Full report: https://river.com/learn/files/river-lightning-report-2023.pdf
š Lightning Network Growth: Despite a 44% Bitcoin price drop, Lightning Network transactions surged by 1,212% since Aug '21, hitting a lower bound of 6.6 million in Aug '23. ā”ļø
š” Use Cases Driving Growth: Gaming, social media tipping, and streaming fueled 27% of Lightning Network's transaction growth. The network is diversifying its applications! š®š±š¬
šø Transaction Volume Soars: In Aug '23, $78.2 million was publicly routed using 5,000 BTC in capacity, a 546% increase from Aug '21. Lightning is becoming a powerhouse for transactions! šŖš
āļø Lightning Network's Utility: Average Lightning transaction size was 45k satoshis in Aug '23, showcasing its role in enabling low-value payments over the Internet. š°š
š Growing User Base: Estimated 279k to 1.116 million monthly active Lightning users as of Sep '23, with a ratio of 1:8 non-custodial to custodial users. The user community is expanding! š„ Between 1.83.7 million Lightning wallets were downloaded to use Lightning, with at least 122 million wallets downloaded that have access to Lightning.
š Global Activity: Lightning activity is now more evenly distributed globally, operating 24/7. The network knows no bounds! š°ļøš
š Network Stability: Despite market fluctuations, the number of Lightning nodes, channels, and capacity remains steady, indicating a professionalization of nodes. A stable foundation! š
š Industry Landscape: Identified 179 companies in the Lightning industry across 28 categories. The Lightning ecosystem is diverse and growing! šš
š° Funding Success: Lightning companies raised $530.93 million between '18 and '22, with $428.46 million raised in '22 alone. A testament to Lightning's appeal in the market! š¼šµ
ā Success Rate and Future Growth: River's Lightning payment success rate was an impressive 99.7% in Aug '23. Future growth drivers include increased exchange adoption, technical upgrades, and non-Bitcoin businesses adopting Lightning. The journey continues! šš±
