Square Introduces Bitcoin POS Payments In Major US Expansion

bitcoinistОпубликовано 2026-04-01Обновлено 2026-04-01

Введение

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

Связанные с этим вопросы

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.

Похожее

Macroeconomic Origins of the African Payments Market Structure

Africa’s payment landscape exhibits the world’s highest mobile money penetration and fastest cryptocurrency adoption. This is not a market anomaly but a macroeconomic inevitability driven by deep structural factors: a vast, young population, heavy reliance on commodity exports and remittances generating massive cross‑border payment needs, and a chronically underdeveloped formal banking system plagued by de‑risking, high inflation, and currency instability. This vacuum has allowed mobile money (e.g., M‑Pesa) to become the primary payment channel domestically, while cryptocurrencies—particularly stablecoins—serve as a store of value against local‑currency depreciation and a lower‑cost cross‑border medium. The key divide is the Sahara: North Africa integrates with the MENA oil‑centric financial system, while Sub‑Saharan Africa, facing acute dollar shortages and fragmented currencies, is the epicenter of this fintech surge. Structural reliance on dollars, driven by trade deficits and weak local currency credibility, creates persistent dollar scarcity, which crypto and mobile payments effectively address. Efforts like the Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) aim at de‑dollarization, but these alternatives will remain essential as long as underlying economic constraints—commodity dependence, limited industrialization, and financial exclusion—persist.

marsbit6 мин. назад

Macroeconomic Origins of the African Payments Market Structure

marsbit6 мин. назад

AAOI Defies Trend with Over 10% Surge, 'New Stock God' Serenity Predicts Potential to Double Again

On June 4th, despite a significant sell-off in the broader AI and semiconductor sector triggered by Broadcom's disappointing guidance, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) surged over 11%, showcasing a sharp divergence in market sentiment. Broadcom's warning about potential supply chain diversification by key customer Google and a weaker-than-expected outlook punctured the high-flying AI valuation narrative. This led to heavy selling in names like Broadcom (-12.6%) and Micron (-7%), with funds rotating into traditional industrial stocks. AAOI defied this trend. The stock has experienced high volatility recently, driven by bullish analyst coverage, notably from Rosenblatt which raised its price target to $220. Key catalysts include initial 800G optical module revenue from Amazon, potential certification from Oracle, and strong demand across its product portfolio. The company has reported cumulative orders for 800G/1.6T modules exceeding $324 million and is aggressively expanding manufacturing capacity in Texas, targeting an annualized run-rate of $1.4 billion for its module business by Q3 2027. However, AAOI's fundamentals present a mixed picture. Its Q1 2026 results missed expectations, showing a GAAP net loss, and Q2 guidance points to merely breakeven adjusted EPS. Risks include a delayed 800G production ramp to the second half of the year and high dependence on a few key cloud customers. Recent stock sales by company executives near price highs also noted. The article suggests AAOI's rally reflects a market beginning to differentiate within the AI ecosystem. While Broadcom's issues prompted a reassessment of custom ASIC and customer concentration risks, funds flowing into AAOI indicate a belief that the "physical bottleneck" narrative for optical connectivity—where supply remains tight—remains intact and is somewhat decoupled from the current sector weakness. The sustainability of AAOI's premium valuation now hinges on the successful execution of its production plans and upcoming quarterly results.

marsbit13 мин. назад

AAOI Defies Trend with Over 10% Surge, 'New Stock God' Serenity Predicts Potential to Double Again

marsbit13 мин. назад

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.

marsbit15 мин. назад

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

marsbit15 мин. назад

Торговля

Спот
Фьючерсы
活动图片