{"id":43153,"date":"2025-08-20T13:01:32","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T13:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=43153"},"modified":"2025-08-20T13:01:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T13:01:32","slug":"bitcoin-breakthrough-first-us-bank-integrates-lightning-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=43153","title":{"rendered":"Bitcoin Breakthrough: First US Bank Integrates Lightning Network"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SoFi will roll out a Bitcoin-powered international money transfer service inside its consumer app, becoming\u2014per Lightspark CEO David Marcus\u2014\u201cthe first US bank to use Bitcoin and Universal Money Addresses (UMA) to offer 24\/7, realtime, cheap global payments.\u201d The integration uses the Bitcoin Lightning Network as the cross-border settlement rail and will debut later this year, with Mexico as the first corridor.<\/p>\n

First US Bank Plugged Into Bitcoin Lightning<\/h2>\n

In its announcement<\/a> on August 19, SoFi said members will be able to send funds abroad directly from the SoFi app \u201cwith lower fees and faster delivery compared to traditional remittance service providers.\u201d Technically, dollars are converted to Bitcoin in real time, routed over Lightning, and reconverted instantly on the other side to local currency that lands in a recipient\u2019s bank account\u2014without users needing a third-party app. SoFi added that total costs will be \u201cbelow the current national average,\u201d with exchange rates and fees shown up front. The feature will be available through SoFi Checking & Savings, offered by SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, with a waitlist already open.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoFi is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking financial platforms in the US today,\u201d Lightspark\u2019s Marcus said in the release. \u201cDigital banks are embracing UMA because it\u2019s fast, cheap, and secure, and it uses the only open payments network that exists, Bitcoin.\u201d SoFi CEO Anthony Noto framed the move in terms of everyday utility: \u201cFor many SoFi members who regularly send money to loved ones internationally, the ability to quickly transfer money at low cost isn\u2019t just a convenience, it\u2019s a meaningful improvement to their everyday financial lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marcus amplified the launch on X, calling it a \u201cvery important milestone,\u201d and underscoring the strategic rationale for banks: \u201cBitcoin\u2019s neutrality, openness, and decentralization makes it a very compelling choice for banks<\/a> as the replacement for antiquated correspondent banking vs. other centralized options. No one wants to king-make another closed, corp controlled payment network again. Open will win.\u201d In a separate post, he urged observers to \u201ctruly digest the significance of major banks in the US, Latin America, Europe\u2014and soon everywhere\u2014using Bitcoin as neutral TCP\/IP packets for money.\u201d<\/p>\n

The announcement positions SoFi within a broader shift by large consumer platforms toward Lightning-based settlement. Lightspark previously disclosed partnerships aimed at bringing Lightning and UMA to Revolut in the UK and EEA and to Brazil\u2019s Nubank<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s largest digital banks, signaling a multi-region build-out of an \u201copen Money Grid.\u201d Against that backdrop, SoFi\u2019s US bank charter makes this rollout notable in the regulated banking context.<\/p>\n

Whether SoFi is the first US bank to integrate Lightning may depend on definitions and scope. Lightspark\u2019s press release describes SoFi as \u201cone of the first US-banks to offer a blockchain-powered remittances service,\u201d whereas Marcus\u2019 posts characterize it as the first US bank using both Bitcoin and UMA to deliver always-on, inexpensive global payments.<\/p>\n

What is uncontested is the architecture: UMA addressing on the front end, Lightning<\/a> for cross-border routing, fiat in and fiat out\u2014with SoFi aiming for lower-than-average remittance costs and round-the-clock availability inside a mainstream banking app.<\/p>\n

At press time, BTC traded at $113,627.<\/p>\n

\"Bitcoin<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SoFi will roll out a Bitcoin-powered international money transfer service inside its consumer app, becoming\u2014per Lightspark CEO David Marcus\u2014\u201cthe first US bank to use Bitcoin and Universal Money Addresses (UMA) to offer 24\/7, realtime, cheap global payments.\u201d The integration uses the Bitcoin Lightning Network as the cross-border settlement rail and will debut later this year, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3,4,5],"class_list":["post-43153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-crypto","tag-doge","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43153\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}