Monthly transaction volume on the Lightning Network exceeded $1 billion for the first time in November 2025, signaling continued growth in Bitcoin based payments even during a subdued price environment.
According to a report from River Financial, Lightning processed an estimated $1.1 billion in volume across approximately 5.2 million transactions during the month. The milestone was reached despite a broader pullback in Bitcoin prices throughout the year.
The report attributes much of the adoption to crypto exchanges and an expanding number of merchants integrating Bitcoin payments. While transaction counts remain below the 2023 peak of 6.6 million monthly transfers driven largely by gaming and messaging app micropayment experiments usage trends indicate sustained real world application.
Institutional Transfers and AI Payments Drive Growth Outlook
The Lightning Network enables near instant, low-cost transactions by settling payments offchain and posting final balances to the Bitcoin blockchain. This structure significantly reduces confirmation times compared with traditional onchain transfers, which average roughly 10 minutes per block.
Network capacity reached 5,606 BTC in December 2025, reflecting increased liquidity and participation. Institutional activity has also expanded, including a $1 million Lightning transfer sent to Kraken earlier this year.
River forecasts further transaction growth as businesses and developers explore AI driven payment automation and agent-based microtransactions using Lightning infrastructure.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.