<p>This is an effect of the channel reserve, see: <a href="https://docs.rs/lightning/latest/lightning/util/config/struct.ChannelHandshakeConfig.html#structfield.their_channel_reserve_proportional_millionths" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://docs.rs/lightning/latest/lightning/util/config/struct.ChannelHandshakeConfig.html#structfield.their_channel_reserve_proportional_millionths</a>.</p>
<p>The channel reserve is enforced to ensure each counterparty always has something to lose, if they were to try to cheat. By default, the channel reserve is 1% of the total channel capacity, and LDK sets a hard minimum of 1000sats.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-12T23:59:37.563Z
2023-01-12T23:59:37.563Z
Val Wallace
<p>Using Lightning Dev Kit (LDK). Intuitively, it seems like the entire balance should be send-able.</p>

<lightning-development-kit>
I opened a channel for 5000 sats. Why is my available balance to send only 4000 sats?
Val Wallace
# I opened a channel for 5000 sats. Why is my available balance to send only 4000 sats?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-12)

Using Lightning Dev Kit (LDK). Intuitively, it seems like the entire balance should be send-able.

**Tags:** lightning-development-kit


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2023-01-12. Score: 4

This is an effect of the channel reserve, see: <https://docs.rs/lightning/latest/lightning/util/config/struct.ChannelHandshakeConfig.html#structfield.their_channel_reserve_proportional_millionths>.

The channel reserve is enforced to ensure each counterparty always has something to lose, if they were to try to cheat. By default, the channel reserve is 1% of the total channel capacity, and LDK sets a hard minimum of 1000sats.


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