Revolut Teams Up with Lightspark to Enable Bitcoin Lightning Network Payments

Revolut is set to introduce payments via the Bitcoin-based Lightning Network, powered by a collaboration with Lightspark. This integration, rolling out in the UK and select European countries, aims to streamline crypto transfers for users.

The partnership between the two firms is expected to bring real-time, crypto-native infrastructure into fintech, in stark contrast to the traditional blockchain payments which are often considered slow and costly.

Revolut will be connecting its users to the Lightning Network through Lightspark’s backend infrastructure. This network acts as a secondary layer on top of Bitcoin, enabling transactions to be settled in near real-time while circumventing the congestion and fees commonly associated with the base blockchain.

Founded by former PayPal executive David Marcus, Lightspark has been positioning itself as a firm that can bring what it calls the “Money Grid” to businesses. This decentralized system is designed for instant global payments.

With Lightspark’s technology, Revolut will be able to enhance its crypto offerings by allowing smoother Bitcoin transfers. However, the companies did not disclose a launch timeframe for the new feature.

As more financial technology firms build faster crypto-native payment rails, this partnership puts Revolut among a growing cohort of firms entering this domain. The move also reflects a broader trend in the industry, with firms like Strike reporting $6 billion in volume last year as they build infrastructure that can match traditional banking in speed and cost efficiency.

Despite the promise of decentralization, Bitcoin's base chain has struggled to handle high volumes of transactions economically. This limitation led to the development of the Lightning Network, a Layer 2 scaling solution that can process transactions quickly and cost-effectively.

While the Lightning Network has been a fixture in the Bitcoin community for years, it is now entering the mainstream with partnerships like this one and platforms like Strike demonstrating its commercial viability.

With the integration of Lightspark's technology, Revolut will be able to offer users in the UK and European Economic Area the ability to send BTC with a few taps, skipping delays and slashing fees.

This step also highlights Revolut's broader ambitions in crypto and showcases a shift in how digital banks are approaching Bitcoin, not just as an investment asset but also as a functional currency for everyday payments.