Funds stuck in channel

[sidiropo]

Issue and Steps to Reproduce

I'm running core lightning 23.11. I have some funds stuck in a channel which I cannot close. How can I close the channel?

Here is the relevant output from list-peers:

{'state': 'AWAITING_UNILATERAL', 'scratch_txid': '4d698d907209b7e2ac6d078b9a45fdf2c9bd34209643a2faa3efa64ee1a6664c', 'last_tx_fee_msat': '401000msat', 'feerate': {'perkw': 555, 'perkb': 2220}, 'direction': 0, 'channel_id': '558d504a80c2f18fa5a295b6db7465a35a8208b6641c64ac6cb260842a4ac4db', 'funding_txid': 'dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55', 'funding_outnum': 0, 'close_to_addr': 'bc1p93h8whgf72g8an2qjhw9ytzuaca7r7e43v3wd88mh3sjtn0r9m4q3c9wu2', 'close_to': '51202c6e775d09f2907ecd4095dc522c5cee3be1fb358b22e69cfbbc6125cde32eea', 'private': False, 'opener': 'local', 'closer': 'local', 'alias': {'local': '6053604x7397614x62161'}, 'features': ['option_static_remotekey'], 'funding': {'local_funds_msat': '5000000000msat', 'remote_funds_msat': '0msat', 'pushed_msat': '0msat'}, 'to_us_msat': '5000000000msat', 'min_to_us_msat': '5000000000msat', 'max_to_us_msat': '5000000000msat', 'total_msat': '5000000000msat', 'fee_base_msat': '0msat', 'fee_proportional_millionths': 100000, 'dust_limit_msat': '546000msat', 'max_total_htlc_in_msat': '18446744073709551615msat', 'their_reserve_msat': '50000000msat', 'our_reserve_msat': '50000000msat', 'spendable_msat': '4948815000msat', 'receivable_msat': '0msat', 'minimum_htlc_in_msat': '0msat', 'minimum_htlc_out_msat': '1msat', 'maximum_htlc_out_msat': '2250000000msat', 'their_to_self_delay': 144, 'our_to_self_delay': 720, 'max_accepted_htlcs': 30, 'state_changes': [{'timestamp': '2023-10-24T00:18:33.551Z', 'old_state': 'CHANNELD_AWAITING_LOCKIN', 'new_state': 'CHANNELD_SHUTTING_DOWN', 'cause': 'user', 'message': 'User or plugin invoked close command'}, {'timestamp': '2023-10-24T00:21:57.481Z', 'old_state': 'CHANNELD_SHUTTING_DOWN', 'new_state': 'AWAITING_UNILATERAL', 'cause': 'user', 'message': 'Forcibly closed by `close` command timeout'}], 'status': ['Loaded from database'], 'in_payments_offered': 0, 'in_offered_msat': '0msat', 'in_payments_fulfilled': 0, 'in_fulfilled_msat': '0msat', 'out_payments_offered': 0, 'out_offered_msat': '0msat', 'out_payments_fulfilled': 0, 'out_fulfilled_msat': '0msat', 'htlcs': []}

getinfo output

[vincenzopalazzo]

looks like the TX was not able to enter inside the mempool? What is the status of your channel now?

[sidiropo]

The state remains unchanged. It has been stuck in this state since 2023-10-24.

How can I resubmit the TX to the mempool?

Here is the output of listpeers:

     "channels": [
        {
           "state": "AWAITING_UNILATERAL",
           "scratch_txid": "4d698d907209b7e2ac6d078b9a45fdf2c9bd34209643a2faa3efa64ee1a6664c",
           "last_tx_fee_msat": 401000,
           "feerate": {
              "perkw": 555,
              "perkb": 2220
           },
           "direction": 0,
           "channel_id": "558d504a80c2f18fa5a295b6db7465a35a8208b6641c64ac6cb260842a4ac4db",
           "funding_txid": "dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55",
           "funding_outnum": 0,
           "close_to_addr": "bc1p93h8whgf72g8an2qjhw9ytzuaca7r7e43v3wd88mh3sjtn0r9m4q3c9wu2",
           "close_to": "51202c6e775d09f2907ecd4095dc522c5cee3be1fb358b22e69cfbbc6125cde32eea",
           "private": false,
           "opener": "local",
           "closer": "local",
           "alias": {
              "local": "6053604x7397614x62161"
           },
           "features": [
              "option_static_remotekey"
           ],
           "funding": {
              "local_funds_msat": 5000000000,
              "remote_funds_msat": 0,
              "pushed_msat": 0
           },
           "to_us_msat": 5000000000,
           "min_to_us_msat": 5000000000,
           "max_to_us_msat": 5000000000,
           "total_msat": 5000000000,
           "fee_base_msat": 0,
           "fee_proportional_millionths": 100000,
           "dust_limit_msat": 546000,
           "max_total_htlc_in_msat": 18446744073709551615,
           "their_reserve_msat": 50000000,
           "our_reserve_msat": 50000000,
           "spendable_msat": 4948815000,
           "receivable_msat": 0,
           "minimum_htlc_in_msat": 0,
           "minimum_htlc_out_msat": 1,
           "maximum_htlc_out_msat": 2250000000,
           "their_to_self_delay": 144,
           "our_to_self_delay": 720,
           "max_accepted_htlcs": 30,
           "state_changes": [
              {
                 "timestamp": "2023-10-24T00:18:33.551Z",
                 "old_state": "CHANNELD_AWAITING_LOCKIN",
                 "new_state": "CHANNELD_SHUTTING_DOWN",
                 "cause": "user",
                 "message": "User or plugin invoked close command"
              },
              {
                 "timestamp": "2023-10-24T00:21:57.481Z",
                 "old_state": "CHANNELD_SHUTTING_DOWN",
                 "new_state": "AWAITING_UNILATERAL",
                 "cause": "user",
                 "message": "Forcibly closed by `close` command timeout"
              }
           ],
           "status": [
              "Loaded from database"
           ],
           "in_payments_offered": 0,
           "in_offered_msat": 0,
           "in_payments_fulfilled": 0,
           "in_fulfilled_msat": 0,
           "out_payments_offered": 0,
           "out_offered_msat": 0,
           "out_payments_fulfilled": 0,
           "out_fulfilled_msat": 0,
           "htlcs": []
        }
     ]

