Square Launches Bitcoin Real-Time Payment Pilot at Bitcoin 2025 Conference Using Lightning Network

In a significant development for digital finance, Square, a prominent subsidiary of Block, unveiled a Bitcoin real-time payment pilot during the Bitcoin 2025 conference held in Las Vegas, as reported by CNBC. This innovative feature leverages the Lightning Network, allowing attendees to conveniently purchase merchandise through instant Bitcoin transactions. The initiative is an extension of Square’s recent Bitcoin Auto-Convert system upgrade, anticipated to be accessible to qualified merchants by 2026. Outside the conference venue, a dedicated pop-up store enabled attendees to seamlessly acquire branded apparel and accessories by merely scanning a QR code. Notably, the transaction speeds achieved through the Lightning Network significantly surpass those typical of conventional blockchain settlement methods. Since its introduction last year, Square’s Bitcoin Auto-Convert feature has garnered interest from over 1,000 merchants, highlighting a growing trend towards mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency in retail environments.