The day has come. Voltage is now available to everyone! Starting today you can create a Lightning node in the cloud that's always on and scales with your needs. We're supporting both Testnet and Mainnet from day one. Prices start at $26.99 a month and we offer a 7 day free trial. Try out the platform now by creating a node for free.
What is Voltage?
Voltage is a platform built to make the Lightning Network easy to use. Today we're releasing our core product; noncustodial cloud hosting for Lightning nodes. Through our platform anyone can create a Lightning node with a few clicks. We handle all the networking, backups, and upgrades so you can focus on using Lightning, not managing servers. You have the control to change your node's settings and access the APIs directly. Now you can get a Lightning node in two minutes, not two days.
So what does this mean for users? Not only does this open up the Lightning Network to a whole new set of users, but it also allows current users to rethink how they interact with Lightning. With Voltage nodes, you can easily share channels between all your devices. You can effortlessly participate in network routing. You can quickly accept payments without having to open an app. All of this is possible without having to run substandard hardware in our basements. No matter what your goals are with Lightning, we can help.
Our Product
The Voltage platform allows for a smooth deployment of your Lightning node. When creating your node, you simply select the network, configure your settings, and deploy. After your node is provisioned and initialized, we make connecting easy. Simply scan, copy, or download the credentials. While this process seems incredibly easy, there's a lot going on we want to break down.
Bitcoin Full Nodes
Every Lightning node is connected to a Bitcoin full node. Your Lightning node is synced to the chain as soon as it boots up.
Trusted TLS Certificates
Our TLS certificates are signed by a trusted Certificate Authority. This means you don't have to include a copy of the certificate when connecting from your applications. Your browser, phone, or server is able to validate the certificate without a local copy.
Tor
We take privacy seriously. All nodes are configured to use Tor out of the box. Your Voltage node is indistinguishable from the rest of the nodes on the network.
Backups
We backup your macaroons for you, but only after they are encrypted client-side using your node's password. Therefore, we are never able to read them, but you get peace of mind they're safe. Static Channel Backups are also copied to several locations and are available for you to download.
Easy Connecting
We provide easy connection instructions for the most popular Lightning apps. We display QR codes and preconfigured URIs so you can scan or copy to connect.
Full Exports
We allow you to export all files. You can inspect the files from your node locally. Transparency is vital, so we show you everything.
Private
Since we don't have access to any of your passwords or macaroons, we can't see what's going on in your node. We can't monitor or censor your transactions, channels, peers, etc. Both transparency and privacy are important to us so we design for both. Be on the lookout for a follow up blog post that does a deep dive into our architecture, security, trust levels, and more.
Pricing
One of our most popular questions has been "How much is it going to cost?". Now we can finally offer clarity on the subject. We offer a 7 day free trial you can use to create a testnet node. These trial nodes are identical to a purchased node. A mainnet node (or a testnet node that doesn't expire) costs $26.99 per month when buying a yearly subscription. If purchasing a month-to-month subscription, the price is $31.99 per month. We've worked hard to get our prices as affordable as possible to ensure everyone has access. We accept credit cards and Bitcoin.
Looking Forward
Making it easy to run a Lightning node will certainly benefit both existing Lightning users and future adoption of the network. However, we don't want to stop here. Our goal is to make the entire network easy to use, not just the nodes. As we iterate on our product, and release new products, we'll be breaking down the limits of the current network. It's safe to say we're just getting started.
We recommend everyone to go get their hands dirty and create a free trial node. Of course, like all Lightning Network software, this is considered Beta. Please do not fund your wallet with more than you're willing to lose. If you have questions please check out our FAQ. If your question isn't listed there feel free to email support@getvoltage.io directly and we'll be happy to help. We also setup a community Telegram group.
Thank you to all who have helped us along the way. This is one of the best communities to be a part of. Together we can build something amazing. We can't wait to take this thing to the next level.
Bonus
Check out our page on Product Hunt to find a promo code that will get you 10% off a year subscription. Promo code expires on Friday, October 23rd. While you're there, throw us an upvote. 😉