Validating Lightning Signer (VLS) Beta Released
"VLS (the Validating Lightning Signer), is an open-source Rust library and reference implementation of software that separates a user's private keys from their Lightning node, ensuring that if the node is compromised, the attacker cannot steal the user's funds."
- "Announcing the VLS Beta release (https://vls.tech/posts/vls-beta) - a significant step towards improved Lightning Network security."
"Developed as an open-source Rust library, VLS stores private keys separate from user’s Lightning node, improving the security of your funds."
- According to VLS Project, "VLS outshines solutions like blind signers, providing robust security and paves the way for multi-signature Lightning network setups, similar to layer 1 multi-signature wallets (multi-sig)."
- "The VLS beta offers a set of features designed to secure against a malicious node:
- Works with CLN and LDK
- Encrypted cloud state backup
- Disaster recovery from signer and node failure
- Complete set of layer-2 validation rules
- Optional validation rules (e.g. velocity, approval)
- A complete set of layer-1 validation rules (on-chain channel state tracking)
- Heartbeat generation
- Allowlist for approved destinations
- UTXO set oracle guarantees safe on-chain state
- See here for a full changelog - "VLS is designed to support a wide range of applications, the signing device can be hardened as needed for the specific use case ranging from: 1) a home user running VLS on their mobile device; 2) to a small merchant using a inexpensive consumer device such as an ESP32 or STM32; 3) all the way to a large enterprise running VLS on an HSM or hardened server."
"Users and merchants who do not want to maintain their own lightning node can also work with a Lightning Service Provider to host and manage their node, while maintaining custody of their funds by securing their Lightning private keys on a consumer device."
- "We recommend running VLS in testnet or with limited funds in production until we reach our production release milestone and you are comfortable it adequately protects against all scenarios relevant to your use case."
- "With the initial Beta release out, next up we are working on running signers on platforms with limited resources, followed by features such as adding BOLT-12 and VSS support, and introducing multi-sig for Lightning keys."
- "Later on in our roadmap, we also plan to add features such as extended BOLT-12 support and VSS integration, as well as introducing the ability to utilize multiple signers using multi-sig with your Lightning keys."
