Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc. is making a bold move to bring Bitcoin payments to the masses through its payment processing arm, Square. Announced at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, the company revealed plans to allow Square merchants to accept Bitcoin via the Lightning Network starting later this year, with full rollout expected by 2026.
Bitcoin at Checkout: Fast and Flexible
Using existing Square hardware, merchants will soon be able to accept Bitcoin with ease. Payments will be processed on the Lightning Network, known for its speed and low fees. Customers will pay by simply scanning a QR code, and Square will handle the technical backend.
Jack Dorsey confirmed merchants can either keep the Bitcoin they receive or instantly convert it into fiat currency. This flexibility is designed to make Bitcoin payments appealing even to businesses unfamiliar with crypto.
Empowering Merchants with More Options
“This is about economic empowerment,” said Miles Suter, Bitcoin Product Lead at Block. The feature builds on Square’s current Bitcoin Conversions tool, which already allows merchants to turn sales into BTC automatically. With this update, merchants can truly go crypto-native or stay fiat-friendly—it’s their choice.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the rollout will begin in the second half of 2025 and expand to all eligible sellers by 2026.
Bitkey Wallet Gets a Privacy Upgrade
Alongside this push, Block is enhancing Bitkey, its self-custody Bitcoin wallet. Launched in 2023, Bitkey will now offer new privacy and security tools that remove the need for traditional seed phrases, making self-custody more user-friendly for the everyday consumer.
Fast Food Meets Fast Payments
In a powerful case study, Dan Edwards of the fast food chain Stake n’ Shake shared how switching to Bitcoin has slashed their processing fees in half. “Bitcoin is faster than credit cards and saves us money,” Edwards said, highlighting a win-win scenario for both customers and merchants.
With global BTC payments starting across Stake n’ Shake locations on May 16, the mainstream adoption of Bitcoin in retail is speeding up. Square’s coming integration could take that momentum even further.