A clear sign of more than hobbyist use: Monthly lightning activity rose past a high mark late last year. According to a report from River, November saw almost $1.1 billion flow over the Bitcoin network.
That amount, according to a report shared by Mfuleni’s marketing officer, Sam Wouters, exceeded 5 million transactions, which shows volume and movement. It is important because money actually changed hands in the second layer of Bitcoin, not just a price bet.
Acquisitions Driven by Larger Players
Reports say that most of the big gains didn’t come from small tips or in-app testing this time. Exchange and merchant integration carry a lot of responsibility.
Back in 2023, monthly transactions peaked at 6.6 million as apps tried to pay less for games and chat. Now the usage situation looks different. Average transaction sizes appear to be larger and the user profile has shifted to trading desks and businesses.
— Sam Wouters (@SDWouters) February 19, 2026
Institutional Transfers Show Network Muscle
A striking example came when Secure Digital Markets delivered the million dollar Lightning Network to Kraken. That move showed that large sums of money could be exchanged quickly without waiting for on-chain verification.
Network capacity, which measures the BTC tied up to keep channels open, reached 5,606 BTC in December. That increased liquidity is important for large deals because it reduces the likelihood that a large payment will fail due to insufficient funds being transferred.
Estimated monthly Lightning transaction volume and number of transactions. Source: River
Bitcoin Price Action and Market Situation
Market conditions were mixed as the network grew. Bitcoin fell below key levels this week, and traders grew cautious as national headlines piled up.
Volume in existing markets has been muted at times, yet lightning traffic is increasing nonetheless. Price swings still happen, and low trading days tend to amplify that movement, but the network’s billing activity didn’t immediately reflect price increases. In short, fees have increased while BTC has sometimes moved sideways.
Some of the companies that provide Bitcoin Lightning Network services. Source: River
Why Lightning Is Different
The Lightning Network removes payments from the main chain by opening channels between parties. Transactions within the channel are settled almost immediately and at a fraction of the cost of traditional on-chain transfers.
Only the channel’s total balance is sent to Bitcoin when closed. That design makes small and regular payments work, and eliminates the 10-minute wait that can ruin an in-store purchase.
Reports say that lightning-fast transactions could increase if AI systems start making automated micro-payments for data and computing, but that shift still requires better software and clearer business models.
At the moment, the growth of the network shows the progression to daily payments of Bitcoin, although the wide support of the exchange, the depth of the funds, and the strong merchant use will determine whether it becomes a regular payment train or remains a niche tool.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
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