Fidelity Research Report: The Development of Lightning Network May Strengthen Bitcoin's Investment Value

According to a report from The Block, Fidelity Digital Assets and the Lightning Network payment service provider Voltage have jointly released a research report indicating that the development of the Lightning Network will enhance Bitcoin's value as an investment asset. Data shows that since 2020, the average capacity of the Lightning Network has increased by 384%, currently holding approximately 5,358.50 $BTC, which is about 509 million USD at the current price of 95,000 USD per coin, and this data does not include private and undisclosed payment channels.

The report emphasizes that 2024 will be a milestone year for the development of the Lightning Network, with major exchanges such as Coinbase, Bitfinex, OKX, Kraken, and Binance completing integration in succession. The network shows several signs of maturity: early inefficient payment channels are gradually being closed, replaced by larger and more optimized channels; optimized node transaction fees can be as low as 0%, with payment completion times of less than 0.5 seconds; the network is developing towards larger scale and stronger connectivity nodes. Additionally, Tether plans to integrate $USDT into Bitcoin Layer 2, which, according to the co-founder of Solv Protocol, is expected to increase Lightning Network transaction volume by 1,197%.