Hi,
I think that there is a potential problem for sellers to accept
lightning network. They need someone to open a channel with them that is
filled with bitcoins so that they can start receiving bitcoins from
other LN users. But what if a buyer can simultaneously open a channel
and pay the seller? In order to do that they need to know the IP address
of the seller and how much bitcoins they need to pay, so that they can
push the appropriate amount of bitcoins to the seller side, satisfying
the seller's transaction. But currently we opened a channel using the
pubkey@ip format, which doesn't have amount information, and then we pay
them using lntb... format, which doesn't have IP address information.
So my suggestion is to add optional IP address field to the lntb...
invoice format. This will be optional because someone probably wants
some privacy using LN. But with this combined lntb... + IP address
invoice format, the LN wallet can be smarter in routing. Here are some
scenarios:
1. A seller gives this combined invoice to a buyer, and then the buyer's
LN wallet finds a route, which it finds. Then there will be LN
transaction as usual.
2. A buyer regularly buy something from this seller, and then the wallet
notices this, and then on the next transaction, the buyer's wallet will
give suggestion to the user such as a checkbox that say "Open a xxx mBTC
channel for faster checkout next time". If the user checks that
checkbox, the buyer's wallet will then do a LN transaction to the
seller, while opening up a new channel toward the seller through another
on-chain transaction.
3. A seller gives this combined invoice to a buyer, and then the buyer's
LN wallet finds a route, which it fails to find. Then the buyer's wallet
will open a channel toward the seller, and then push the requested
amount of mBTC to the seller. Then the buyer's wallet will tell to the
seller's wallet that we are essentially paying on-chain, and then the
seller can react to it, for example if this is an online shop, they can
ask the buyer to wait for confirmations, or if this a coffee shop, the
seller could just ignore it and go zero-confirmation.
This new invoice format, combined with channel autopilot, will make
better user experience as they can be sure that they can always pay an
LN capable seller, without any route not found error. This will also
makes the seller's lives easier, as they will have their channels opened
and funded automatically by the buyers.
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