The capacity of Bitcoin Lightning nodes and channels has reached an all-time high. Its Lightning Network, the Bitcoin network’s layer 2 solution, has been designed for solving Bitcoin’s scalability growth. Since the start of 2021, it has experienced parabolic growth. The public channel capacity on this network is exploding. It recently hit an all-time high of 2,738 bitcoin.
The Lightning Network, a layer 2 scaling solution, is built on the top of the base layer of Bitcoin, allowing two peers to open a channel between each other. They can use this channel to defer the final settlement into the future.
In January 2016, the whitepaper for the Lightning Network was released as a proof-of-concept idea. The base layer of Bitcoin has a limited throughput, which is needed for keeping the network decentralized sufficiently. Even though the network uses payment channels that are opened between two peers for function, it is the node interconnectivity and public channels that ensure payment routing through the other lightning nodes present on the network. These nodes can select whom the peers can connect to on the network and what fees are to be charged. Through the Lightning Network, peers can also open a private channel. However, this balance is invisible.
For the past three months, there has been spectacular growth in the Lightning Network. One of the reasons behind this is the adoption of Bitcoin in El Salvador as the legal tender. Lightning Network played an important role during the onboarding process, which resulted in its increased popularity.
