LDK Node, a new Lightning node library, has been announcement, providing developers with a simplified, out-of-the-box solution for setting up a self-preserving Lightning Node. Built using LDK and BDK, LDK Node provides a simple interface and an integrated on-chain wallet, allowing developers to quickly and easily establish a Lightning Node in a day.
Unlike its predecessor LDK, which offers plenty of customization options but requires a deeper understanding of protocol fundamentals, LDK Node focuses on simplicity and ease of use. With a reduced API surface comprising approximately 30 API calls, LDK Node simplifies the integration of self-maintained Lightning Nodes into various use cases while hiding protocol complexities.
The initial release of LDK Node includes several design choices and modules. The built-in BDK wallet handles on-chain data, and on-chain data can come from a Esplora server, with support for Electrum and bitcoind RPC planned for the future. Gossip data can be obtained through Lightning’s peer-to-peer network or the Rapid Gossip Sync (RGS) protocol. LDK Node also provides the means to generate entropy for Lightning and on-chain wallets, as well as generate and persist bytes of entropy to disk.
LDK Node is specially designed to facilitate the integration of self-custodial Lightning nodes into mobile applications. Its features are suitable for mobile deployments, with integration options available for Swift, Kotlin, Python, and Flutter. By offering language bindings and compatibility with mobile environments, LDK Node aims to simplify the process of deploying self-guarded Lightning Nodes to end-user devices.
Looking ahead, the development team behind LDK Node has already started work on the next release, which will introduce support for supply chain data from Electrum or bitcoind RPC and persistence to a Versioned Storage Service (VSS) backend. Integration with the Language Server Protocol (LSP) specification is also underway. The team is actively considering adding server-level modules in the future.
For developers interested in exploring LDK Node, the GitHub repository, API DocumentationAnd Crate of rust provide additional resources. Besides, there is a storefront called Monday Walleta sample wallet built with Node Swift LDK bindings, demonstrating the library’s capabilities in real-world applications.
