You already understand inbound vs outbound from the Channels chapter. This lesson covers operations: how to fix imbalances once you diagnose them.
Complete Step 1 // Required reading in the study plan above, then continue here. This opens Routing & Liquidity.
Step 2 — Core idea: diagnose, then choose a tool
A node with lots of bitcoin locked but zero inbound capacity still cannot get paid. Liquidity ops is the business of routing revenue and merchant receive capacity — loops, swaps, rebalancing, and peer management.
Analogy: A highway with all cars stuck on one side of a toll bridge. You need flows (or trucks repositioning cars) to free lanes in both directions.
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| Shortage | Typical moves |
|---|---|
| Need outbound | Circular rebalance; receive more; open/fund carefully |
| Need inbound | Loop in; liquidity ads / peer liquidity; dual-fund peers |
Done when: You can pick a first tool from a balance screenshot without guessing.
Step 3 — Diagnose your lab channel (lab)
Inspect balances. Name the shortage. Choose a tool and justify it in one sentence (you do not have to execute Loop on mainnet).
Done when: Lab evidence (balances + diagnosis + tool choice + source) is complete.
Next lesson
Routing — liquidity-aware path selection across the public graph.