In a significant development for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, the Lightning Signer (VLS) validator A beta release has been announced, with the aim of addressing the growing security concerns within the network. The VLS solution, an open source Rust library and reference implementation, separates a user’s private keys from their Lightning node, providing an additional layer of protection against potential compromises and money theft. According to the announcement, VLS provides a level of security unmatched by other solutions in the ecosystem.
“We are excited to announce the beta release of VLS, which is a huge step forward for the security of the Lightning Network, and we are excited to share it with developers and businesses in the Bitcoin ecosystem,” stated the VLS team. They encouraged developers and companies to try out the VLS Beta, participate in the feedback process and test the software with sample CLN or LDK nodes to help strengthen the security of the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
VLS beta offers several features designed to protect against malicious nodes and enhance user protection. These features include working with CLN and LDK, encrypted cloud state backup, disaster recovery capabilities, a full set of Level 2 and Layer 1 validation rules, heartbeat creation, and a allow list of approved destinations. However, it is important to note that while VLS is secure against common methods of stealing users’ funds, it may not cover all possible money loss scenarios. Therefore, the team advises running VLS in a testnet or with limited funds until a production release.
VLS provides a unique approach to Lightning Network security by isolating private keys and secrets in strong policy signing devices. Reference implementation in Rust ensures that proposed transactions are safe for signature by applying a comprehensive set of validation rules. By integrating UTXO Set Oracles to provide evidence of unspent UTXOs, VLS provides additional protection even in the event of a complete compromise of the node software.
Looking to the future, the VLS roadmap includes plans to run pointing devices on platforms with limited resources, improve the performance of embedded processors, and add features such as expanded BOLT-12 support and VSS integration. In addition, the team aims to enable multi-signature usage with Lightning keys for two sites, waiting for major protocols such as Taproot, MuSig2, and FROST to mature.
The VLS beta represents a major advance in securing the Bitcoin Lightning Network and holds promise for developers, businesses and users seeking enhanced protection for their funds within the network.