[Lagrang3]

The funding transaction is not even confirmed in the blockchain.
Your funds should be available in your bitcoin wallet.

[Lagrang3]

I've been playing around in regtest with this case.
Basically I:

1. sent an fundchannel request with a peer,
2. not confirmed the funding transaction, but instead stopped the peer's node,
3. then closed the channel unilaterally (peer's offline), to accelerate this I set timeout=1 second,
4. now that I have both funding and closing transactions unconfirmed, I remove them from the mempool,

To see these unconfirmed transactions I think you can use listtransactions and those with blockheight equal 0, will be those unconfirmed. This works for me

$ lightning-cli listtransactions | jq '.transactions | map(select(.blockheight==0))'

5. you can resubmit those unconfirmed transactions to the mempool by issuing the command sendrawtransaction. For example

$ lightning-cli sendrawtransaction 02000000000101bb9c704962b94ee5be851b887bc9805469d6c71a589b236cd88415b87d65e2790000000000fdffffff0240420f00000000002200206f85a9977104494767e6b2164549d429a0bb95d089334602441ffd85334831d1345bd70500000000225120f87903413c8405bee5f4c3c65e1dc270fad9aa1b07187380a2d967e016d8f73201404cb4f9748c0088c24db3a7976f3a90f453f6b0136607a6eebb9ce1faaa4ec387c405fa164e25517c83fbc853ce1192a31a9ec8bd563dc1979dceb7ed5ebe75ee7a000000 true

where the long hex string is the rawtx of the unconfirmed transaction. Notice you will have to submit two transactions, the funding and closing transactions.

note 1: Make sure to submit first the funding transaction, because the closing transaction is invalid without it.
note 2: Before using the channel's funds you will still have to wait for the timelock to expire after unilateral close.

[sidiropo]

Below is the output of listtransactions with blockheight=0. I get 5 transactions.

Do I need to submit all of them?

Which one is the closing tx?

