Block Integrates Bitcoin Payments via Lightning Network into Square Platform

Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) is taking a significant step towards mainstream Bitcoin adoption, launching Bitcoin payment capabilities on its Square platform, the company announced in a statement on Tuesday.

This new feature, leveraging the Lightning Network for near-instant, low-cost transactions, is being showcased at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

Merchants utilizing the Square point-of-sale app will soon be able to accept Bitcoin payments directly through their existing Square hardware. For customers, paying with Bitcoin will be as simple as scanning a QR code at checkout, according to the announcement. The Lightning Network integration enables rapid settlement, while Square's backend handles complexities such as real-time exchange rate calculations and confirmation notifications.

Miles Suter, Bitcoin product lead at Block, emphasized the company's long-standing vision: "Block has long been a champion of bitcoin, focused on making it more accessible and usable in our everyday lives. Rolling out a native bitcoin experience to millions of sellers brings us one step closer to that goal. When a coffee shop or retail store can accept bitcoin through Square, small businesses get paid faster, and get to keep more of their revenue."

This new "Bitcoin For Businesses" offering builds upon Square's existing Bitcoin Conversions feature, launched in 2024, which allows eligible merchants to automatically convert a portion of their daily sales into Bitcoin. Together, these features aim to create a seamless experience for both merchants and customers, furthering Bitcoin's original vision as a peer-to-peer payment system.

The initial rollout for Bitcoin payments on Square is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2025, with a full rollout expected to reach all eligible Square sellers in 2026, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

This integration is the latest addition to Block's growing Bitcoin ecosystem, which includes Cash App's Bitcoin buy, sell, and transfer capabilities; Bitkey, a self-custody Bitcoin wallet launched in March 2024; Proto, a suite of Bitcoin mining products and services; and Spiral, which builds and funds open-source projects for economic empowerment. Bitkey is also set to introduce new privacy and security features this month, including an inheritance recovery option.

Block, led by Bitcoin advocate Jack Dorsey, is the tenth-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, owning 8,584 BTC valued at approximately $935 million at current market prices.