Closing Channel Questions Newbie here

[ZaineJJ]

Hello all, I decided to close a few channels
I closed channel with walletofsatoshi with

Cooperative close
This is closing TX "https://mempool.space/tx/c679d0614493819f8915392412906b95fc6d4ec5accf6819c4b439e12e40a904"
Channel ID "834258845757538304"

The initial amount is 1,000,000 Sats when opening, had routed transactions and wanted to open a bigger amount with them, but using Umbrel's LNDg / Thunderhub / RTL unable to increase the channel capacity so want to close and open another channel with bigger capacity.
When it was pending it shown

After it was successfully closed it showed settled balance 18,279 sats?

Question - Did i just lose the remote balance shown above? How do I get them back?

I also did try 2 force close channel on
nicehash and ln2me
Reasons - had 2 channel opened and wanted to close the smaller channel

Nicehash details
Channel ID "834266542299480064"
Close TX "https://mempool.space/tx/905001e98d4d3b7c9fe352a3e992da1966f41de744f6d5c0756bfe9b2b56ac15"
Question - Did I just lose all remote balance?

Ln2me details
Channel ID "834301726654529536"
Close TX "https://mempool.space/tx/1ddbae5383e15df16662212c6955778acb7bc0fe3965063c58d695733f7c8b5f"
It shows recovered balance 330
No activity had been done with this channel
Question Do I recover only 330 or amount shown on local after maturity?

If balance is on remote, I will lose it? How do I recover it or the proper way to close a channel? Totally new here and can't seem to find a newbie / straight to the point video explaining closing channel / guide to do so.

[ellemouton]

Hi @ZaineJJ

• A "Remote Balance" is the balance of the channel that belongs to your peer. So that balance does not belong to you. You say that you had routed some transactions on that channel so this is likely what lead to the balance being mostly on the peers side.

• If you force close, you will need to wait for "Blocks till maturity" blocks before you get your funds back - but you will get them back 👍

[ZaineJJ]

Other way around :) Outbound is the amount that you are able to send out - ie it is the amount belonging to you (your local balance) that you are able to send. Thus, if you were to close all the channels, you would get all your outbound back

Ah alright understand thank you for helping.
So if outbound shows more than my initial Sats to open I close it all, I'll get that amount of Sats on outbound right?
But is it legal? It seems like stealing peers funds hmm?

[ellemouton]

It seems like stealing peers funds hmm?

no. the logic that I just described for your node is the same as for your peers node. So if they sent some to you then they would have another channel on which their balance would have increased.

[ellemouton]

So if outbound shows more than my initial Sats to open I close it all, I'll get that amount of Sats on outbound right?

yes

[ZaineJJ]

It seems like stealing peers funds hmm?

no. the logic that I just described for your node is the same as for your peers node. So if they sent some to you then they would have another channel on which their balance would have increased.

Alright understand that thank you

So if outbound shows more than my initial Sats to open I close it all, I'll get that amount of Sats on outbound right?

yes

Alright, so to make profit i just need to monitor the outbound and find a time to close / if I routed many tx I will earn the fees too right?

[ellemouton]

technically yes, sure.