Square, the payment app under Jack Dorsey’s Block, has launched a major upgrade: merchants can now accept Bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network at checkout. This move allows over 4 million US retail sellers, from coffee shops to boutiques, to offer Bitcoin as a payment method without needing extra hardware or app downloads.
The Lightning integration enables near-instant, low-cost transactions. Merchants using Square’s existing POS terminals can accept Bitcoin and choose between keeping it as crypto or instantly converting it to fiat to avoid volatility. The service is rolling out in phases, with initial onboarding happening now and a full launch expected by 2026.
With Square processing over $200 billion in annual payments, this rollout could significantly reduce barriers—high fees, slow confirmations, and pricing risk—that prevented Bitcoin from being used in everyday commerce. Amid a strong Bitcoin bull market (with prices above $118,000), Square’s feature aligns with growing institutional momentum and positions BTC as more than a store of value—it’s becoming a medium of exchange.
Jack Dorsey has championed Bitcoin as the native internet currency for years, and Square’s new feature brings that vision closer to reality. If this scales, it could redefine Bitcoin’s role—from an investment asset to a practical payment tool in US retail.