LND Zero-Conf Channels -- Open Channels With Zero Confirmations

What are Zero-Conf Channels?

Zero-conf channels (also called turbo channels) allow you to use a newly opened channel before it has any on-chain confirmations. Useful for LSPs and services that want instant Lightning onboarding.

Requirements

Both peers must agree to zero-conf. The opening side takes on trust risk since the channel is not yet confirmed.

Enable Zero-Conf in lnd.conf

[protocol]
zero-conf=true
option-scid-alias=true

Open a Zero-Conf Channel

lncli openchannel \
  --node_key <peer_pubkey> \
  --local_amt 1000000 \
  --zero_conf

Verify Channel is Zero-Conf

lncli listchannels | grep -A5 zero_conf

Common Errors

- "peer does not support zero_conf" — remote node has not enabled zero-conf, negotiation fails

- "zero_conf requires option_scid_alias" — enable both options in lnd.conf

Use Cases

LSPs (Lightning Service Providers) use zero-conf to give users instant inbound liquidity. Examples: Breez, Phoenix, ACINQ. For routing nodes, zero-conf is rarely needed.