Block Opens Floodgates: Merchants Can Now Integrate Bitcoin Lightning Payments via Square

Jack Dorsey's fintech empire just supercharged crypto commerce—again.

Lightning strikes Square

Block is rolling out the red carpet for sellers to adopt Bitcoin's Lightning Network through Square's payment infrastructure. No more waiting for confirmations—instant settlements are now on the menu for businesses tired of legacy finance's molasses-speed transactions.

Why this matters

This isn't just about faster BTC payments. It's a strategic end-run around Visa/Mastercard's stranglehold on small business transactions (and their 3% vig). Suddenly, accepting crypto looks less like a PR stunt and more like a P&L upgrade.

The cynical take

Wall Street will still call Bitcoin 'too volatile'—right before launching their own tokenized settlement systems with 10x the fees. Some decentralization.