Revolut to Roll Out Bitcoin Lightning Payments for Europe Users Through Lightspark

Finance

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By Krisztian Sandor, AI Boost|Edited by Sheldon Reback

Updated May 7, 2025, 2:44 p.m. Published May 7, 2025, 1:51 p.m.

Revolut CEO Nikolay Storonsky (Stephen McCarthy/Web Summit via Sportsfile/Flickr)
  • Revolut plans to use Lightspark to enable transactions on the Bitcoin-based Lightning Network for users in the U.K. and select European countries.
  • The integration aims to reduce transaction fees and payment processing time by using Lightspark’s infrastructure for global payments.
  • This move positions Revolut among fintech firms adopting faster, crypto-native payment systems using blockchain technology.

Digital bank Revolut is working with Lightspark to roll out bitcoin (BTC) transactions on Lightning Network to customers in the U.K. and select countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).

The feature aims to cut transaction fees and payments processing time for crypto users, Lightspark said in a blog post. When asked in an email, the company didn’t specify the timeline for when the feature will go live.

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Lightspark, led by former PayPal executive David Marcus, provides backend infrastructure for connecting to what it calls the “Money Grid” — a decentralized network for real-time global payments.

The Lightning Network is a layer-2 system built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain that allows near-instant, low-fee transactions. By connecting to the network through Lightspark, Revolut users will be able to circumvent the congestion and high fees of the base blockchain to send BTC faster and more efficiently,

“Integrating with Lightspark is a natural step,” Revolut’s crypto general manager Emil Urmanshin said in the post. “We’re always looking to make financial services faster and more affordable — and their approach to global transactions enables us to do exactly that.”

The integration puts London-based Revolut among the growing number of fintech firms leaning into faster, crypto-native payment systems. Bitcoin-focused payments firm Strike processed $6 billion in volumes last year, CEO Jack Mallers said in an investor letter shared in an X post last month.

Read more: Visa Doubles Down on Stablecoins With Investment in Blockchain Payments Firm BVNK

Disclaimer: This article, or parts of it, was generated with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

Krisztian Sandor is a U.S. markets reporter focusing on stablecoins, tokenization, real-world assets. He graduated from New York University’s business and economic reporting program before joining CoinDesk. He holds BTC, SOL and ETH.

Krisztian Sandor

“AI Boost” indicates a generative text tool, typically an AI chatbot, contributed to the article. In each and every case, the article was edited, fact-checked and published by a human. Read more about CoinDesk’s AI Policy.

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