<p>Because the commitment transactions spend from a 2-of-2 output, the transaction cannot be broadcast unless both parties signed the transaction. So what LN does is it gives the other party an unsigned version of the transaction and that other party returns you that unsigned transaction with their signature. Because the other party only has the transaction with one signature, it is invalid and thus they cannot broadcast it. However you have that transaction with one signature, and you can then sign it with your own private keys and produce the full transaction with both signatures. Because you are the only person with that transaction, only you can broadcast it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-17T18:33:50.613Z
2017-11-17T18:33:50.613Z
Ava Chow
<p>The <a href="https://lightning.network/lightning-network-paper.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lightning paper</a> states on page 12 (emphasis mine):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This can only be enforced if one is able to ascribe blame for
  broadcasting an old transaction. In order to do so, one must be able
  to uniquely identify who broadcast an older transaction. This can be
  done if <strong>each counterparty has a uniquely identifiable Commitment
  Transaction</strong>. Both parties must sign the inputs to the Commitment
  Transaction which the other party is responsible for broadcasting.
  Since one has a version of the Commitment Transaction that is signed
  by the other party, one can only broadcast one’s own version of the
  Commitment Transaction.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>How is this technically implemented? How do I make two transactions, both of them signed by Alice and by Bob, such that each of them is valid only if broadcast by Alice or by Bob respectively?</p>

<lightning-network>
Lightning network: how are "only X can broadcast" transactions implemented?
Sergei Tikhomirov
# Lightning network: how are "only X can broadcast" transactions implemented?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-17)

The [Lightning paper](https://lightning.network/lightning-network-paper.pdf) states on page 12 (emphasis mine):

> This can only be enforced if one is able to ascribe blame for
> broadcasting an old transaction. In order to do so, one must be able
> to uniquely identify who broadcast an older transaction. This can be
> done if **each counterparty has a uniquely identifiable Commitment
> Transaction**. Both parties must sign the inputs to the Commitment
> Transaction which the other party is responsible for broadcasting.
> Since one has a version of the Commitment Transaction that is signed
> by the other party, one can only broadcast one’s own version of the
> Commitment Transaction.

How is this technically implemented? How do I make two transactions, both of them signed by Alice and by Bob, such that each of them is valid only if broadcast by Alice or by Bob respectively?

**Tags:** lightning-network


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-17. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Because the commitment transactions spend from a 2-of-2 output, the transaction cannot be broadcast unless both parties signed the transaction. So what LN does is it gives the other party an unsigned version of the transaction and that other party returns you that unsigned transaction with their signature. Because the other party only has the transaction with one signature, it is invalid and thus they cannot broadcast it. However you have that transaction with one signature, and you can then sign it with your own private keys and produce the full transaction with both signatures. Because you are the only person with that transaction, only you can broadcast it.


---

