is there a way to run a Lightning node on a Bitcoin SPV node at the moment? I've read that both lnd and c-lightning need a Bitcoin Fullnode at this time. This might seem ignorant but i don't want to go through the hassle of syncing the whole chain for a small test setup right now. The Bitcoin Lightning Wallet for Android for example claims to run on a Bitcoin SPV so there has to be a way.
Thanks, any help is appreciated.
LND is experimenting with the new Neutrino BIP157-style SPV at the moment. Check out their repo for news.
Both Bitcoin Lightning Wallet and Eclair on Android use a trusted server for syncing with the network.
BIP-37-style SPV is not a good choice for anyone (because of privacy issues), but particularly not for Lightning wallets, because it is very easy for an adversary to help a channel partner in cheating by withholding critical transactions that your wallet would have to respond to.
