Fee Is a Lie, Attacking Lightning via Mempool Policy
Lightning security relies on the assumption that valid transactions can be confirmed when needed. This talk examines why that assumption breaks down under adversarial mempool policy. It explains how pinning attacks, replacement cycling, and fee manipulation allow attackers to delay or invalidate time-critical Lightning transactions using only standard, policy-compliant behavior. The talk then explores how zero-fee commitment channels and pay-to-anchor redesign the fee model, changing the Lightning threat surface and highlighting lessons for building protocols that must survive hostile mempools.