Overview
- BitGo now exposes Lightning functions through APIs that let clients create wallets, send payments, generate invoices, and track transactions within existing custody policies and permissions.
- Voltage provides the managed Lightning infrastructure as BitGo’s partner, with the integration supporting both self-custody and full-custody Lightning wallets for institutional users.
- BitGo cites performance gains of up to 90% faster and 90% cheaper transactions compared with on-chain Bitcoin transfers.
- The launch lands as Lightning capacity hits record highs in December 2025 at roughly 5,606–5,637 BTC, driven by larger deposits from exchanges even as active node counts remain below prior peaks.
- Recent ecosystem moves include Lightning Labs’ Taproot Assets v0.7 for asset transfers on Lightning and Tether’s investment in payments firm Speed, alongside reported exchange usage where about 15% of Bitcoin withdrawals run over Lightning with high payment success rates.