The Validating Lightning Signer (VLS) project, a leading library and reference implementation for securing Lightning Network nodes, announced the release of Validating Lightning Signer v0.13 “Celestial Citadel“, marking a major milestone in its mission to safeguard bitcoin’s layer-2 ecosystem.
This update delivers enhanced configurability, rigorous security testing, and architectural refinements to empower developers and node operators with enterprise-grade tools.
Validating Lightning Signer “Celestial Citadel” Release Highlights
Validating Lightning Signer separates private key management and security rule validation from Lightning nodes, drastically reducing attack surfaces. The v0.13 release introduces: 
- Granular Configuration Control: Customize node security policies via
vlsd2.toml, including dynamic adjustments toSimplePolicyvalues. - Advanced Security Protocols: Basic fuzzing for the
vls-corecrate, critical fixes for the STM32 hardware signer, and stricter database ID controls to prevent channel reuse. - Performance & Maintainability: Dependency upgrades (LDK 0.0.123, rust-bitcoin 0.30) and a refactored
lightning-storage-serverarchitecture. - LDK Phase-2 Support: Implementation of
sign_holder_htlc_txfor LDK compatibility, enabling broader protocol integration.
“Validating Lightning Signer v0.13 is a leap forward in hardening Lightning infrastructure,” said the project team. “By decoupling security logic from node operations, we’re enabling a future where users can transact at scale without compromising on safety.”
A Note for Early Adopters
While v0.13 addresses common Lightning attack vectors, the team cautions that this is not yet a production-ready release. Developers are encouraged to test on bitcoin testnet or with limited funds until auditing and additional use-case coverage are finalized.
Roadmap: Disaster Recovery, Multi-Signer Capabilities, and Beyond
Upcoming Validating Lightning Signer updates will prioritize:
- Disaster Recovery Tools: Backup and restore mechanisms for signer modules.
- Extended Protocol Support: Compatibility with emerging Lightning standards.
- Multi-Signer Architectures: Distributed key management for institutional use cases.
Call to Action: Join the VLS Community
The team invites Lightning developers, security researchers, and node operators to:
- Test v0.13: Integrate with sample CLN/LDK nodes (GitLab).
- Contribute Feedback: Engage via Matrix or the project’s GitLab Issues page.
- Support Development: Donations are accepted to accelerate auditing and feature development.
About Validating Lightning Signer (VLS)
Validating Lightning Signer is an open-source initiative to secure Lightning Network nodes by isolating private keys and security logic into dedicated signer modules.
Designed for compatibility with LDK, Core Lightning, and hardware signers, it empowers users to mitigate risks like remote compromise and transaction fraud.
