> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.utexo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Node Overview

> Understand how one RGB Lightning Node supports on-chain RGB and Lightning, and choose between self-hosted and Utexo Cloud deployments.

Running an **RGB Lightning Node (RLN)** enables both direct, on-chain RGB operations and RGB-enabled Lightning payments through one node runtime and REST API. You do not need a separate on-chain node integration.

<Warning>
  Utexo supports **on-chain RGB on mainnet** today. **Lightning is beta and testnet-only** for now. On testnet, you can test both paths; on mainnet, use RLN for on-chain RGB operations only.
</Warning>

<Info>
  Canonical source repository: [UTEXO-Protocol/rgb-lightning-node](https://github.com/UTEXO-Protocol/rgb-lightning-node)
</Info>

## Supported execution paths

| Path | What RLN provides | Current Utexo support |
| - | - | - |
| **On-chain RGB** | Asset issuance, RGB invoices, direct RGB transfers, balances, transactions, transfer tracking, and RGB-capable UTXO management | **Mainnet**; also available in test environments |
| **RGB over Lightning** | Peer and channel management, Lightning and RGB invoices, and Lightning payment execution and routing | **Testnet only**; beta |

The node's `--network` option selects its Bitcoin network. This technical option does not change the supported deployment matrix above.

## Core runtime

RLN is an RGB-enabled Lightning daemon built on LDK. Its REST API combines:

* **On-chain RGB operations**, including asset issuance, invoices, direct transfers, balances, transactions, UTXOs, and backups.
* **Lightning operations**, including peer connections, RGB channels, invoices, payments, and routing.
* **Node lifecycle and security operations**, including initialization, locking, authentication, backup, restore, and shutdown.

Applications use the relevant endpoints for the selected execution path. On mainnet, restrict the integration to the on-chain RGB endpoints. On testnet, the same integration can exercise both on-chain and Lightning flows.

<Note>
  From RLN `v0.15.0-beta.3`, a node configured for mainnet (`--network mainnet` or `--network bitcoin`) rejects Lightning API calls with HTTP `403` and the error name `LightningUnsupportedOnMainnet` ("RLN on mainnet currently supports only on-chain methods. Lightning APIs are not supported."). The same guard applies to the SDK bindings.
</Note>

## Deployment models

RLN can be self-hosted or operated through Utexo Cloud. Utexo Cloud is a managed control plane for RLN instances, not a separate node implementation.

| Model | Infrastructure responsibility | Use when |
| - | - | - |
| **Self-hosted RLN** | Your team installs, configures, secures, monitors, upgrades, backs up, and recovers the node and its dependencies | You need direct infrastructure control and can operate the complete node stack |
| **Utexo Cloud** | Utexo provides RLN provisioning and lifecycle management; your application connects to the managed node and control-plane APIs | You want managed node operations without maintaining the underlying servers |

## Architecture and data flow

```text theme={null}
Application
    |
    +-- RGB Lightning Node API --------> RGB Lightning Node
    |                                      |
    |                                      +-- Bitcoin chain backend
    |                                      +-- RGB indexer
    |                                      +-- RGB proxy / transport
    |                                      +-- Lightning peers (testnet only)
    |
    +-- Cloud API ----------------------> Utexo Cloud control plane
                                           |
                                           +-- Provisions and manages RLN instances
```

The **RGB Lightning Node API** performs on-chain RGB and Lightning operations on a running node. The **Cloud API** manages hosted RLN lifecycle operations; it does not replace the runtime API.

## Choosing an integration model

Most wallet and client applications should integrate through the [Utexo SDK](/product-suite/sdk) instead of operating node infrastructure directly.

Choose **self-hosted RLN** when your team needs direct control over runtime configuration, network exposure, authentication, storage, upgrades, and recovery.

Choose **Utexo Cloud** when you want Utexo to provide node provisioning and lifecycle management while your application integrates with the RLN runtime and Cloud APIs.

In either model, the RLN integration covers both on-chain and Lightning functionality. Do not build a second integration for on-chain RGB.

## Signing and trust boundaries

* **RLN** maintains security-sensitive wallet and Lightning state and performs signing operations. RLN can also run in external-signer mode, where a VLS-backed signer holds the keys and the node holds none; see [Remote Signer](/security/rln-remote-signer).
* **Self-hosted operators** are responsible for API authentication, TLS or private networking, data protection, backups, dependency security, and incident recovery.
* **Utexo Cloud** adds a separate control-plane trust boundary. Cloud API tokens and RLN runtime credentials serve different purposes and must be managed independently.

## External dependencies

A self-hosted RLN deployment requires:

* A Bitcoin chain backend: bitcoind or Esplora
* An Electrum or Esplora indexer for RGB wallet operations
* An RGB proxy or transport endpoint for consignment exchange
* Persistent storage for wallet and channel state
* Network access to Lightning peers when testing Lightning functionality

Utexo Cloud may manage some of these infrastructure concerns, but it does not change the underlying node protocol model or the supported mainnet/testnet split.

## Next steps

* Read [Self-Hosted RGB Lightning Node](/rgb-lightning-node/self-hosted-rgb-lightning-node) to install and operate RLN on your own infrastructure.
* Use the [RGB Lightning Node API](/rgb-lightning-node/rgb-lightning-node-api) for the runtime REST endpoints.
* Follow the [RLN Quick Start](/rgb-lightning-node/quickstart) to launch a node and move RGB USDT end to end.
* Read [Getting Started with RGB](/getting-started/rgb-concepts) if RGB invoices, colored UTXOs, and consignments are new to you.
* Review [Remote Signer](/security/rln-remote-signer) to keep keys outside the node.
* Use **Utexo Cloud → Node Management** and **Access Token Authorization** for managed RLN lifecycle operations.


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