Square Pilots Lightning-Powered Bitcoin Payments at Bitcoin 2025

Square, the payments platform founded by Jack Dorsey, is testing a new bitcoin payment feature at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas. For three days, attendees can use BTC to make real-time purchases by scanning a barcode. Transactions are settled nearly instantly via the Lightning Network, with Square managing exchange rate conversions and confirmation updates.

This pilot marks a major step in Square's broader Bitcoin adoption efforts. The company plans to expand the feature to more users later in 2025, aiming for full availability by 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Miles Suter, Bitcoin Product Lead at Block (Square’s parent company), emphasized the company’s vision of promoting a decentralized, fast, and low-cost financial system. “We believe in an open, decentralized, fair, fast, and low-cost money system for everyone, and that’s exactly what we want to bring to Square sellers,” he said in a press release.

Square’s integration with the Lightning Network addresses two of the biggest hurdles in Bitcoin payments: transaction speed and scalability. With the real-time conversion and settlement system, it hopes to offer merchants and consumers a seamless experience rivaling traditional payment methods.

As Bitcoin hovers around $109,000, interest in real-world BTC utility is increasing. Square’s initiative signals growing institutional confidence in Bitcoin’s role as a payment solution and not just a store of value.

By pushing forward with Lightning integration, Square is positioning itself at the forefront of mainstream crypto payment adoption, aiming to empower both sellers and buyers in the evolving digital economy.