Block, Inc., the financial services firm founded by Jack Dorsey, is set to integrate Bitcoin payments into its Square payment processing platform. The rollout will begin later this year, with a full launch planned for 2026, the company revealed at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas on May 27.
Block showcased the feature live at the BTC Inc. merchandise store, offering a sneak peek into how merchants will soon accept Bitcoin payments using existing Square hardware.
Real-Time conversion or Bitcoin custody
Merchants will process payments through Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, a layer-2 protocol designed for fast, low-cost transactions. According to Dorsey, vendors will have the flexibility to either hold the Bitcoin they receive or automatically convert it to fiat currency in real-time, giving them full control over their preferred settlement method.
This is about economic empowerment for merchants who like to have options when it comes to accepting payments, said Miles Suter, Block’s Bitcoin Product Lead. The initiative builds on Square’s current Bitcoin Conversions feature, which allows merchants to automatically convert their sales into BTC. For consumers, the checkout experience will be streamlined: scan a QR code and pay instantly, while Square and Lightning handle the backend.
Subject to regulatory approvals, Block expects to begin onboarding eligible Square sellers in the second half of 2025 and complete the rollout by 2026.
In parallel, Block is rolling out new privacy and security features for Bitkey, its self-custody Bitcoin wallet launched in late 2023. Starting in May, updates aim to make self-custody easier and safer—eliminating the need for traditional seed phrases and focusing on a more user-friendly experience.
Stake n’ Shake sees big savings from Bitcoin payments
Block’s Bitcoin ambitions were echoed by fast-food chain Stake n’ Shake, whose COO Dan Edwards also took the stage at Bitcoin 2025. Edwards said the company has cut payment processing fees in half since adopting Bitcoin for payments.
“Our experience so far with Bitcoin has been that it is faster than credit cards, and when customers choose to pay in Bitcoin, we’re saving about 50% in our processing fees,” Edwards shared. “It’s a win for the customer, a win for us as merchants, and a win for the Bitcoin community.”
Earlier this month, on May 9, Stake n’ Shake announced it would begin accepting Bitcoin across all global locations starting May 16, cementing its commitment to crypto-powered commerce.
