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Square Activates Lightning Bitcoin Payments for 4 Million Merchants

Lightning-powered checkout with zero fees through 2027 signals Block’s bid to make Bitcoin routine at the point of sale.

Overview

  • Payments route over the Lightning Network for near-instant settlement with no chargebacks, integrated directly into Square’s existing point-of-sale.
  • Merchants can accept in BTC or USD, choose to hold or auto-convert funds, and set automated conversions including up to 50% of daily sales.
  • Block is waiving processing fees on Bitcoin transactions until 2027, with controls available from the standard Square dashboard.
  • The rollout reaches roughly 4 million sellers and is available across the U.S. except in New York, where regulatory hurdles persist.
  • The launch follows October’s Compass Coffee pilot, and U.S. tax treatment of everyday crypto spending remains a key obstacle to broader consumer use.