Bitcoin’s layer-2 scaling platform, Lightning Network, could see a surge in stablecoin volume over the next couple of years, driven by increased retail and institutional adoption, according to industry experts.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Graham Krizek, founder and CEO of Lightning Network payments provider Voltage, said increased adoption of the layer-2 network will see it handle 5% of the global stablecoin volume as early as 2028. Krizek said that LN adoption will be driven by retail and developers who are “leading the wave.”

“Edge cases are being built by developers, and retail is always using, testing and exploring ways in which Lightning is becoming a staple to these new edge cases.”

Additionally, retail customers are demanding Lightning from the businesses, “which is why we’re seeing an increase in businesses like exchanges adding Lightning support,” he said, adding that institutional interest is also growing.

Exchanges have been quick to adopt the LN for cost savings and the benefits of much faster transactions, he said, noting that firms such as Cash App are already using it, with 25% of their BTC payments on the LN.

“Any business that uses Bitcoin will have Lightning integrations. Instant settlement will be standard, like we expect from any payment option.”