<blockquote>
  <p>Currently it cost $0.000116736 USD (1 satoshi) fee to make a transaction on lightning. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is incorrect; there is no set price for sending a LN transaction. Each node can define its own policy for forwarding a payment through the network (base fee rate, plus a small percentage of the amount forwarded), so the fee paid will depend on the payment route taken. </p>

<p>In some cases (eg you have a channel open directly with your counterparty) there will be no fee for the LN payment itself. </p>

<p>Anecdotally, I think the most fees I have paid for a LN transaction is still in the range of single digit satoshis. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Can we just increase the decimals and have sub-satoshi fees for lightning?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>LN nodes already track sub-satoshi amounts, with a resolution of 1/1000th of a satoshi. Note that these sub-satoshi amounts cannot be reconciled onto the base chain in the event of a channel closing, but they are still tracked by LN nodes, and in aggregate many sub-satoshi amounts can add up to whole satoshi values (which could then be settled on-chain). </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What are some other scaling solutions to lower the fees? </p>
</blockquote>

<p>The current LN fees are entirely defined by the network’s nodes. So it is a free market, wherein nodes can charge a small amount for the use of their liquidity in forwarding payments. If you want, you can run a node with zero fees, but many users will likely want some compensation for their liquidity availability. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-12T00:17:34.840Z
2019-07-12T00:17:34.840Z
chytrik
<p>Currently it cost $0.000116736 USD  (1 satoshi) fee to make a transaction on lightning. What are some other scaling solutions to lower the fees? Can we just increase the decimals and have sub-satoshi fees for lightning? </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-11T20:35:55.230Z
As far as I know, individual Lightning nodes can set their own policy on absolute and relative fees charged for routing. How much you pay depends on the route you take.
Pieter Wuille
<transaction-fees><lightning-network>
Scaling fee solution for Bitcoin lightning?
Patoshi パトシ
# Scaling fee solution for Bitcoin lightning?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-07-11)

Currently it cost $0.000116736 USD (1 satoshi) fee to make a transaction on lightning. What are some other scaling solutions to lower the fees? Can we just increase the decimals and have sub-satoshi fees for lightning?

**Tags:** transaction-fees, lightning-network

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As far as I know, individual Lightning nodes can set their own policy on absolute and relative fees charged for routing. How much you pay depends on the route you take.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-07-12. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

> Currently it cost $0.000116736 USD (1 satoshi) fee to make a transaction on lightning.

This is incorrect; there is no set price for sending a LN transaction. Each node can define its own policy for forwarding a payment through the network (base fee rate, plus a small percentage of the amount forwarded), so the fee paid will depend on the payment route taken.

In some cases (eg you have a channel open directly with your counterparty) there will be no fee for the LN payment itself.

Anecdotally, I think the most fees I have paid for a LN transaction is still in the range of single digit satoshis.

> Can we just increase the decimals and have sub-satoshi fees for lightning?

LN nodes already track sub-satoshi amounts, with a resolution of 1/1000th of a satoshi. Note that these sub-satoshi amounts cannot be reconciled onto the base chain in the event of a channel closing, but they are still tracked by LN nodes, and in aggregate many sub-satoshi amounts can add up to whole satoshi values (which could then be settled on-chain).

> What are some other scaling solutions to lower the fees?

The current LN fees are entirely defined by the network’s nodes. So it is a free market, wherein nodes can charge a small amount for the use of their liquidity in forwarding payments. If you want, you can run a node with zero fees, but many users will likely want some compensation for their liquidity availability.


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