Lightning Labs, the pioneering developer behind the Lightning Network Daemon (LND), announced the release of LND v0.18.5-beta, a significant update to its flagship Lightning Network node software.
This release delivers critical bug fixes, performance optimizations, and user experience enhancements, further solidifying LND’s position as the most robust implementation of the Lightning Network protocol. 
Key Updates in LND v0.18.5-beta
Designed to bolster reliability and scalability for node operators, businesses, and developers, this release addresses critical pain points while introducing efficiency gains across the network:
- Enhanced Transaction Security
- Resolved a critical bug preventing proper cancellation of AMP (Atomic Multi-Path) invoice HTLCs, ensuring funds are correctly returned if invoices expire or are canceled.
- Strengthened input validation for fee-bumping RPCs (BumpFee, BumpCloseFee, and BumpForceCloseFee), reducing risks of user error and failed transactions.
- PostgreSQL Performance Boost
- Eliminated global database locks, enabling simultaneous transactions for PostgreSQL users. This upgrade significantly improves backend efficiency for high-traffic nodes.
- Improved User Experience
- Added custom error codes for HTLCs with malformed custom records, simplifying troubleshooting for developers.
- Streamlined channel policy updates via
lncli:updatechanpolicywith the newcreate_missing_edgeflag, reducing manual intervention for operators.
- Fee Management Upgrades
- Introduced the
deadline_deltaparameter for the BumpFee RPC, allowing precise control over transaction deadlines. - Clarified
conf_targetusage across fee-bumping tools to ensure accurate fee rate estimations.
- Introduced the
- Under-the-Hood Optimizations
- Migrated to Golang v1.22.1, leveraging the latest security patches and runtime improvements.
A Commitment to Network Resilience
“This release underscores our focus on making the Lightning Network faster, safer, and more accessible,” said Lightning Labs CTO, Laolu “Roasbeef” Osuntokun. “From AMP invoice reliability to Postgres scalability, every enhancement brings us closer to a global financial system built on bitcoin.”
Supporting the Future of Payments
Lightning Labs invites the community to contribute to LND’s development via its GitHub repository. Users can also support the team’s mission through donations at Lightning Labs Support.
About Lightning Labs
Lightning Labs develops foundational infrastructure for bitcoin and decentralized networks. Its open-source tools, including LND and Lightning Pool, empower developers and enterprises to build scalable, low-cost payment solutions. Learn more at lightning.engineering.
