<p>As the error message states: <code>They sent ERROR channel</code> meaning the remote endpoint has aborted the fundchannel for some reason. They do not include an error, other than <code>internal error</code>, which is very non-descript. Unless you have contact with the operator of the remote node, and can ask them for details, you most likely won’t be able to debug this further just from your side.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-26T13:16:30.847Z
2024-08-26T14:22:18.473Z
2024-08-26T14:22:18.473Z
cdecker
<p>After running <code>lightning-cli connect 03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9 ldafy556bsfgjuxodwbt6naw3r67yt5jztajlpluqawhowt324s3rzqd.onion:9735</code> I received from this output from the peer with whom I chose to open a channel:</p>
<pre><code>{
   &quot;id&quot;: &quot;03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9&quot;,
   &quot;features&quot;: &quot;8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000020008a8a51a1&quot;,
   &quot;direction&quot;: &quot;out&quot;,
   &quot;address&quot;: {
      &quot;type&quot;: &quot;torv3&quot;,
      &quot;address&quot;: &quot;ldafy556bsfgjuxodwbt6naw3r67yt5jztajlpluqawhowt324s3rzqd.onion&quot;,
      &quot;port&quot;: 9735
   }

</code></pre>
<p>Assuming that establishing a connection over TOR succeded I then run <code>lightning-cli -k fundchannel id=03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9 amount=16777215 announce=false feerate=3000perkb</code> and got the following output:</p>
<pre><code>{
   &quot;code&quot;: -1,
   &quot;message&quot;: &quot;They sent ERROR channel ****************************************************************: funding failed due to internal error&quot;,
   &quot;data&quot;: {
      &quot;id&quot;: &quot;03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9&quot;,
      &quot;method&quot;: &quot;fundchannel_start&quot;
   }
}
</code></pre>
<p>I then <a href="https://1ml.com/node?order=capacity&amp;iponionservice=true" rel="nofollow noreferrer">went down the list of onion lightning nodes</a> and tried the same with BOTLZ and got
similar output after running <code>fundchannel</code>.
I have enough onchain BTC, <code>listfunds</code> returns</p>
<pre><code>{
   &quot;outputs&quot;: [
      {
         &quot;txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;output&quot;: 1,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 368885441000,
         &quot;scriptpubkey&quot;: &quot;********************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;address&quot;: &quot;bc1***********************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;status&quot;: &quot;unconfirmed&quot;,
         &quot;reserved&quot;: false
      },
      {
         &quot;txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;output&quot;: 1,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 335330026000,
         &quot;scriptpubkey&quot;: &quot;********************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;address&quot;: &quot;bc1***********************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;status&quot;: &quot;confirmed&quot;,
         &quot;blockheight&quot;: 856377,
         &quot;reserved&quot;: false
      }
   ],
   &quot;channels&quot;: [
      {
         &quot;peer_id&quot;: &quot;03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f&quot;,
         &quot;connected&quot;: true,
         &quot;state&quot;: &quot;CHANNELD_NORMAL&quot;,
         &quot;channel_id&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;short_channel_id&quot;: &quot;*************&quot;,
         &quot;our_amount_msat&quot;: 186720444,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 4999999000,
         &quot;funding_txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;funding_output&quot;: 1
      },
      {
         &quot;peer_id&quot;: &quot;03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f&quot;,
         &quot;connected&quot;: true,
         &quot;state&quot;: &quot;CHANNELD_NORMAL&quot;,
         &quot;channel_id&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;short_channel_id&quot;: &quot;*************&quot;,
         &quot;our_amount_msat&quot;: 12676067452,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;funding_txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;funding_output&quot;: 0
      },
      {
         &quot;peer_id&quot;: &quot;03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f&quot;,
         &quot;connected&quot;: false,
         &quot;state&quot;: &quot;AWAITING_UNILATERAL&quot;,
         &quot;channel_id&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;our_amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;funding_txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;funding_output&quot;: 0
      },
      {
         &quot;peer_id&quot;: &quot;03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f&quot;,
         &quot;connected&quot;: true,
         &quot;state&quot;: &quot;CHANNELD_NORMAL&quot;,
         &quot;channel_id&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;short_channel_id&quot;: &quot;*************&quot;,
         &quot;our_amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;funding_txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;funding_output&quot;: 0
      },
      {
         &quot;peer_id&quot;: &quot;03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f&quot;,
         &quot;connected&quot;: true,
         &quot;state&quot;: &quot;CHANNELD_NORMAL&quot;,
         &quot;channel_id&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;short_channel_id&quot;: &quot;*************&quot;,
         &quot;our_amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;funding_txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;funding_output&quot;: 0
      },
      {
         &quot;peer_id&quot;: &quot;03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f&quot;,
         &quot;connected&quot;: true,
         &quot;state&quot;: &quot;CHANNELD_NORMAL&quot;,
         &quot;channel_id&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;short_channel_id&quot;: &quot;*************&quot;,
         &quot;our_amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;amount_msat&quot;: 16777215000,
         &quot;funding_txid&quot;: &quot;****************************************************************&quot;,
         &quot;funding_output&quot;: 0
      }
   ]
}

