Business Daily Media

The Times Real Estate

.

Xapo Bank Becomes the First Bank to Offer Near-Instant Bitcoin Payments On the Lightning Network Powered by Lightspark

Xapo Bank is the first fully licensed bank in the world to integrate Lightning Network.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach - 9 March 2023 - Xapo Bank, a leading Bitcoin custodian and licensed private bank, has partnered with Lightspark and integrated with the Lightning Network to enable lightning-fast Bitcoin payments for its customers.

Xapo Bank members can now instantly pay for small purchases of up to $100 USD at any vendor which accepts Lightning payments without suffering high transaction fees and long blockchain confirmation waiting times.


The Lightning Network enables scalable payments at millions of transactions per second across the network. This integration will reduce the time-consuming and costly experiences that often plague users who pay for small transactions in Bitcoin. Xapo Bank will be the first fully licensed private bank to offer near-instant Bitcoin payments, and its goal is to be the largest Lightning node, expanding the network's use across a host of new users.

Seamus Rocca, CEO of Xapo Bank, said: "The average transaction confirmation time of one hour combined with potentially large fees during periods of high usage make the Bitcoin network unsuitable for small daily payments such as groceries. By integrating with the hyper-efficient Lightning Network, we are the first bank in the world to streamline this process and allow our members to pay for small purchases with Bitcoin without having to convert to USD first.

"Against a backdrop of hyperinflation, economic uncertainty and political turmoil, we are entering a world where digital money is ubiquitous, and we need integrations like this that open up access to Bitcoin payments. We are bringing together the benefits of fast, cost-efficient, and global Bitcoin payments with the security, privacy, and flexibility unmatched in the traditional banking industry."

Founded in 2013, Xapo was the first institutional holder of Bitcoin and is one of the most trusted custodians in the industry, providing users with a secure platform to store and transact with their Bitcoin. It was the first crypto company in the world to obtain a banking licence, evolving into Xapo Bank, and has since expanded its offerings to include interest-bearing accounts for both USD and BTC and continues to develop its Wealth Management offering alongside other traditional banking services. Unlike other financial services businesses, members at Xapo Bank own and control their Bitcoin fully, meaning they can receive, hold and send it directly.

David Marcus, CEO and Co-Founder of Lightspark, said: "We're thrilled to enable the first bank on the Lightning Network to offer instant, cheap Bitcoin payments to its customers. Xapo has been one of our early closed beta partners, and we're delighted they chose Lightspark's enterprise-grade solution to reliably send and receive payments on the Lightning Network without all the complexity and operational overhead that typically comes with running a node on it. We look forward to talking more about our solution in the months to come."

To pay via the Lightning Network, Xapo Bank members will need to hold Bitcoin in the Xapo Bank App. After that, they can simply scan and pay an invoice at any merchant accepting Lightning Network payments. The network charges a small fee for each transaction, usually a few Satoshis. Xapo Bank has set a fixed payment fee for SAT 15 (less than $0.01 USD as of Feb 24th) to protect members from executing transactions with high fees.

Wences Casares, Chairman at Xapo Bank, said: "We believe that Bitcoin is the future of money, and we are committed to helping our members navigate this new financial landscape. By expanding our services to include instant Bitcoin transfers, we can offer our members better usability and ultimately grow the cryptocurrency that many of our members rely on."

To learn more about Xapo Bank and apply for membership, visit: https://www.xapo.com/

Hashtag: #XapoBank

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Xapo Private Bank:

Xapo is an international private bank that accepts members who may apply and join the bank from anywhere in the world, digitally. Similar to other licensed banks in Europe and the UK, deposits at Xapo Bank are guaranteed for up to USD 100 000.00 under the It is currently paying 4.1% interest on USD, available on demand, with no lock ups.

Xapo is the first fully licensed private bank to offer total real-time transactability in USD, alongside investments in USDC and Bitcoin, through a single, secure, simple and user-centric account and app. The bank and its members are strictly protected by UK and EU standard laws in the trusted UK jurisdiction of Gibraltar, under the authority of the .

Led by the leading minds in traditional banking, fintech and future-forward crypto adoption, Xapo is a best in class banking platform from end to end. Xapo's advisory panel includes former Citibank CEO and chairman John Reed and former US Secretary of Treasury Larry Summers (and included the late Visa founder Dee Hocks until his passing last year), and its C-Suite is comprised of global leaders in fintech and banking from companies such as PayPal, Libra, Standard Chartered, Credit Suisse and more. CEO Seamus Rocca was previously Group Head of Liquidity and Funding Risk at Standard Chartered Bank in London, and founder Wences Casares is a world renowned serial entrepreneur and Bitcoin pioneer who previously served on the board of PayPal.

