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Polar

A one-click Lightning Network simulator for local development and testing. Runs inside Docker and lets developers spin up private networks with multiple node implementations without touching mainnet.

What It Does​

  • Quick network setup — Launch one or more Lightning networks locally with a few clicks
  • Multi-node management — Add, start, and stop individual nodes, connect via RPC, view streaming logs
  • Simplifies development — Create channels, invoices, and payments; test peering across implementations
  • Cross-implementation — Test compatibility between LND, Core Lightning, and Eclair

Supported Implementations​

  • LND (Lightning Labs)
  • Core Lightning (Blockstream)
  • Eclair (ACINQ)
  • Bitcoin Core

Workflow​

  1. Open Docker Desktop, wait for full startup
  2. Open Polar, select Create a Lightning network
  3. Assign a name, customize nodes, ensure at least 1 Bitcoin Core node
  4. Click Start — full local network running in seconds

Why It Matters​

Before Polar, setting up a local Lightning dev environment required manual compilation of multiple node implementations, chain setup, and channel funding. Polar collapses this to a GUI-driven workflow.

Resources​