Yeah, it is a very useful technique for exactly onboarding. I will be using it in Indranet for new users running the client for the first time, it just eliminates the problem of on chain congestion and allows the low fee to just clear a bit later in such a case but the user gets online immediately and can then make payments and top up their channel as they go.

l0k18

bitcoin

0 conf channels. What is this?

A good example of 0-conf channels is Phoenix wallet: when you create a new wallet, if you send funds to that wallet with Lightning what actually happens is Phoenix opens a channel to your phone. Your wallet lets you use that wallet immediately, before the transaction confirms, to send funds back, because your wallet trusts Phoenix not to double spend you.

Phoenix meanwhile doesn't need to trust you, because their in full control of the 0-conf transaction: it's impossible for you to double spend them.

It's a great usability feature when onboarding new people as it lets you give them a working wallet immediately. The risk is also very small: if Phoenix started defrauding people, it'd be noticed immediately and people would quickly stop using Phoenix.