Lightning Network 2025 Stats: Year in Review ⚡️📊
Across metrics, Lightning showed robust growth with all the hallmarks of health and strength with its expansion.
2025 set a solid foundation for Bitcoin's MoE proliferation in the years ahead.
Let the data show you👇
1/ Lightning Capacity ATH
More Bitcoin is moving onto the #LightningNetwork.
Capacity contracted in early 2025, then reversed in August to close the year at record highs.
Users continued committing BTC to Lightning, countering downward BTC price pressure.
2/ Lightning Increased Concentration
Early in 2025, the network pruned smaller, inactive channels.
While there were fewer connections, the average channel size grew, enabling larger payments.
Lightning is evolving from many small roads → fewer highways for higher throughput.
3/ New Channels Signal High Conviction
New channel opens (in sats) show a clear strengthening trend.
• Channel opens intensified throughout the year in size and number
• Capacity moved into fewer, higher-quality channels
Liquidity is being strategically deployed: fewer, larger channels support bigger payments. The trend indicates more confidence in peers and the protocol.
4/ Channel Closures Look Healthier
In 2025:
• Mutual closes grew modestly (healthy close)
• Force closes bursted then fell slightly
• Penalty closes were rare (only 7)
Pruning in action:
Forced closes involved smaller (and likely inactive) channels, preceding large channel opens (pruning)
Mutual closes indicate higher network and protocol stability.
With smarter channel openings (AI-optimized) and a mature protocol, force closes reduce over time.
5/ Cost-Conscious Network Growth
Lightning grew at low cost in 2025:
• Node operators deployed large amounts of capital
• Low on-chain fees supported these deployments
• Low setup costs enabled higher profit possibilities
Flat channel fees plus rising capacity signal a prudent network with maturing structure.
6/ Magma surged while LINER remained steady
Magma, the liquidity marketplace, grew more established in 2025, providing more liquidity pricing data to LINER:
• More decentralized liquidity
• Deeper market (60 BTC)
• Automated Liquidity
• Private channel purchases increased (incl. via Alby)
Marketplace volume made LINER a more accurate yield indicator.
7/ The node graph tells a story
Nodes grew +2.37% YTD, but the journey was notable:
• Early 2025: many channels were closed with a sharp decline of nodes around June/July
• Later in the year: larger capacity channels were opened
What do you think drove the 2025 node growth?
8/ The big picture
2025 laid the groundwork for scale.
• Bigger channels
• Healthier channel lifecycles
• Deeper liquidity markets
• Larger payment possibilities
The network strengthened its foundations amid rapid growth.
#LightningNetwork is maturing, now positioned for larger, higher-volume payments.
Explore the data behind this thread →
