Is Bitcoin kidding itself about the Lightning Network?

Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has criticized the Lightning Network, saying Bitcoiners are deceiving themselves about its usability and effectiveness. Sztorc argues that custodial Lightning services account for more than 80% of payments, likening this to a fraudulent campaign akin to Elizabeth Holmes' Theranos. He contends that Lightning's custodial services make it difficult to gauge its actual user experience from public network data alone.

However, the Lightning Network's head of liquidity, Alex Bosworth, admitted that the network can be slow compared to traditional payment methods. Despite this, Lightning processed $1.17 billion in transaction volume and 5.22 million transactions in November 2025, according to River's Bitcoin adoption report. While this represents a significant increase in usage, it remains below the network's peak of 6.6 million transactions in August 2023.

Despite growing developer interest, the adoption of Lightning for everyday payments lags behind, with Lightning accounting for only 9.6% of Bitcoin payments processed through CoinGate's service in the first half of 2026.