Revolut partners with Lightspark to add Bitcoin Lightning for UK and EEA users

Revolut has partnered with Lightspark to integrate Bitcoin’s Lightning Network into its payments infrastructure for users in the UK and select European Economic Area countries.

Revolut is now using Bitcoin’s (BTC) Lightning Network through Lightspark to let users send crypto instantly and with lower fees, making digital payments faster and cheaper, according to a company post.

The move is designed to reduce network costs and transaction times, tapping into what Lightspark describes as the “open Money Grid.”

Revolut’s GM of Crypto, Emil Urmanshin, said the integration is part of the fintech company’s broader goal to offer faster and more affordable financial services. 

Revolut also recently launched its mobile crypto exchange app, Revolut X, for users in the U.K. and European Economic Area, enabling trading of over 400 crypto pairs and 220 tokens. The mobile rollout followed its earlier desktop launch and expanded the platform’s reach after announcing plans for European growth in November 2024.

Lightning Network

The Lightning Network, Bitcoin’s Layer 2 protocol, is known for allowing scalable, real-time transactions and is increasingly being adopted by fintech platforms looking to expand their crypto payment capabilities.

Lightspark CEO David Marcus called the partnership a sign of the future of money.

 “Revolut is at the forefront of modern finance,” Marcus said, comparing traditional bank systems to “dial-up” in a “5G” world. 

Lightspark’s infrastructure also supports Universal Money Address, which links email-like identifiers to wallet addresses, further simplifying crypto payments.

Revolut joins a growing list of global fintechs turning to Lightning to improve user experience and efficiency. The integration highlights an ongoing shift toward real-time, borderless financial transactions—without the slow settlement times and high costs typically associated with blockchain payments.