The capacity of the Bitcoin Lightning Network reaches a new all-time high

ChainCatcher reports that, according to Cointelegraph, as major cryptocurrency exchanges widely adopt and continuously optimize their capabilities and features, the capacity of Bitcoin’s Layer 2 network—the Lightning Network—has hit a new all-time high.

Bitcoin Visuals data shows that the Lightning Network’s capacity has reached 5,606 Bitcoins, breaking the record set in March 2023. The analytics platform Amboss also reported that the Lightning Network’s capacity reached a peak of 5,637 Bitcoins, worth approximately $490 million. Data shows that after a year of capacity decline, the Lightning Network’s capacity surged in November and December, because more Bitcoins were added to the network, enabling faster transactions and lower costs.

At present, the number of Lightning Network nodes is 14,940, down from the 20,700 peak in March 2022; meanwhile, the number of channels between nodes is 48,678, also below the 2022 peak. The data indicates that the amount of Bitcoins added to the Lightning Network is increasing, but usage measured by the number of nodes and channels may not necessarily grow correspondingly.