Source: Pixabay / WorldSpectrum
Bitcoin (BTC) wallet and payment platform Strike has partnered with Checkout.com to enable debit-card-based Bitcoin purchases in over 65 countries.
Strike leverages Bitcoin’s lightning network to let users make instant and free cross-border fiat currency payments to anyone worldwide. It also functions as a Bitcoin onramp, letting users buy and sell the currency.
Checkout.com is a global payment service provider for businesses that supports all major card schemes.
The collaboration addresses one of the core issues plaguing major crypto providers today: swapping funds between digital and fiat currencies – the latter of which requires access to traditional U.S. banking rails.
Speaking to Fortune, Strike CEO Jack Mallers said that Checkout.com provides a card network gateway, brokering relationships with the likes of Visa and Mastercard. Checkout.com itself does not convert users’ dollars into Bitcoin, but opens one more pathway for interested investors to buy the digital currency.
Strike will become the “Bitcoin company of the earth,” using global payments as a core feature, according to Mallers.
Strike’s Bitcoin Payment Features
Right now, Strike Global users in over 36 countries can buy Bitcoin with a debit card, with rollouts to over 65 countries on the way. Some currently compatible nations include El Salvador, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UAE.
“We’ve also repurposed our Send Globally technology for our users outside of the US,” added Mallers over X. Since last year, Send Globally has allowed U.S.-based Strike users to send money to people in other nations, such as Kenya, with funds automatically converted to the recipient’s local currency in their bank or mobile money account.
Announcing Buy Bitcoin Globally
Today, @Strike marches forward on its mission to democratize financial freedom around the world
Our global users can now buy #bitcoin, cash out, shop, and more
This is more than just an update; it’s a milestone!
— Jack Mallers (@jackmallers) November 16, 2023
“Global users can now cash out their #bitcoin & USDT to local currency, send money across borders, or use Strike to shop in their local markets,” Mallers continued.
Finally, Strike announced a partnership with Bitrefill, a company letting customers purchase various real-world items – such as gift cards – using Bitcoin. “Whether you’re holding fiat, USDT, or bitcoin, you can now easily purchase everyday items over Lightning,” Mallers said.
At the 2022 Bitcoin Conference, Mallers announced that his company would be partnering with Blackhawk and NCR to let people use BTC to purchase items at major retailers using BTC directly from their personal wallets. However, technical complications caused this service to be delayed.
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