<p>The meaning is defined in <a href="https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/05-onchain.md#failing-a-channel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BOLT #5 Failing a Channel</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-14T12:40:40.760Z
2022-02-08T14:46:05.037Z
2022-02-08T14:46:05.037Z
Scott Driscoll
<p>The BOLTs frequently mentioned &quot;fail the channel&quot; when something unexpected is received or happens. For instance, when receiving an <a href="https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/02-peer-protocol.md#removing-an-htlc-update_fulfill_htlc-update_fail_htlc-and-update_fail_malformed_htlc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">update_fulfill_htlc</a> message, you should fail the channel if the received channel ID isn't known.</p>
<p>At this point, you would have money stuck in a channel, so does this mean you should try to close unilaterally, cooperatively, either? Is &quot;fail the channel&quot; defined in the bolts somewhere?</p>

<lightning-network><lightning-rfc>
Does "fail the channel" mean unilateral close in BOLTS?
Scott Driscoll
# Does "fail the channel" mean unilateral close in BOLTS?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-14)

The BOLTs frequently mentioned "fail the channel" when something unexpected is received or happens. For instance, when receiving an [update\_fulfill\_htlc](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/02-peer-protocol.md#removing-an-htlc-update_fulfill_htlc-update_fail_htlc-and-update_fail_malformed_htlc) message, you should fail the channel if the received channel ID isn't known.

At this point, you would have money stuck in a channel, so does this mean you should try to close unilaterally, cooperatively, either? Is "fail the channel" defined in the bolts somewhere?

**Tags:** lightning-network, lightning-rfc


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2021-05-14. Score: 1

The meaning is defined in [BOLT #5 Failing a Channel](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lightning-rfc/blob/master/05-onchain.md#failing-a-channel).


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