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Strike Brings Bitcoin Lightning Network to Europe

Bitcoin's potential to integrate seamlessly with existing financial systems is becoming increasingly evident.

Author

Luke Ostapchuk
April 24, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Strike, a nifty bitcoin payments app led by Jack Mallers, has officially launched its services across Europe, marking a significant milestone in Bitcoin Lightning adoption and functionality on the continent.

Why It Matters: Strike’s expansion enhances the utility of bitcoin beyond just a store of value. The app offers a suite of features enabling users to buy, sell, send, and manage BTC efficiently, leveraging the speed and low cost of the Lightning Network.

The company’s European launch – capturing the world's third-largest economy – aligns with the bitcoin-maxi vision of making BTC a globally accessible and usable currency.

Key Features for European Users:

  • Buy, sell, send, and withdraw bitcoin without any limits: Deposit or withdraw funds to and from your bank account, self-custody wallets, and any bitcoin or lightning wallet address.

  • Schedule recurring purchases: Great for dollar cost averaging (DCA). Stack sats hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly – the choice is yours.

  • P2P Transfers: It’s sort of like Venmo, but with currency conversion optionality. You can send funds to any other Strike user around the world instantly. Your friend can then receive the value as BTC, Euro (in Europe), USD (in the U.S.), or USDT (in supported global regions).

  • Send money globally: Strike customers in Europe can now use the app to save money on remittances. You can send value across borders to supported regions including Africa, Philippines, Mexico, and Vietnam, etc. with the funds being delivered as local currency.

The news comes as Strike has expanded its services over the past year to reach over 70 countries across the globe, from the U.S. to Latin America and Africa.

Bigger Picture: Bitcoin's potential to integrate seamlessly with existing financial systems is becoming increasingly evident. While the rollout is still in its early days, it’s beautifully designed apps like Strike that makes using bitcoin much easier and inch us closer to an open, global financial infrastructure.