Square Introduces Bitcoin POS Payments In Major US Expansion

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-04-01Last updated on 2026-04-01

Abstract

Square, a financial services company, has launched a major US expansion of its Bitcoin point-of-sale payment system. As part of the initiative, businesses that accept Bitcoin will pay no processing fees for the next two years, until the end of 2026. The program is designed to help small merchants adopt new payment methods without incurring transaction fees. By default, merchants receive US dollars in their accounts instantly, eliminating exposure to Bitcoin's price volatility. However, they can also choose to "stack" a portion of their daily sales in Bitcoin. The rollout began in October 2025 and is scheduled to be available to all eligible Square users by November 10, though businesses in New York are currently excluded due to state regulations. This move is part of a larger trend of financial companies integrating digital assets into traditional services, such as using cryptocurrency as collateral for mortgages and loans.

Businesses that accept Bitcoin will pay no processing fees for the next two years as part of a new push to move digital currency into the everyday economy.

This fee waiver, which lasts until the end of 2026, aims to remove one of the biggest hurdles for small shops and local vendors who want to try new payment methods without losing money on transaction costs.

Instant Cash Conversions For Local Shops

The plan allows US merchants to accept Bitcoin while receiving US dollars in their accounts by default. This setup removes the risk of price swings that often make business owners nervous about digital assets.

When a customer pays at the counter, the system converts the crypto into cash immediately. Reports show that this feature requires no extra setup for those who qualify, and the money moves into the merchant’s balance almost instantly.

While the default setting is to receive cash, there is a choice for those who want to keep some of the digital currency. Owners can set their accounts to “stack” a portion of their daily sales in crypto instead of taking the full amount in dollars.

Data shows that the rollout began on Monday and should reach all eligible Square users by Nov. 10. Businesses based in New York are currently excluded from the program due to specific state regulations.

Big Tech Moves Toward Everyday Crypto

Jack Dorsey, the head of Block, shared the news following an announcement from the company’s Bitcoin product lead, Miles Suter. The goal is to make these transactions feel like using “everyday money” for millions of businesses.

Block currently holds 8,883 BTC on its own books, which ranks it as the 14th-largest public holder of the asset. The company bought its supply at an average price of $32,939 per coin, according to BitcoinTreasuries.net.

Bitcoin is now trading at $66,537. Chart: TradingView

The move by Square is part of a larger trend where financial companies are blending traditional banking with digital assets.

For instance, some mortgage lenders now allow people to use their crypto holdings to meet loan requirements without selling their coins first.

Image: PYMNTS

Other platforms like Coinbase and Kraken have also brought back programs that let users borrow cash against their Bitcoin.

Expanding Financial Options For Borrowers

Recent reports indicate that this shift is reaching into the housing market as well. Better Home & Finance recently teamed up with a major exchange to allow buyers to use their digital assets as collateral for down payments on home loans. This allows a homeowner to secure a mortgage while keeping their investment intact.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Related Questions

QWhat is the duration of the fee waiver for Bitcoin payments offered by Square, and what is its purpose?

AThe fee waiver lasts until the end of 2026. Its purpose is to remove a major hurdle for small businesses by allowing them to try new payment methods without incurring transaction costs.

QHow does Square's system protect merchants from Bitcoin's price volatility?

AThe system is set by default to convert Bitcoin payments into US dollars immediately and deposit the cash into the merchant's account, thus removing the risk of price swings.

QWhich US state is currently excluded from Square's Bitcoin payment program and why?

ABusinesses based in New York are excluded from the program due to specific state regulations.

QAccording to the article, what is the significance of the date November 10 in relation to this rollout?

AThe Bitcoin Payments Acceptance feature is scheduled to be live for all eligible Square users by November 10.

QBeyond Square, what other example does the article give of crypto integration into traditional finance, specifically in the housing market?

AThe article states that Better Home & Finance teamed up with a major exchange to allow buyers to use their digital assets as collateral for down payments on home loans.

Related Reads

Worried about AI's Self-Evolution, Anthropic Intends to Stop Training?

