Lightspark Introduces Instant Bitcoin Lightning Payments to US Businesses with New Feature

Lightspark, a leading Bitcoin Lightning Network payments company, announced the launch of Lightspark Extend, its new solution that enables businesses to facilitate instant Lightning payments to eligible account holders in the United States.

🚀 NOW LIVE: Lightspark Extend connects Lightning to eligible US account holders in real-time. With Lightspark Extend, seamlessly send UMA-based payments to eligible recipients in the US, instantly and at low cost. Learn more here: https://t.co/B2O0or8e9k pic.twitter.com/F85VraLknl

— Lightspark (@lightspark) August 28, 2024

Lightspark Extend integrates with Universal Money Addresses (UMA) and Lightning-compatible wallets, exchanges or bank accounts, providing a compliant and cost-effective solution for 24/7 payments. Compatible with over 99% of US banks that accept real-time payments, the platform enables businesses to deliver fast and inexpensive customer transactions directly to eligible recipients.

UMA, available in 120 countries, simplifies sending value by using a human-friendly email-like address, eliminating the need to remember complex codes or passwords. The release of Lightspark Extend makes this capability accessible in the US, allowing recipients with accounts enabled for real-time payments to receive UMA-based payments via the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

Lightspark also said in the announcement that companies interested in adopting Lightspark Extend can sign up for a UMA address, connect eligible accounts and start receiving payments through an onboarding process facilitated by Zero Hash, a US regulated financial institution.

The launch of Lightspark Extend marks another step forward in making low-cost, instant Bitcoin payments more accessible to US businesses and consumers, expanding the reach and utility of the Bitcoin Lightning network.

Just last week, Lightspark announced that Coinbase customers can now send up to $10,000 in Bitcoin transactions instantly via the Lightning Network thanks to their partnership.