● LND 0.6-beta released: seven months after the release of 0.5-beta, this new major version brings a large number of notable changes. Headlining the changes are Static Channel Backups (SCBs). These allow users to create a single backup file any time after a new channel has been opened so that they can recover funds from that channel and any previously-opened channels in the case of data loss (e.g. a hard drive crash). The system isn’t perfect—for example, money stored in unsettled HTLCs at the time data was lost can’t currently be recovered—but it represents a major improvement in LN backup safety and a baseline that can be improved upon via proposed protocol changes and watchtower support.

Other changes include several major reductions in the use of memory and bandwidth, plus an improved autopilot feature that helps users automatically open new channels for payment routing. Release binaries were also built with everything necessary to use with Lightning Loop for trustlessly moving LN funds to an onchain address without closing a channel.

For more information, we encourage you to read the comprehensive release notes.