In early 2026, Anthropic signaled a significant shift in its public narrative regarding AI development timelines and safety. In June, its Anthropic Institute published a detailed article, "When AI builds itself," presenting internal data suggesting accelerating AI self-improvement. Key figures included over 80% of merged code being written by Claude and a 52x speedup in certain optimization tasks. The article outlined three future scenarios, with the most speculative being full recursive self-improvement (RSI), where AI autonomously builds better successors. Anthropic stated RSI is "possible" and may arrive faster than most institutions are prepared for. This narrative pivot followed a series of strategic moves. In January, CEO Dario Amodei wrote about a powerful self-improvement feedback loop. In February, Anthropic revised its Responsible Scaling Policy, removing a core commitment to pause training if capabilities outstripped safety controls, citing the risk of falling behind competitors. This change coincided with reported pressure from the US Department of Defense. By May, Anthropic's valuation had soared to $965 billion. Anthropic's stance was mirrored by other industry leaders. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis adjusted his AGI timeline to "by 2029" and admitted to using provocative language like "foothills of the singularity" to create urgency. OpenAI also released a model claiming a key role in its own creation process. The article's carefully calibrated tone—presenting dramatic data alongside qualifying footnotes—exemplifies a balancing act between signaling technological acceleration and managing commercial, regulatory, and safety imperatives. External experts offered contrasting interpretations of the same data, from warnings of catastrophic risk akin to Chernobyl to skepticism that current automation merely handles "grunt work," not genius. The coordinated narrative shift among top labs highlights the complex interplay between perceived technical inflection points and strategic communication aimed at investors, regulators, and the public.

marsbit5m ago

Worried about AI's Self-Evolution, Anthropic Intends to Stop Training?

marsbit5m ago

The Macroeconomic Underpinnings of Africa's Payment Market Landscape

The African payments market, characterized by the world's highest mobile money penetration and fastest-growing cryptocurrency adoption, is not a coincidence but a macroeconomic necessity driven by deep structural factors. Two key drivers create this landscape: (1) Africa's heavy reliance on commodity exports, trade, and remittances, generating massive cross-border settlement and remittance demand; and (2) chronically underdeveloped financial infrastructure, exacerbated by international bank de-risking, foreign exchange mismanagement, and persistent inflation. This vacuum has allowed mobile money and crypto to thrive. Mobile money platforms replace banks for domestic payments, while cryptocurrencies serve as a store of value against local currency depreciation and a low-cost medium for cross-border exchange. A crucial division lies along the Sahara Desert. North Africa is integrated into the oil-anchored MENA framework, while Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), plagued by dollar shortages and fragmented currencies, has become a natural, massive market for mobile money and crypto. Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are global leaders in adoption. The SSA economy is deeply dollarized due to currency instability, yet suffers from a severe "dollar shortage" caused by trade deficits and limited export capacity. This creates parallel forex markets and high remittance costs. Cryptocurrencies, particularly stablecoins, fill this gap by providing access to dollar liquidity, cheaper cross-border transfers, and an inflation-resistant store of value, primarily driven by retail users for small-value transactions. While regional initiatives like PAPSS aim to reduce dollar dependence, the fundamental constraints of commodity reliance, trade imbalances, and shallow financial markets persist. Therefore, mobile money and cryptocurrencies are not niche trends but essential financial infrastructure filling a structural void, and they are likely to remain central to Africa's economic landscape for the foreseeable future.

链捕手14m ago

The Macroeconomic Underpinnings of Africa's Payment Market Landscape

链捕手14m ago

Is the Sharp Decline Over? Let the Data Speak

**Has the Sharp Decline Ended? Let Data Speak** Bitcoin's recent significant drop has placed short sellers in a precarious position. Three concurrent pressures—sustained outflows from ETFs, miners offloading coins to exchanges, and short-term holders capitulating—pushed the price near $63k. The asset fell 13% this week and 21% this month, roughly halving from its all-time high. A critical data point is the extremely crowded short positioning, with a short-to-long ratio reaching 8:1, representing nearly $100 billion in short interest overhead. This creates conditions for a potential short squeeze if selling pressure merely pauses, similar to the event in November 2022 which triggered a 24% rally. The selling pressures are real: spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen a record $5.4 billion outflow over 20 days. Short-term holders moved 53k loss-held BTC to exchanges in a day, and miners sent 24k BTC to Binance, a six-month high. Capital is also rotating towards AI and tech stocks like SpaceX, with $400 billion invested in AI infrastructure recently. However, on-chain data shows accumulation by long-term holders, who added 200k BTC in a month, and institutions/miners have absorbed 1.24 million BTC since 2023. This indicates strong buying beneath the surface. Key levels to watch are the $67k-$70k zone (2021 high & 2024 breakout point). A swift recovery above it suggests a leverage washout; failure could test $60k-$55k. The direction also hinges on ETF flow reversal. Currently, the S&P 500 hits new highs driven by AI, while Bitcoin and DeFi (TVL down from $173b to $73.9b) lag. The most probable path is a grinding basing process between $60k-$58k with continued ETF outflows. A less likely but explosive scenario involves a sudden flow reversal, a surge above $70k triggering a short squeeze, and a rally back above $76k. The immediate trigger depends on when the relentless selling pauses. A final cautionary note questions Bitcoin's correlation: if the high-flying U.S. stock market corrects, will Bitcoin once again miss the rally but not the decline?

foresightnews_api29m ago

Is the Sharp Decline Over? Let the Data Speak

foresightnews_api29m ago

Trading

Spot
Futures
活动图片