Lightning Network hits all-time high in Bitcoin capacity

• Lightning Network has reached over 5,490 in Bitcoin payments capacity, an all-time high.
• Transactions in BTC on the layer-2 payments network have increased roughly 63% since January 2022.
• The increased Bitcoin micropayments via Lightning Network comes as BTC price retreats below $23k after a great rally to start 2023.

Lightning Network’s capacity in terms of Bitcoin across payment channels has hit a new all-time high, according to the latest data on usage for this major payment network.

The Block Research shows the critical layer-2 network, which is built on Bitcoin, has seen its capacity grow to over 5,490 BTC. That’s nearly 160 BTC more than what was observed on 4 February 2023, according to details shared by Lightning Network statistics.

#LightningNetwork https://t.co/Q0CaYRhLWD observed:
16,093 nodes
76,322 channels
5,332.583 BTC capacity ($124,790,815)

median node capacity: 0.005 BTC ($117.01)

past 24h:
+27 nodes +409 channels +11.933 BTC ($279,240)#Lightning #LN #bitcoin $BTC

— Lightning Network statistics ⚡ (@LNstats) February 4, 2023

Lightning Network capacity up 63% since January 2022

The benefits of the Lightning Network technology, mainly around fast and low-cost micropayments, has increasingly attracted more people. According to the data, Lightning Network’s capacity in BTC terms is up approximately 63% since January 2022.

Approximately 3,350 bitcoin was recorded in payment channels on the protocol on 1 January last year. From the figures, it’s clear that total network value has declined compared to when Bitcoin price hit an all-time high in November 2021. The value of current Lightning Network capacity in USD is around $128 million – down from more than $216 million when BTC raced to highs of $69,000.

But as the on-chain metrics for the payment network’s daily usage shows, there has been continuous adoption even as the crypto winter saw crypto prices crash. Bitcoin is currently trading above $22,700 after a brief rally last week ended with bears mounting a wall near $24,000.

According to data from CoinGecko, BTC price remains roughly 67% off the ATH of $69.044 reached on 10 November 2021. In comparison, (as noted above) LN capacity has increased 63% since January 2022. 

Find out more about Lightning Network here.