Open and Fund Your Lightning Channel

Ready to start using the Lightning Network? First, you’ll need to open and fund your channel. Your initial funding automatically opens your Lightning channel and determines its capacity - this is important because you cannot add more funds to the channel later. So please choose your funding amount carefully based on your expected transaction needs.

In this guide, we will walk through the complete funding process and help you choose the best method for your needs.

Key concepts

• Invoice: A request for payment, created by the receiver.
• Open Channel: The process of establishing a new channel on the Lightning Network, which involves funding it with an initial amount of Bitcoin.
• Lightning Network Fee: The fee charged by the Lightning Network nodes for forwarding transactions.
• Service Fee: The fee charged by the JoyID service for opening and maintaining the channel.
• Miner Fee: The fee charged by the Bitcoin miners for confirming transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Funding Method Comparison

🚀 Fund by JoyID BTC Wallet

Want to send larger amounts over Lightning Network? Using your JoyID BTC wallet to fund the channel is your best choice. Though it takes about 30 minutes to set up due to Bitcoin confirmations, you’ll get a high-capacity channel that inbound liquidity up to 1,000,000 sats. Perfect if you plan to make larger transactions or want more flexibility with your payments.

What You Need:

• BTC balance in your JoyID BTC Wallet, minimum 11,500 sats + ~1,000 sats network fee
• About 30 minutes - 1 hour for funding completion

Guide:

1. Click “Receive” and select “Token” (like Sat)
2. Choose “Fund by your BTC wallet”.
3. Enter your funding amount.
   💡

   Important: Choose your amount carefully - you cannot add more funds to the channel later. Consider your future transaction needs.

4. Click “Continue” then “Confirm”
5. Wait for 3 Bitcoin block confirmations (about 30 minutes-1 hour)
   • Track progress by clicking “Funding”
   • Your channel is ready after 3 confirmations

⚡ Fund by Lightning Invoice

Need your channel set up quickly? The Lightning Invoice method gets you started in minutes. While the maximum funding amount is lower (100,000 sats), it’s perfect for most everyday transactions.

What You Need:

• BTC balance in your exchange account (OKX, Binance) or Lightning wallet (Phoniex, Breea, etc.)
• About 1-3 minutes for funding completion

Fund from OKX (Recommend)

Guide:

1. Create Your Invoice in JoyID

   • Click “Receive” and select “Token” (like Sat)
   • Choose “Fund by Invoice”
   • Enter your desired amount and click “Confirm
     💡

     Important: Choose your amount carefully - you cannot add more funds to the channel later. Consider your future transaction needs.

   • Copy the generated invoice
     💡

     This invoice will expire after 15 minutes. If it expires, simply create a new one.

2. Pay the Invoice Using OKX

   • Go to OKX → Assets → Withdraw → withdraw crypto
   • Select “BTC” as the asset, enter the amount to withdraw.
   • Select “Lightning Network”
   • Paste your invoice or scan QR code
   • Click “Submit” and “Verify” to authorize the withdrawal.

3. Check if JoyID has received the funds

   💡

   This process involves OKX exchange sending funds to JoyID, and it’s controlled by OKX. Normally, OKX will finish the payment instantly in seconds. But if you encounter issues such as withdrawal rejection or delays, it is recommended to fund by JoyID BTC Wallet.

   • If joyID received the funds, the channel will be ready within 1-3 minutes and then you can use the channel.

Fund from Binance

Guide:

1. Create Your Invoice in JoyID

   • Click “Receive” and select “Token” (like Sat)
   • Choose “Fund by Invoice”
   • Enter your desired amount and click “Confirm
     💡

     Important: Choose your amount carefully - you cannot add more funds to the channel later. Consider your future transaction needs.

   • Copy the generated invoice
     💡

     This invoice will expire after 15 minutes. If it expires, simply create a new one.

2. Pay the Invoice Using Binance

   • Go to Binance → Spot → BTC → Withdraw → Send via Crypto Network
   • Enter the amount to withdraw.
   • Choose “Lightning Network (BTC)”
   • Paste invoice or scan QR code
   • Click “Withdraw” and “Confirm” to authorize the withdrawal.

3. Check if JoyID has received the funds

   💡

   This process involves OKX exchange sending funds to JoyID, and it’s controlled by OKX. Normally, OKX will finish the payment instantly in seconds. But if you encounter issues such as withdrawal rejection or delays, it is recommended to fund by JoyID BTC Wallet.

   • If joyID received the funds, the channel will be ready within 1-3 minutes and then you can use the channel.

Fund from Lightning Wallet (Phoniex, Breez, etc.)

Guide:

1. Create Your Invoice in JoyID
   • Click “Receive” and select “Token” (like Sat)
   • Choose “Fund by Invoice”
   • Enter your desired amount and click “Confirm
     💡

     Important: Choose your amount carefully - you cannot add more funds to the channel later. Consider your future transaction needs.

   • Copy the generated invoice
     💡

     Remember: Invoice expires in 15 minutes. Create a new one if needed.

2. Pay the Invoice Using Lightning Wallet
   • Open your Lightning wallet, select “Send”, enter the invoice or scan the invoice QR code, and click “Send”.
3. Check if JoyID has received the funds
   • If JoyID received the funds, the channel will be ready within 1-3 minutes and then you can use the channel.

Common Questions

Need assistance? Visit our FAQ Guide for detailed support.