While start9 does offer the easiest LND backup with a click the backup does not contain channel .db which is apparently deliberately by design because restoring a stale channel database is how people loose everything. If you broadcast an old channel state, your counterparty can claim ALL funds in the channel as a penalty. Start9 only follows Lightning labs guidance.
On the start9 LND backup USB you have:
-your on-chain wallet (Aezeed 24 words seed)
-the static chanel backup(channel. backup) this is the channel funds recovery mechanism
-Config, macaroons, TLS certs and watchtower settings
The recovery works in a way that after restoration, LND automatically runs SCB recovery, which requests force-close of every channel. Your channel funds then come back on on-chain after the close timelock expire(many online sources mention it can take up to 2 weeks but my experience with Megalith was not even an hour)
In simple terms a restored node is a recovery tool, not a node you keep running.
Something you realize only when you experience it 🥴
StellarStoic
npub1qq…reecw
2026-07-26 21:38:27 UTC
in reply to nevent1q…pxfs
Author Public Key
npub1qqqqqqz7nhdqz3uuwmzlflxt46lyu7zkuqhcapddhgz66c4ddynswreecwPublished at
2026-07-26 21:38:27 UTCEvent JSON
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"id": "24dfe1ad535d63af8da5909cd39e0388b499e544448580cadebc98963d64b905",
"pubkey": "000000005e9dda01479c76c5f4fccbaebe4e7856e02f8e85adba05ad62ad6927",
"created_at": 1785101907,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [
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"alt",
"A short note: While start9 does offer the easiest LND backup wit..."
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[
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"wss://relay.ditto.pub/",
"root",
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[
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"wss://relay.primal.net/",
"reply",
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[
"p",
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"wss://nos.lol/"
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[
"p",
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"wss://ditto.pub/relay"
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"content": "While start9 does offer the easiest LND backup with a click the backup does not contain channel .db which is apparently deliberately by design because restoring a stale channel database is how people loose everything. If you broadcast an old channel state, your counterparty can claim ALL funds in the channel as a penalty. Start9 only follows Lightning labs guidance. \n\nOn the start9 LND backup USB you have:\n\n-your on-chain wallet (Aezeed 24 words seed)\n\n-the static chanel backup(channel. backup) this is the channel funds recovery mechanism\n\n-Config, macaroons, TLS certs and watchtower settings \n\nThe recovery works in a way that after restoration, LND automatically runs SCB recovery, which requests force-close of every channel. Your channel funds then come back on on-chain after the close timelock expire(many online sources mention it can take up to 2 weeks but my experience with Megalith was not even an hour)\n\nIn simple terms a restored node is a recovery tool, not a node you keep running.\n\nSomething you realize only when you experience it 🥴\n\n",
"sig": "baee967d5c6a5b7a2915ec7dc1059c6bffedf594a34c908f5df9d062f17b1e59a11b7b04f287393e7c8778f60c3c475583f556b2bf740b5e3c755202c86acbfe"
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