Revolut supercharges Bitcoin with lightning-powered payments

Revolut has teamed up with Lightspark to launch lightning-fast Bitcoin transactions for users in the UK and select European markets.

Revolut is stepping up its crypto game by partnering with Lightspark to bring the Lightning Network to Bitcoin payments. This upgrade allows users in the UK and parts of the European Economic Area to send BTC almost instantly and with minimal fees.

By using Lightspark’s high-performance infrastructure, Revolut can now offer quicker and cheaper crypto transactions, moving beyond simple trading and custody. Emil Urmanshin, head of crypto at Revolut, called the integration a key move toward making global payments more efficient.

The Lightning Network, built on top of Bitcoin’s blockchain, is known for improving speed and lowering costs. With this partnership, Revolut joins other fintech leaders exploring decentralized tech for real-world use.

Lightspark CEO David Marcus applauded the collaboration, saying it brings modern finance one step closer to a seamless global money system. He compared old banking systems to "dial-up" in a 5G world.

Lightspark also brings UMA (Universal Money Address) support—letting users send money with simple, email-style addresses. For now, Lightning payments will roll out to UK and selected EEA users, with more regions expected to follow as systems mature.

This move underlines Revolut’s push to become a go-to platform for fast, crypto-enabled money transfers.