[
{
"hash": "4d698d907209b7e2ac6d078b9a45fdf2c9bd34209643a2faa3efa64ee1a6664c",
"rawtx": "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",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 542536795,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 2153737056
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 4999599000,
"scriptPubKey": "0020bd1cae2bcb1ee2131bbe65deb59e0bfe1fb1dae444a317165f742944e4fca0b6"
}
]
},
{
"hash": "720dadc3d9fb374d366779b4cea7f696d5daa9072c349fce0a7ea59c808cb7f4",
"rawtx": "0200000000010188af94a28578b2d434372bc8b2f2b13a18fb22aa29a0e1a5f5db7e119a203c3a0200000000e007000001321c3001000000001600147ba20a23b180b50cf84a7f4d1cbbe0af3d628c6603463043021f0a60980871ee8601f99d13071032072528fdd44f0cc5a0dc9588a3125ae09502202ce9cc3b2b3f316dbc97f8b0b90aadf701036e5765d6a819afa6cb798e1f601401004d6321021db5b69aee8e38c446ea84d5d463810ff09bcdd7710dee790263f603935be5a46702e007b2752102fed47f26625197273a54699b5dc1cc7d6c80fb5f8395ba2e6d745839add9ab8468ac00000000",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 0,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "3a3c209a117edbf5a5e1a029aa22fb183ab1f2b2c82b3734d4b27885a294af88",
"index": 2,
"sequence": 2016
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 19930162000,
"scriptPubKey": "00147ba20a23b180b50cf84a7f4d1cbbe0af3d628c66"
}
]
},
{
"hash": "5deaf5f6ce5280f9394df6c3fb7c2298d020d3bf3953048554701d468d8ce080",
"rawtx": "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",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 0,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "2a96295289670ffb9a6d4779cc265cda1766e1eeeb08028b519dea9f5eb888de",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 4294967295
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 4999532000,
"scriptPubKey": "5120a937faf828d5e40b3d8a9c79906579993019b14d073d0989f5578668cbf73cf3"
}
]
},
{
"hash": "97da707423cee9bc296098e46499de80c7fa37bf93c553779f532ece47fe9ae4",
"rawtx": "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",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 0,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "9cbf3b1fc54bcbcb08391d51dda0355a9bb26164000aa143cf7d8beda0fe88d8",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 4294967295
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 9999496000,
"scriptPubKey": "51203fb7c0fa1fb63ba568d60795a5a9c86a77ddbc8d454c8ad183c0721d870b94fb"
}
]
},
{
"hash": "7594dbea8cbf8d0353e6abe68cc840d2d9da2f4ffaab6304b16c3c2577ce9c81",
"rawtx": "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",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 0,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "830fb7d2f12d6b23aa945614e116cadfada8f22fa94f9fd67a1683bdbf570f5d",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 4294967295
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 9990779000,
"scriptPubKey": "51200b02fe48c776294fbedb87883f1b0fdc87c9d594c271aff430c4f6cf4287ffb5"
}
]
},
{
"hash": "9245a9fc09ada2b1709d6f83ed2fa0875c91996a4c81eb6a03e84946f13c1042",
"rawtx": "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",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 0,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "f9cc86f813ffe7c6ac7b0501ca7b4e581cc6d5ca0fc37a3ce09cc359eaa42019",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 4294967295
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 4998755000,
"scriptPubKey": "51209bbac2e30db4e46099f42b5fec8b2f9c469896910de7e2e7ffb0de1d0edfea15"
}
]
},
{
"hash": "ce766232892546e4718c150329f56e1894882f5d846e502de531049fd21c58b6",
"rawtx": "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",
"blockheight": 0,
"txindex": 0,
"locktime": 538475686,
"version": 2,
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "0832ff39d4b6e178cd88794fab1f25251983d5df0f287410ec56d2b80f66c48d",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 2152653403
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 245280000,
"scriptPubKey": "00149cc4c3b39dde203a0238c83e3c2d1d6ec582d6db"
},
{
"index": 1,
"amount_msat": 1034599000,
"scriptPubKey": "00209856e732904c159097d842ed80a6839ae54cc70b5e7f37658942a2a7257d689a"
}
]
}
]

[Lagrang3]

I can see some of your transactions in mempool.space, they will not get confirmed anytime soon with the mempool congestion unless they are bumped ...
What I find weird is the very first one, that seems to be the force closing transaction. However I don't see the funding transaction in that list, the one with txid dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55, which by the way is not confirmed, maybe is being evicted from the mempool for low fees. But I think it should be displayed in the lightning-cli listtransactions.

Can you show the result of this command?

$ lightning-cli listtransactions | jq '.transactions | map(select(.hash=="dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55"))'

it should tell you the state of the funding transaction for that channel.

[Lagrang3]

@sidiropo , so basically you have a bunch of channels that got force closed and you are redeeming your share of the funds, but those transactions are stuck in the mempool.
But you also have one channel that was never confirmed in a block, and your listtransaction command only shows the closing transaction but not the funding transaction neither the redeem. So one way to get the money out would be to broadcast a transaction that spends your corresponding output of the closing transaction and set a high fee so that the miners would be incentivized to mine all three of them (Child-Pays-For-Parent), or you "double-spend" the transaction output that funded the channel in the first place because your funds are not locked until the funding transaction is confirmed. But I am not sure if core-lightning allows to do that, or how will it react if you do it with another wallet.
You need to know which transaction output was used to fund the funding transaction, you need to get the serialization of the funding transactions that for some reason is not shown above.

disclaimer: I might be wrong, I am just learning how this works in practice.

[sidiropo]

Running:
$ lightning-cli listtransactions | jq '.transactions | map(select(.hash=="dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55"))'

returns:
[]

[sidiropo]

This is strange. Tx 4d698d907209b7e2ac6d078b9a45fdf2c9bd34209643a2faa3efa64ee1a6664c is not on the mempool. It requires tx dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55 as input.

Running lightning-cli listtransactions does not return any info about dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55.

Do I have to submit both transactions to unlock the funds? If so, how do I find the raw transaction for dbc44a2a8460b26cac641c64b608825aa36574dbb695a2a58ff1c2804a508d55?

Trying to submit the closing transcation first doesn't do anything, as expected:

$ lightning-cli sendrawtransaction 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 true
{
"success": false,
"errmsg": "error code: -25\nerror message:\nbad-txns-inputs-missingorspent"
}

[sidiropo]

Is there a way to see if there is an actual UTXO "reserved" for the closing tx with the missing funding tx? It seems the channel was never created, and the funding tx was evicted from the mempool.

For the pending transactions, how can I bump the fee?

[sidiropo]

Actually, instead of bumping unconfirmed txs, it's better to just spend from that output with a new tx, if that's possible. This avoids having to broadcast the closing tx too. Is there a way to do this?