Blockstream's Greenlight Officially Launches, Promising Simplified Lightning Operations

blockchain.news:

Blockstream, a leading player in the blockchain arena, has officially rolled out Greenlight, its innovative Lightning-as-a-Service (LaaS) solution to the global market on October 12, 2023, following an initial reveal in June. This marks a significant stride towards simplifying the operational intricacies associated with Lightning network node management, while not compromising on user security.

The fundamental aspect of Greenlight is its ability to offload the cumbersome task of operating a Lightning node onto Blockstream's seasoned experts, thereby allowing developers to retain control over the keys for heightened security. This strategic move is aimed at reducing both the risk and liability associated with holding user funds, and liberating essential resources previously dedicated to node operations. As a result, businesses and developers can channel their focus towards their core operations and app development.

The traditional dilemma faced by users and developers in the Lightning ecosystem is the trade-off between convenience and self-custody. While custodial solutions present a smooth onboarding experience, they often fall short on delivering basic security and privacy assurances. Conversely, non-custodial solutions, despite being secure and private, demand a higher degree of technical and operational expertise, coupled with additional costs. Greenlight is engineered to dismantle this entry barrier without sacrificing security, performance, or functionality.

Greenlight’s approach is to fragment the Lightning node into smaller, independent components. The Core Lightning implementation, known for its modularity and leanness, runs on Greenlight, keeping all key-related operations confined to the signer. This setup