Feb 6, 2026
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BULLISH 📈 : SDM Completes $1M Transaction via Lightning Network to Kraken
Secure Digital Markets executed a $1 million transaction to Kraken using Bitcoin's Lightning Network on January 28, 2026. This marks the first publicly disclosed seven-figure payment on the network, completed almost instantly with minimal fees.
- The Lightning Network is designed for small transactions but now shows capability for larger, institutional payments.
- Voltage’s managed node infrastructure facilitates this capacity, offering reliability and liquidity needed by major players.
- Mostafa Al-Mashita from SDM views this as a shift in global settlement architecture, highlighting Bitcoin’s capacity for institutional use.
Lightning Network Capacity and Usage Growth
- As of December, Lightning Network's capacity reached an all-time high of over 5,600 BTC, up from 4,200 BTC earlier in 2025.
- The network operates with about 17,300 nodes and 40,900 active channels, reflecting a trend towards higher-capacity channels.
- Lightning handles around 15% of Bitcoin payments for merchants, nearly double that of 2023. Major exchanges like Binance have added significant liquidity.
- LQWD Technologies reported routing over 2,012 BTC across 2 million transactions by December, indicating robust infrastructure support.
This pilot could signal a shift from micropayments to a settlement network for high-value transfers, pending further adoption by traditional finance sectors.
