Highly Available Lightning Channels Revisited – ROUTE OR OUT

The proposal under discussion introduces an intriguing concept regarding the Lightning Network (LN), emphasizing the trade-off between transaction efficiency and privacy. The Lightning Network's design aims to enhance the scalability of blockchain transactions, making them faster, cheaper, and more reliable. However, achieving these goals seems to conflict with the desire for increased privacy within the network. This dichotomy presents a challenge: how to offer users the ability to prioritize either speed and cost-efficiency or privacy in their transactions.

The solution proposed suggests that the LN could implement functionality allowing users to choose the nature of their transactions based on their immediate needs. Specifically, it would enable users to select whether their priority is to execute transactions quickly and affordably or to maintain a higher level of privacy. To accommodate these varying priorities, the network could offer different routing options tailored to each preference. Routes optimized for speed, cost, and reliability would be distinct from those focused on ensuring user privacy. This approach implies a flexible infrastructure within the LN, capable of dynamically adjusting to user preferences and requirements.

This concept opens up a broader dialogue about the feasibility of such a dual-route system within the same network. It challenges the current narrative that transaction efficiency and privacy are mutually exclusive by proposing a practical compromise. Implementing this would require significant technical innovation, as well as careful consideration of the potential impact on the network's usability and security. Nonetheless, it represents a forward-thinking approach to addressing one of the fundamental dilemmas facing blockchain technology today.