Bitcoin’s Lightning Network surpassed $1 billion in estimated monthly transaction volume in November 2025, according to a report from Bitcoin financial services firm River.
River estimated Lightning processed $1.1 billion across 5.2 million transactions during the month.
River’s director of marketing Sam Wouters said adoption held up even as bitcoin’s price fell during November.
The report said:
“Lightning adoption happened despite the price declining all of November and generally not doing much in 2025. The adoption was largely driven by exchanges, as well as a growing number of businesses accepting bitcoin payments.”
What the report measured
River’s estimates cover both transaction volume and transaction count on Lightning, a layer-2 network designed to move bitcoin payments quickly and at lower cost.
The report noted that total monthly transactions in 2025 were below 2023 levels.
River pointed to August 2023, when Lightning transactions peaked at 6.6 million, a period it attributed to micropayment experiments in gaming and messaging.
Why Lightning is being used
Lightning routes payments off-chain through channels, with only the net result ultimately settled back on Bitcoin.
This structure can reduce fees and avoid waiting for on-chain settlement, where blocks average about 10 minutes.
Exchanges and institutions
In December 2025, Lightning Network capacity reached 5,606 BTC as more companies and institutions used the network.
River also highlighted institutional use cases, including a February Lightning payment in which Secure Digital Markets sent Kraken $1 million.
The report forecast another potential surge in transactions as individuals and businesses test AI-driven payments.