Xapo's distributed workforce across 42 countries brings unrivalled diversity of problem-solving talent to the world of private and decentralised banking. A tech company first and foremost, 65% of the bank's staff are world class engineers who are developing its innovative technology platform.

The world's first fully licensed crypto-native bank, Xapo was conceptualised and funded in Silicon Valley and uses best in class technology to safeguard its members' and its own reserves. It holds one of the world's largest distributed reserves of Bitcoin.

  • Instagram @xapoprivatebank
  • Facebook @xapoprivatebank
  • Twitter @xapoprivatebank
  • LinkedIn @xapoprivatebank

About Lightspark

Lightspark is building infrastructure for the Lightning Network. Lightspark is in a closed beta, but services and tools will be available soon.

About Lightning Network

The Lightning Network is a decentralised network on the Bitcoin blockchain that enables instant, low-cost payments across a network of participants. The Lightning protocol makes use of the security and liquidity of the Bitcoin network to create a secure network of participants who are able to transact bitcoin at high volume and high speed with low cost and instant settlement.

News from Asia

LFC and adidas reunite with new multi-year partnership

LIVERPOOL, UK - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 March 2025 - Liverpool Football Club and adidas have agreed a new multi-year partnership that will see the sportswear giant once again become the club...

Prince Holding Group Earns Fifth Consecutive ‘Best in Cambodia’ Award for CSR Initiatives

Recognized at the 17th Annual Global CSR & ESG Awards for Sustainable Development Efforts PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 March 2025 - Prince Holding Group has been recogni...

Galaxy Macau’s Reveals a Galaxy of Stars As the Integrated Resort’s Restaurants are Awarded Five Michelin Stars in the 17th Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2025

Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa Celebrates a Stellar Debut MACAU SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 March 2025 - In the 17th Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2025, Galaxy Macau™, the world-class luxury in...

Melco continues to lead with the city’s top number of Stars granted by MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2025

MACAO SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 March 2025 - Melco Resorts & Entertainment continues to lead in Macau in the newly published MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2025, being granted ...

Singapore G Unveils the Largest Cold Storage Facility in Central Singapore, Reinforcing Its Commitment to Supporting SMEs and Business Growth

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 March 2025 - Singapore G, a trailblazer in space solutions, today announced the grand opening of MustardSeed@SG Cold Store, a cold storage facility in the ...

GROW with Singlife and aberdeen Launch New Exclusive Share Class of Global Income Bond Fund to Deliver Sustainable Payouts Amid Market Volatility

Globally diversified portfolio of crossover bonds aims to deliver attractive yields for investors SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 March 2025 - GROW with Singlife ("GROW"), the integrated...

Konica Minolta wins 2025 A3 Line of the Year Award and four Pick Awards from Keypoint Intelligence

Recognition of Konica Minolta’s adaptable, future-ready innovations in office printing technology. SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 March 2025 – Konica Minolta has been awarded five ...

Silver vs. Gold: Octa Broker's Expert Take on the Future of Precious Metals

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 March 2025 - Silver is attracting investor interest, with market analysts predicting a potential leap to $40 per troy ounce in 2025...

Asia trade set for continued growth despite challenging global business environment, reveals DHL Trade Atlas 2025

India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are forecast to lead in both speed and scale of trade growth from 2024 to 2029 South Asia and Southeast Asia regions set to ach...

Incode joins Australia’s Age Assurance Technology Trial to protect children online

With a market-leading +99% accuracy rate, Incode will play a key role in safeguarding Aussie minors on social media Incode Technologies Inc., a...

Empowering small businesses: Localsearch rolls out affordable digital solutions

New suite of digital solutions designed to boost visibility, engagement, and customer acquisition In response to a rapidly evolving digital lan...

Why Responsible Leadership is a Competitive Advantage for Small Businesses

In today’s fast-changing business landscape, leadership is evolving. While large corporations are reassessing their diversity, equity, and inclusi...

Why it’s a great time to include the EU in your export push

With the US market beset with unknowns, training your sights on mainland Europe in 2025 makes sound sense. Wondering whether the introduction o...

Success Isn’t About Labels—It’s About Mindset

In the lead up to International Women’s Day, I’ve been reflecting on my own success as a business owner and whether or not being a woman has playe...

Accelerate Action- Thryv champions women in business for International Women’s Day

Thryv® (NASDAQ: THRY), provider of the leading small business software platform, is celebrating International Women’s Day by shining a spotlight o...

Sell by LayBy