According to reports from Crypto.news, Block's Square has achieved a significant milestone by enabling approximately one million U.S. merchants to accept Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network. The auto-enrollment initiative has successfully brought Bitcoin payment capabilities to a substantial portion of Square's merchant base, representing a major expansion of cryptocurrency payment infrastructure in the United States.
As reported by Crypto.news, the Lightning Network-based system allows customers to pay in Bitcoin while merchants receive U.S. dollars by default at checkout. This setup is specifically designed to reduce merchant risk from Bitcoin price volatility, as the system handles currency conversion before settlement. Merchants can opt out of the Bitcoin payment option if they choose not to accept cryptocurrency payments.
According to Crypto.news, this rollout follows Square's earlier commitment to bring Bitcoin payments to eligible sellers by 2026. Block announced in 2025 that the feature would enable merchants to accept Bitcoin through Square hardware with near-instant settlement and real-time exchange rate handling. The company's Bitcoin Product Lead, Miles Suter, emphasized that bringing native Bitcoin experiences to millions of sellers moves the company closer to creating a practical, decentralized payment system.
As reported by Crypto.news, the merchant rollout complements other Bitcoin products within Block's ecosystem. Cash App already supports Bitcoin buying, selling, and transfers, while Bitkey provides self-custody tools. The company also supports Proto for Bitcoin mining and Spiral for open-source Bitcoin development. Block maintains that customer Bitcoin is held one-to-one, while corporate Bitcoin sits separately on the company's balance sheet.
According to Crypto.news, the one-million merchant milestone significantly increases Bitcoin payment availability at checkout, though it does not guarantee widespread consumer adoption. Actual usage will depend on factors including transaction fees, tax regulations, customer preferences, and merchant demand for cryptocurrency payments. The rollout represents a strategic move toward making Bitcoin practical for everyday transactions rather than just long-term holding.