</code></pre>
<p>I have channels open with just one peer and when trying to open with them I do not get the same output, channel opening succeeds provided the fee is high enough.</p>

<core-lightning><ln-opening-channels>
Cannot open a channel. How might deal with fundchannel: "They sent ERROR channel ***: funding failed due to internal error"?
John Smith
# Cannot open a channel. How might deal with fundchannel: "They sent ERROR channel ***: funding failed due to internal error"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-25)

After running lightning-cli connect 03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9 ldafy556bsfgjuxodwbt6naw3r67yt5jztajlpluqawhowt324s3rzqd.onion:9735 I received from this output from the peer with whom I chose to open a channel:
{
   "id": "03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9",
   "features": "8000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000020008a8a51a1",
   "direction": "out",
   "address": {
      "type": "torv3",
      "address": "ldafy556bsfgjuxodwbt6naw3r67yt5jztajlpluqawhowt324s3rzqd.onion",
      "port": 9735
   }


Assuming that establishing a connection over TOR succeded I then run lightning-cli -k fundchannel id=03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9 amount=16777215 announce=false feerate=3000perkb and got the following output:
{
   "code": -1,
   "message": "They sent ERROR channel ****************************************************************: funding failed due to internal error",
   "data": {
      "id": "03a93b87bf9f052b8e862d51ebbac4ce5e97b5f4137563cd5128548d7f5978dda9",
      "method": "fundchannel_start"
   }
}

I then went down the list of onion lightning nodes and tried the same with BOTLZ and got
similar output after running fundchannel.
I have enough onchain BTC, listfunds returns
{
   "outputs": [
      {
         "txid": "****************************************************************",
         "output": 1,
         "amount_msat": 368885441000,
         "scriptpubkey": "********************************************************************",
         "address": "bc1***********************************************************",
         "status": "unconfirmed",
         "reserved": false
      },
      {
         "txid": "****************************************************************",
         "output": 1,
         "amount_msat": 335330026000,
         "scriptpubkey": "********************************************************************",
         "address": "bc1***********************************************************",
         "status": "confirmed",
         "blockheight": 856377,
         "reserved": false
      }
   ],
   "channels": [
      {
         "peer_id": "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
         "connected": true,
         "state": "CHANNELD_NORMAL",
         "channel_id": "****************************************************************",
         "short_channel_id": "*************",
         "our_amount_msat": 186720444,
         "amount_msat": 4999999000,
         "funding_txid": "****************************************************************",
         "funding_output": 1
      },
      {
         "peer_id": "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
         "connected": true,
         "state": "CHANNELD_NORMAL",
         "channel_id": "****************************************************************",
         "short_channel_id": "*************",
         "our_amount_msat": 12676067452,
         "amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "funding_txid": "****************************************************************",
         "funding_output": 0
      },
      {
         "peer_id": "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
         "connected": false,
         "state": "AWAITING_UNILATERAL",
         "channel_id": "****************************************************************",
         "our_amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "funding_txid": "****************************************************************",
         "funding_output": 0
      },
      {
         "peer_id": "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
         "connected": true,
         "state": "CHANNELD_NORMAL",
         "channel_id": "****************************************************************",
         "short_channel_id": "*************",
         "our_amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "funding_txid": "****************************************************************",
         "funding_output": 0
      },
      {
         "peer_id": "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
         "connected": true,
         "state": "CHANNELD_NORMAL",
         "channel_id": "****************************************************************",
         "short_channel_id": "*************",
         "our_amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "funding_txid": "****************************************************************",
         "funding_output": 0
      },
      {
         "peer_id": "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f",
         "connected": true,
         "state": "CHANNELD_NORMAL",
         "channel_id": "****************************************************************",
         "short_channel_id": "*************",
         "our_amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "amount_msat": 16777215000,
         "funding_txid": "****************************************************************",
         "funding_output": 0
      }
   ]
}


I have channels open with just one peer and when trying to open with them I do not get the same output, channel opening succeeds provided the fee is high enough.

**Tags:** core-lightning, ln-opening-channels


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-26. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

As the error message states: `They sent ERROR channel` meaning the remote endpoint has aborted the fundchannel for some reason. They do not include an error, other than `internal error`, which is very non-descript. Unless you have contact with the operator of the remote node, and can ask them for details, you most likely won’t be able to debug this further just from your side.


---

