In November 2025, the Bitcoin Lightning Network processed more than $1 billion in transaction volume and around 5.2 million payments, according to River. While the total volume hit a new record and average transaction size climbed to $223, the number of transactions was still below the 6.6 million peak seen in August 2023. Institutional and exchange-related transfers, including a reported $1 million payment from Secure Digital Markets to Kraken, played a key role in driving larger payment sizes and record network capacity above 5,600 BTC.

The Bitcoin Lightning Network processed more than $1 billion in payments in November 2025, marking its first billion‑dollar month and signaling rising real‑world usage. Researchers estimate the layer‑2 system handled about 5.2 million transactions in that period, while average transfer size climbed to $223, driven largely by exchange activity. Network capacity also exceeded 5,600 BTC, indicating expanding infrastructure for faster and cheaper Bitcoin payments.

Northeast Community Bancorp (NASDAQ: NECB) trades at $23.85 with a trailing P/E of 7.34 and a price-to-book of 0.92. The bank reports earnings on April 21, 2026, and offers a 4.19% dividend yield supported by a ~24% payout ratio. Recent performance includes ROA of 2.18% and ROE of 13.26%.

The White House is moving forward with draft rules that would bar yield on payment stablecoins and penalize evasion. Proposed enforcement would empower the SEC and CFTC to levy civil fines of $500,000 per violation per day. The measures emerged during the administration's third meeting with crypto firms and banking trade groups.

House Democrats have sent a formal letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking about the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's review of World Liberty Financial's application for a national trust bank charter. The lawmakers are focused on issues such as foreign ownership, national security, regulatory independence and possible involvement of the White House or Treasury in the process.

Democrats in the US House Financial Services Committee have sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raising concerns about World Liberty Financial's pursuit of a national trust bank charter tied to a dollar-backed token. The lawmakers cited systemic risk, foreign ownership including an almost half stake reportedly bought by a senior UAE royal for about $500 million, and potential political pressure on the chartering process.

In 2026, users are increasingly comparing crypto exchanges based on fee transparency and how much value they retain after each transaction. A range of platforms, including ChangeNOW, Kraken, Binance, Coinbase, Bybit, OKX, HTX, KuCoin, WhiteBIT, Gate.io, MEXC, and Bitfinex, offer differing combinations of maker–taker fees, instant purchase charges, and tiered discounts. Trading costs, deposit and withdrawal fees, and token-based incentives vary by exchange, trading volume, payment method, and product type.

On Feb 18, on-chain activity showed USDCx minting on Cardano, with seven mints and supply above 32 million units. On Feb 20, 2026, SBI Ripple Asia and AWAJ signed an MOU to develop XRPL-based financial services. Bitcoin marks five years since first reaching a $1 trillion market cap in February 2021, trading near $67,800.