending: Waiting for blockchain confirmations (10-60 minutes)
• Active: Channel is open and ready to send/receive payments
• Inactive: Peer is offline or channel has issues

Understanding Channel Capacity

Your channel capacity is split between:

• Local balance: How much YOU can send
• Remote balance: How much you can RECEIVE

Initially, 100% of capacity is on your local side. To receive payments, you need to either:

• Send some Lightning payments (moves balance to remote side)
• Use a Lightning Service Provider to rebalance
• Open inbound channels with other peers

Troubleshooting Channel Issues

Channel Won't Open

• Verify you have enough on-chain balance
• Check that peer is online and reachable
• Ensure your Lightning node is synced
• Try increasing the fee rate

Channel Stuck in Pending

• Wait for blockchain confirmations (can take 10-60 minutes)
• Check the transaction on a block explorer
• If fee too low, may take hours/days to confirm

Peer Shows Offline

• Run the Lightning fix script:

cd ~/BTCPayServer
./fix-lnd-host.sh

• Wait a few minutes and check again
• Restart your Lightning node if needed

Can't Receive Payments

• You need remote balance (inbound liquidity)
• Send some Lightning payments to create remote balance
• Or use a service like Lightning Loop to add inbound liquidity

Need Help?

If you run into issues opening Lightning channels:

1. Check the Troubleshooting guide
2. Email: support@ripsline.com
3. Include your order ID in support requests