Node Alias: Simplifying Identification on the Lightning Network

Node Alias refers to a human-readable name that is associated with a Lightning node. It’s a way to provide a more user-friendly and recognizable identifier for a node within the network.

Unlike the Node ID, which is a unique identifier generated from the node’s public key for routing purposes, the Node Alias is an optional feature that allows node operators to assign a custom name to their node. This can be a string of characters or words that represent the node owner or provide some information about the node itself.

The Node Alias serves as a way to make it easier for users to identify and remember nodes on the Lightning Network. Instead of dealing with complex alphanumeric Node IDs, users can refer to nodes by their more intuitive aliases. For example, instead of remembering “039f5e…”, you could remember and refer to a node as “BringinNode” or “Hal”

It’s important to note that the Node Alias is not used for routing payments or any cryptographic operations. It’s simply a label that enhances the user experience when interacting with the Lightning Network. The use of aliases adds a layer of personalization and familiarity to the network, making it more accessible and user-friendly.