Square parent showcases bitcoin checkout at Las Vegas pop-up
A pop-up store at a major bitcoin conference features a new solution that directly accepts bitcoin payments at the point of sale.
Block Inc., parent company of the Square mobile payment app and card reader and Cash App payment platform, is demonstrating bitcoin payments on Square at a pop-up merchandise store called BTC Inc. The pop-up is featured at the Bitcoin 2025 conference running at The Venetian resort in Las Vegas through Thursday, May 29.
By leveraging the Lightning Network decentralized blockchain solution that enables users to quickly send and receive bitcoin, the Square POS app enables the pop-up to accept bitcoin payments directly through its Square hardware for near-instantaneous, low-cost transactions.
Customers can pay with bitcoin by scanning a QR code at checkout. The Lightning Network enables near-instant settlement, while Square's integration handles behind-the-scenes processing, including real-time exchange rate calculations and confirmation notifications.
Following the BTC Inc. pop-up, Block expects rollout of bitcoin payment via the Square app to begin in the second half of 2025 and reach all eligible Square sellers in 2026, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
"Block has long been a champion of bitcoin, focused on making it more accessible and usable in our everyday lives," said Miles Suter, bitcoin product lead at Block. "Rolling out a native bitcoin experience to millions of sellers brings us one step closer to that goal. When a coffee shop or retail store can accept bitcoin through Square small businesses get paid faster and get to keep more of their revenue. This is about economic empowerment for merchants who like to have options when it comes to accepting payments."
Retailers slowly warm to bitcoin
While bitcoin is not yet a mainstream means of paying for consumer purchases, retailers have been gradually integrating the digital currency into their operations over the years. GameStop recently announced it is getting into bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, and Walgreens allows customers to purchase bitcoin at NCR Allpoint ATMs in select stores.
In terms of accepting bitcoin as payment for transactions, quick service restaurant chain Chipotle has been partnering with pure digital payments platform Flexa to accept digital currencies including bitcoin for food orders since 2022.
[READ MORE: Chipotle promotes digital currency with gamified campaign]
Retailers including Newegg, Camping World and Sheetz also all accept bitcoin payment for at least some transactions.
