VPSbitLightning node on a stable VPS IP
LND or Core Lightning on an IP that never rotates: routing uptime is channel uptime. Hosting settles on-chain in BTC or USDT, not over Lightning.
Run LND or Core Lightning on a VPS whose IP stays put, keep the bitcoind backend on NVMe, and settle the hosting invoice on-chain in BTC or USDT. Prime tier starts a routing node; dedicated metal protects channel state from noisy neighbours.
12 locations · 19 coins · SLA 99.95% · no KYC · public canary
What people actually run
Lightning Labs documentation and Core Lightning are the two mainstream daemons, each with a bitcoind (or neutrino/equivalent) behind it, and each needing an address that does not rotate — channel peers memorize your endpoint, and every change costs routing while the graph relearns it. One billing rule keeps new operators out of trouble: the hosting invoice settles on-chain, so never send Lightning to the BTC invoice address.
VPS from $4.80* — Core on the annual term (list $6/mo), one invoice for 12 months, no auto-charges. Dedicated with IPMI from $39.20/mo. Crypto invoice, no KYC.
Launch nowPlaybook
- Prime to start. Dedicated when channel state should not share a noisy neighbour.
- Follow Lightning Labs documentation or Core Lightning. Keep the backend on NVMe.
- Hosting bill: on-chain BTC or USDT.
Sizing and uptime economics
A routing node is always-on, so the tier math is about state, not spikes: Titan (8 vCPU / 32 GB / 320 GB NVMe, $24 list, $19.20 annual-eff) handles a healthy node; when channel state and wallet keys justify isolation, dedicated metal from $39.20/mo annual-eff removes the neighbour variable entirely. Snapshots of the node directory go to a second VPS box so a dead disk becomes a restore, not a force-close of every channel. ECC RAM on every SKU guards the DB; nineteen coins settle the invoice, and no KYC step exists anywhere in the flow.
Limits
A Lightning node is an allowed workload; attacking peers, channel jamming tooling or scanning ranges from the box are not. The host rents the VM and the stable IP — node operation, backups and key custody stay entirely yours.
Can I pay the hosting bill over Lightning?
Not yet — invoices settle on-chain in BTC, or in USDT when the bill should stay dollar-stable. Keep sats for channels, not for the host.
Can bitcoind run nested on the same VPS?
Yes, on every tier — nested virtualization is enabled if you isolate the backend in a VM, though most operators run both daemons directly on the host.
Does the IP really stay stable?
Yes. Each VPS carries its IPv4 and /64 for its lifetime, and unmetered ports mean gossip traffic never meets a quota.
What happens after a disk failure?
What you made of it: with channel state backed up off-box, the restore path is reinstall, restore, rescan — the reason the snapshot habit matters more on Lightning than on most workloads.
Primary sources
Ready to launch?
Build the box — VPS or bare metal — create the password, pay the invoice that follows.