Eclair (french for Lightning) is a scala implementation of the Lightning Network. It can run with or without a GUI, and a JSON-RPC API is also available.
This software follows the Lightning Network Specifications (BOLTs). Other implementations include lightning-c, lit, and lnd.
🚧 Both the BOLTs and Eclair itself are a work in progress. Expect things to break/change!
🚨 We had reports of Eclair being tested on various segwit-enabled blockchains. Keep in mind that Eclair is still alpha quality software, by using it with actual coins you are putting your funds at risk!
Please see the latest release note for detailed information on BOLT compliance.
Eclair needs a synchronized, segwit-ready, zeromq-enabled, non-pruning, tx-indexing Bitcoin Core node. This means that on Windows you will need Bitcoin Core 0.14+.
Run bitcoind with the following minimal bitcoin.conf:
regtest=1
server=1
rpcuser=XXX
rpcpassword=XXX
txindex=1
zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:29000
zmqpubrawtx=tcp://127.0.0.1:29000
On testnet, you also need to make sure that all your UTXOs are p2sh-of-p2wpkh.
To do this, use the debug console, create a new address with getnewaddress, import it as a witness address with addwitnessaddress, and
send all your balance to this witness address.
If you need to create and send funds manually, don't forget to create and specify a witness address for the change output (this option is avaliable on the GUI once you set the Enable coin control features wallet option).
The released binaries can be downloaded here.
Just use the windows installer, it should create a shortcut on your desktop.
You need to first install java, more precisely a JRE 1.8.
Then download the latest fat jar and depending on whether or not you want a GUI run the following command:
- with GUI:
java -jar eclair-node-gui-<version>-<commit_id>.jar- without GUI:
java -jar eclair-node-<version>-<commit_id>.jarEclair reads its configuration file, and write its logs, to a datadir directory, located in ~/.eclair by default.
To change your node's configuration, create a file named eclair.conf in datadir. Here's an example configuration file:
eclair.server.port=9735
eclair.node-alias=eclair
eclair.node-color=49daaa
Here are some of the most common options:
| name | description | default value |
|---|---|---|
| eclair.server.port | Lightning TCP port | 9735 |
| eclair.api.port | API HTTP port | 8080 |
| eclair.bitcoind.rpcuser | Bitcoin Core RPC user | foo |
| eclair.bitcoind.rpcpassword | Bitcoin Core RPC password | bar |
| eclair.bitcoind.zmq | Bitcoin Core ZMQ address | tcp://127.0.0.1:29000 |
Quotes are not required unless the value contains special characters. Full syntax guide here.
→ see reference.conf for full reference. There are many more options!
Some advanced parameters can be changed with java environment variables. Most users won't need this and can skip this section.
datadir is mandatory if you want to run several instances of eclair on the same machine. You will also have to change ports in eclair.conf (see above).
| name | description | default value |
|---|---|---|
| eclair.datadir | Path to the data directory | ~/.eclair |
| eclair.headless | Run eclair without a GUI | |
| eclair.printToConsole | Log to stdout (in addition to eclair.log) |
For example, to specify a different data directory you would run the following command:
java -Declair.datadir=/tmp/node1 -jar eclair-node-gui-<version>-<commit_id>.jar| method | params | description |
|---|---|---|
| getinfo | return basic node information (id, chain hash, current block height) | |
| connect | nodeId, host, port | connect to another lightning node through a secure connection |
| open | nodeId, host, port, fundingSatoshis, pushMsat | opens a channel with another lightning node |
| peers | list existing local peers | |
| channels | list existing local channels | |
| channel | channelId | retrieve detailed information about a given channel |
| allnodes | list all known nodes | |
| allchannels | list all known channels | |
| receive | description | generate a payment request without a required amount (can be useful for donations) |
| receive | amountMsat, description | generate a payment request for a given amount |
| send | amountMsat, paymentHash, nodeId | send a payment to a lightning node |
| send | paymentRequest | send a payment to a lightning node using a BOLT11 payment request |
| send | paymentRequest, amountMsat | send a payment to a lightning node using a BOLT11 payment request and a custom amount |
| close | channelId | close a channel |
| close | channelId, scriptPubKey (optional) | close a channel and send the funds to the given scriptPubKey |
| help | display available methods |
- [1] The Bitcoin Lightning Network: Scalable Off-Chain Instant Payments by Joseph Poon and Thaddeus Dryja
- [2] Reaching The Ground With Lightning by Rusty Russell