Lightning Network Capacity Quietly Approaches 5,500 BTC
The Bitcoin layer-2 payment protocol has continued to add public capacity, even as attention has shifted to newer scaling projects.
Public capacity on the Lightning Network has quietly grown to roughly 5,500 BTC, according to data from 1ML and Amboss. While node counts have plateaued, the average channel size has expanded, reflecting a market that is increasingly dominated by professional routing operators rather than hobbyists.
Integrations with payment processors such as Strike, Zaprite and OpenNode have provided a steady flow of real-world volume, particularly in the remittance corridors between the United States and parts of Central America. Cash App continues to be the largest consumer-facing wallet supporting Lightning payments.
Critics argue that the protocol's user experience still lags custodial alternatives, and that private capacity, which is not visible on public dashboards, likely accounts for a significant share of total flows.
