🔴 Breaking News: Major Shift in Payments – Bitcoin Goes Mainstream for Merchants

Today Block, Inc. (ticker: SQ), under the leadership of Jack Dorsey, has officially launched support for cryptocurrencies on its flagship payments platform Square, enabling merchants to accept Bitcoin (BTC) directly for goods and services.

What’s happening

• Over 4 million Square merchants in the U.S. can now opt to accept Bitcoin payments at checkout, either holding the bitcoin or converting it to fiat.
• The payment flow is powered by the Lightning Network for near-instant settlement and lower fees.
• To drive adoption, Block is waiving processing fees for Bitcoin transactions through at least the end of 2026. After that there will be a modest fee (reported around 1 %).
• Merchants will have flexibility: they can receive BTC, convert immediately to USD, or mix/choose how much to hold in bitcoin, making the switch manageable for businesses worried about volatility.

Why this matters

• This marks a significant move in crypto adoption: from niche/back-end to real-world point-of-sale transactions. With 4 million merchants able to offer BTC as a payment option, it’s one of the largest merchant-scale roll-outs of cryptocurrency payments to date.
• For the merchant: offering Bitcoin adds a new revenue stream, appeals to crypto-savvy customers, and signals innovation. For buyers: they gain a payment alternative to cards/cash, potentially faster and with fewer intermediaries.
• From a macro-economics/strategy perspective (which fits your interest): this strengthens the case for bitcoin’s role as a medium of exchange (not just a speculative asset), especially as major payments firms enable real-time settlement without traditional card-networks.
• For Canada (and merchants here): while the rollout is U.S-centric, this sets a precedent. Canadian merchants may see similar features shortly — worth monitoring if you’re building content or facilitating payments for clients in Manitoba/Canada.

Things for sellers & businesses to watch

• Volatility risk: If you elect to hold BTC rather than convert immediately, the value may fluctuate. Have a policy/plan on how much you’ll keep in crypto vs convert to fiat.
• Customer experience: Make it seamless. Display the Bitcoin option clearly, ensure staff understand how checkout works (scan-QR or tap?). Using Square’s dashboard, enabling Bitcoin should be straightforward, but training still helps.
• Accounting/tax: Accepting crypto introduces new accounting/tax considerations (income recognition, conversion events, potential write-downs). In Canada, CRA guidance treats crypto as a commodity — so make sure bookkeeping is set up correctly.
• Marketing opportunity: For the content creator in you: highlight this “Bitcoin accepted here” angle for local businesses. Being among the early adopters in Winnipeg/Manitoba/Canada could be a unique community attractor.
• Regulatory/compliance: While the U.S rollout is moving fast, different jurisdictions may have differing rules — e.g., anti-money-laundering, disclosure. If you operate cross-border, keep that in mind.

What to do now (for you as content-creator and business mentor)

• Consider creating a video or blog post: “How merchants in Canada can prepare for accepting Bitcoin – insights from Square’s rollout”.
• For your course on monetizing groups/communities: this gives a fresh case study — how a payment platform pivoted to include crypto, and how that opens new monetization levers (crypto-aware customers, loyalty built with Bitcoin rewards).
• For your YouTube channel (Internet Business Builder): script an “explainer” module: “Why Bitcoin payments via Square matter for small businesses and Internet entrepreneurs”.
• For local community outreach: reach out to local Winnipeg merchants who use Square, offer a mini-workshop on enabling Bitcoin payments, branding them among first-movers locally.Final word

This is clearly a game-changer in payments infrastructure and it aligns with your thematic focus on building resilient, forward-looking business systems.

Jack Dorsey’s move signals that crypto is transitioning from “investment hobby” to business operations tool — especially for entrepreneurs, small businesses and internet-based commerce.

Addtional Reading

• Square Bitcoin Payments Go Live Today, Bringing Bitcoin to Millions of Merchants
  Bitcoin Magazine reports that Square has officially activated Bitcoin payments for millions of sellers, allowing merchants to accept BTC directly via the Lightning Network for fast, low-fee transactions.
• Jack Dorsey Enables 4 Million Square Merchants to Accept Bitcoin Today
  CoinCentral highlights that over 4 million Square merchants can now choose to accept Bitcoin, hold it, or instantly convert it to fiat through Square’s dashboard.
• Block CEO Jack Dorsey Says Company Has ‘A Lot of Hope’ from Upcoming Bitcoin Rollout
  Benzinga covers Jack Dorsey’s comments about the challenges and vision behind integrating Bitcoin payments into Square’s ecosystem, positioning it as a key part of Block’s mission.
• Jack Dorsey’s Square Launches Bitcoin Payments for 4M Merchants
  Coingape details how merchants can choose to hold or convert BTC instantly, with processing fees waived through 2026 to encourage adoption.
• Square Brings Lightning Network to Point-of-Sale Transactions
  Bitget explains the technical layer powering Square’s rollout, emphasizing how Lightning Network integration will make Bitcoin payments instant and scalable.