I've got a few questions I can't seem to find an answer on the internet.
Am I understanding it correctly that I have to pay upfront a certain amount on the lightning network i.e. funds will be frozen?
https://archive.is/7DAA32) Remaining online for long exposes Nodes to Attack.
It is obligatory to keep the nodes on bitcoin’s Lightning Network online
all the time. Only that way one can send and receive payments. Even
though cold storage of coins is the safest method of storing, this
network doesn’t allow that. This requirement makes the network prone to
hack and theft.
Going offline has its downsides on the Lightning Network. This
technology is still vulnerable to some loopholes. The design makes it
possible for one of the two parties from a channel to take away the
funds while the other is out. This theft is known as Fraudulent Channel
Close. There are ways to object to the closing of a channel within a
period. However, the prolonged absence of one party can lead to the
expiration of that period.
What makes this network so rigid is the increased centralization,
resulting from concentrating funds in only specific nodes within the
network. If any node goes offline, the user’s fund is locked up. Also,
as every node is connected, one server outrage can result in disruption
across the network. This means a large number of users have to face
inconvenience as their funds will get frozen too.
techbullion.com/bitcoins-lightning-network-can-be-a-big-threat-to-your-funds/
https://archive.is/7DAA3