Bitcoin's Lightning Network Capacity Declines Amid Channel Imbalances

Bitcoin's Lightning Network has experienced a notable decrease in capacity, dropping from over 5,600 BTC in December 2025 to 4,884 BTC currently. According to NS3.AI, this decline is attributed to ongoing channel imbalances faced by routing nodes. Additionally, the number of payment channels has significantly reduced from more than 80,000 in mid-2023 to approximately 45,000 today. Operators continue to struggle with finding an affordable method to coordinate rebalancing efforts.